A Growing Number of Catholic Schools Are Shutting Down Forever

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About 150 Catholic schools have closed nationwide citing insurmountable financial pressures from the coronavirus pandemic.
As parents and families lost their jobs during the pandemic, many could no longer pay tuition at Catholic schools, even though fees are generally much less than at other private schools. And when churches began shutting down to curb the spread of the virus, that also ended a major source for donations — some of which would normally be allotted for parish schools.

For many schools after years of declining enrollments, the coronavirus became the mortal strike. “If a school was financially vulnerable, the pandemic was the thing that pushed them over the edge,” Ms. Mears said.
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Having attended diocesan Catholic schools myself, this news is distressing, but also understandable. Like it or not, change happens. Demographics shift, and parish schools that were once filled to capacity now struggle to stay open.

Here in Los Angeles, one nearby parish grade school closed and then leased the school building to a charter school, which is currently thriving. This provides the parish with needed funds, and of course they still offer CCD religious education classes. Another parish just announced that they are closing their school, and frankly I think it comes as a great relief to the pastor. I could tell he was troubled and preoccupied with trying to keep the school open in the face of ever decreasing enrollment. Perhaps he will lease the empty building as well.

In response to this crisis, our Archbishop Gomez just initiated another financial giving program throughout the archdiocese to keep the struggling schools that are otherwise viable open until the pandemic becomes less of a problem.
 
Yeah, Catholic schools in my areas have been consolidating or closing for years now.
There simply aren’t enough kids to keep them all going, and tuition is quite high at many.

In areas where there are a lot of Catholics with parents well-off enough to pay the tuition, the schools stay open. In other areas where one or both of those factors are lacking, the schools close. It’s simple economics.
 
Tuition is an obstacle to enrollment. Couple this with watered down teachings and more will close.

Catholic schools are an investment in the future.

Vote to have your tax dollars follow your child.
 
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It is a shame we can’t direct a portion of our taxes to support the school of our choosing, that is what they have in Canada.

You can elect to have your tax portion sent to any school, including parochial ones. This greatly reduces or eliminates tuition, and makes Catholic education available to many more families.

Deacon Christopher
 
I suppose it’s sad if they can’t stay open. If schools in my diocese closed I wouldn’t she’s too many tears. The “Catholic” part of the Catholic schools here is poor. Our schools however are showing record enrollment. Partly because all the public schools have “virtual distance” learning. The Catholic schools are all in person learning. Unfortunately, the catholic high school here has chosen to purposely break public gathering rules for graduation and sports practices.
 
Siphoning tax dollars from the public schools isn’t the answer, in my opinion, as it leaves less money for public schools that do the bulk of educating the poor, the English as a second language, those with learning disabilities. Plus, Catholic schools just don’t deliver as well academically as public schools; the states that have implemented vouchers have seen drops in test scores.

If you want to send your kid to a Catholic school, that is your personal right, but others shouldn’t pay for your decision. Private school = privately paid for.
 
Yes but then the government looks like it’s endorsing a particular religion, which is obviously wrong and even contrary to the Constitution.
 
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20-30 years ago I would have been upset, but the majority of Catholic schools don’t teach the faith well. They’re too much of a liability it seems, there’s always some controversy with teachers and students living in opposition to Catholic moral teaching, being disciplined, and having a national story come out.
 
cloistered said:
Siphoning tax dollars from the public schools isn’t the answer, in my opinion, as it leaves less money for public schools that do the bulk of educating the poor, the English as a second language, those with learning disabilities.
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Money isn’t siphoned from public schools. In the provinces with taxpayer-funded Catholics schools, the money follows where the students go. It’s like each and every student gets the same fixed amount and parents choose the school they want to hand that money to.
cloistered said:
Plus, Catholic schools just don’t deliver as well academically as public schools; the states that have implemented vouchers have seen drops in test scores.
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Not in Canada.


Catholic schools in Alberta have consistently been places where students are nurtured into success. Publicly available statistics show that Catholic schools produce higher test scores, high-school completion rates, and levels of parental involvement than their public counterparts. Moreover, the programming offered (such as their fine art or early-childhood education classes) are universally recognized as first-rate.
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I am not Canadian and really can’t speak to the school situation there.

But, in the US, it does siphon money away from the public schools. With vouchers, the money does “follow the student”; the problem is that that money isn’t the amount it takes to educate 1 student. To illustrate, say a voucher is $9k, one cannot hire a even one fulltime teacher for that amount. Public schools are left with many fixed costs (building, electric, water, teacher salary (teachers aren’t paid less when a student leaves). When the money is given to a Catholic school, the public schools don’t have $9k less in costs when that student leaves.

There is also the truth that not all students cost the same amount to educate and the students that cost more aren’t the students that the Catholic schools want and as they are “private”, they don’t have to accept those students.
 
Personally, I never cared for the idea of vouchers. I gladly paid for my son’s Catholic education (12 years), even though it was a financial challenge. I even paid for part of my own Catholic high school education through part-time jobs when my parents were struggling financially. That said, I strongly believe in the value of and need for our public school system, which is supported by our tax dollars.
 
tomarin said:
Yes but then the government looks like it’s endorsing a particular religion, which is obviously wrong and even contrary to the Constitution.
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If tax dollars follow your child then it can go to any school. It doesn’t endorse one. Right now taxpayers are endorsing the secular religion over every other one.
 
I still think that’s preferable to endorsing a particular religion. What you’re suggesting would entail the government deciding which religions are legitimate and which aren’t, picking winners and losers as it were.
 
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tomarin said:
I still think that’s preferable to endorsing a particular religion. What you’re suggesting would entail the government deciding which religions are legitimate and which aren’t, picking winners and losers as it were.
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We the people will do that and may the most truthful and best prevail.
 
Since more and more people are not identifying with any religion, I’m not sure how that would work out.
 
That is not my experience at all - Catholic schools consistently surpass public ones.

Public schools already are far too wasteful with their bloated budgets, and focus on indoctrination rather than learning. The budgets consistently go up, but the educational product does not improve.

Catholic schools operate on a fraction of the same budget, but consistently produce better results.

Canada has it right on this one.

Deacon Christopher
 
No, it doesn’t. In Canada you direct your portion of taxes to whatever school you want: Catholic, private, Lutheran, public, whatever you choose.

The taxes collected come from you, why not have some guidance in how they are spent?

Well done, Canada!

Deacon Christopher
 
No it’s not - you can pick a religious school or a non-religious school, a magnet school, a STEM school, etc.

That’s not endorsing any religion, or no religion; precisely what the First Amendment calls for.

Deacon Christopher
 
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