Can Catholic Schools Be Saved?

[vern_humphrey]

Tuition for Catholic schools are VERY HIGH…and the teachers are still paid way below what the public school teachers make.

We sent our 7 children when tuition was lower and I volunteered to make up what we couldn’t pay. Those days are gone…nuns are gone and now students are dwindling because of cost.

I hate to see it happen, but I think they’ll have to close. The Catholic church needs to focus more on religious training. Leave the academics to the school system and bring the faith back to the parents and young people. There are too many Catholics out there that are ignorant of their faith.

This is called a “death spiral.” We begin closing our schools, which results in fewer children in Catholic schools, which results in poorer religious education, which results in fewer vocations, which results in fewer religious to teach in the Catholic schools, which results in hiring secuilar teachers, which drives up costs, which drives out students – which starts the whole cycle all over again.

Rebuilding our schools ought to be a top priority with the bishops. As I said, we can save Catholic schools, the question is, will we?

 

[JButky]

My wife and I pulled our kids out of Catholic school. This where a lot of the Catholic Homeschoolers come from…

Why? For us, the Catholic schools were NO different from the public schools except that they taught religion, but highly watered down.

Administration was bad, secular influences (negative cultural ones) were infiltrating our home. There was really no difference between public education and “Catholic” education.

So we took the responsibility into our own hands.

Catholic schools can be turned around but the agenda to do so is not on the table (at least in my area). When they are ready to do what they need to do rather than attempt to model educational philosophy derived from public education, then they will get better.

Joe B

 

[vern_humphrey]

My wife and I pulled our kids out of Catholic school. This where a lot of the Catholic Homeschoolers come from…

Why? For us, the Catholic schools were NO different from the public schools except that they taught religion, but highly watered down.

Administration was bad, secular influences (negative cultural ones) were infiltrating our home. There was really no difference between public education and “Catholic” education.

So we took the responsibility into our own hands.

**Catholic schools can be turned around but the agenda to do so is not on the table **(at least in my area). When they are ready to do what they need to do rather than attempt to model educational philosophy derived from public education, then they will get better.

Joe B

Sadly, you are all too right.

 

[BAIRBRE]

Catholic schools and parishes are closing, mergin etc in our diocese. We all have a righ t to be upset and concern when this is happening all across america and possibly europe. in the states, some dioceses are even facing bankruptcy. Our diocese is telling us that there is a shortage of priests. We can get all the international priests we need. Our diocese must be hurting for money. However, they need to tell us the truth. Isn;t lying a sin. There is going to be alot of hurt people where I live.

Also the tuitions are high for Catholic school…Nj public school taxes are high enough…many p eople are struggling to survive…can’t afford high Catholic school tuition on top of high taxes. even ccd is expensive…vacation bible school too. (for many it 's cheaper to attend protestant vacation bible school. It causes many catholics to leave and join this church.)

Something must be done.

 

[BAIRBRE]

My wife and I pulled our kids out of Catholic school. This where a lot of the Catholic Homeschoolers come from…

Why? For us, the Catholic schools were NO different from the public schools except that they taught religion, but highly watered down.

Administration was bad, secular influences (negative cultural ones) were infiltrating our home. There was really no difference between public education and “Catholic” education.

So we took the responsibility into our own hands.

Catholic schools can be turned around but the agenda to do so is not on the table (at least in my area). When they are ready to do what they need to do rather than attempt to model educational philosophy derived from public education, then they will get better.

Joe B

I agree…from NJ…there are alot of homeschooled children…I feel there’s many problems with Catholic and public schools across country. It’s scary. Also we are paying high taxes and the kids aren’t learning the basics… music, art, sports are replaced with sex ed., drugs…it’s all about money…when you keep telling kids no…no…no…that’s when they will get curious and do it…

 

[JButky]

I agree…from NJ…there are alot of homeschooled children…I feel there’s many problems with Catholic and public schools across country. It’s scary.

It is also regrettable that there are many parishes with schools where the pastor is not fond of the Catholic homeschoolers. I don’t know if somehow they feel threatened financially by that.

We send our kids through the CCD programs for sacrament prep, but the real prep really happens at home… The kids know too that they are simply going through the motions to appease the process. The rest of the schools are in the same situation as far as regular “education” goes.

Why spend all that money on a bad investment? It’s a waste.

Joe B

 

[AnnaRose]

Everyone’s opinions are very important on this subject. Thank you! With church and school closings in many parts of the country our Bishops need to look at this situation very seriously.

Before we can get more enrollment in our schools, Catholics need to be reeducated on what our religion is all about and how important it is. Each parish should offer ongoing rel. ed. once or twice a week for adults and children all year long.

I could go on and on about how weak our faith is. No wonder the Protestants are enrolling more and more of our people.

We need reform…we need it now!! If everyone who reads these replies would say a prayer for our schools…we’ve got a very good start!!

 

[vern_humphrey]

Everyone’s opinions are very important on this subject. Thank you! With church and school closings in many parts of the country our Bishops need to look at this situation very seriously.

Before we can get more enrollment in our schools, Catholics need to be reeducated on what our religion is all about and how important it is. Each parish should offer ongoing rel. ed. once or twice a week for adults and children all year long.

I could go on and on about how weak our faith is. No wonder the Protestants are enrolling more and more of our people.

We need reform…we need it now!! If everyone who reads these replies would say a prayer for our schools…we’ve got a very good start!!

To paraphrase Tertullian, “In the Catholic schools is the seed of the Church.”

It is there we learn our faith. It is there we find our vocations. When we close our schools, we are eating our seed corn.

 

[kamz]

To paraphrase Tertullian, “In the Catholic schools is the seed of the Church.”

It is there we learn our faith. It is there we find our vocations. When we close our schools, we are eating our seed corn.

 

[whatevergirl]

Tuition for Catholic schools are VERY HIGH…and the teachers are still paid way below what the public school teachers make.

We sent our 7 children when tuition was lower and I volunteered to make up what we couldn’t pay. Those days are gone…nuns are gone and now students are dwindling because of cost.

I hate to see it happen, but I think they’ll have to close. The Catholic church needs to focus more on religious training. Leave the academics to the school system and bring the faith back to the parents and young people. There are too many Catholics out there that are ignorant of their faith.

So true!!! I echo your post.

 

[PaulinVA]

Why do we have Catholic schools?
What is their mission?
Are they performing their mission?

 

[kamz]

Everyone’s opinions are very important on this subject. Thank you! With church and school closings in many parts of the country our Bishops need to look at this situation very seriously.

Before we can get more enrollment in our schools, Catholics need to be reeducated on what our religion is all about and how important it is. Each parish should offer ongoing rel. ed. once or twice a week for adults and children all year long.

I could go on and on about how weak our faith is. No wonder the Protestants are enrolling more and more of our people.

We need reform…we need it now!! If everyone who reads these replies would say a prayer for our schools…we’ve got a very good start!!

I agree completely!
We are so very blessed to live in a small rural MN town with a parish run Catholic school… the prices are high but they have tuition assistance and they are willing to work with you to make it possible for your children to attend. I know that not everyone is so fortunate and I know we are so blessed. My children are better people since coming to this school, they are with other children who share their faith and values, it is ultra conservative and our priest plans to keep it that way as it has been for over 60 years!
My children go to daily Mass and I go also and sit with them and they have rosary several times during the week, confession once a month, stations of the cross… my kids are teaching me things I didn’t know about my faith and it is truly amazing… parents are encouraged to be involved as much as they are comfortable with, we have several "school mom’s’ who are volunteering every day all school year long and others who come a couple days for a few hours… whatever works for your schedule, as soon as my youngest starts kindergarten in one year I plan to volunteer at least three days a week and hopefully five days a week… I am a better Catholic because of this school and my kids are becoming wonderful, faithful Catholics as well and my 11 yr old son has mentioned he has felt called to the priest hood

I have always prayed for good Catholic schools in our country and I will always pray for that… for our family this is a gift from God!

 

[Duffyo7]

You know the story about the kid whose parents got fed up with their son’s constant discipline problems in the public school? ‘That’s it!’ says the dad. ‘It’s Catholic school for you.’ They sent him. They waited. No calls from school. ‘What’s up?’ the dad finally asks. ‘The nuns been boxin’ your ears?’ ‘No,’ says the kid. ‘They didn’t have to. When I got to school, I saw this guy hanging from a cross with nails in his hands and feet and I figured they meant business.’

LOL! Sounds like my oldest…

 

[Julianna]

I agree 100%.

I know plenty of kids not in Catholic school because of the extra curricular activity expenses, who seem to have the money to be on very expensive sports teams and have all the latest gadgets.
**And as for a nurse volunteer, isn’t that a good thing that a person is willing to give their time to make something work for her parish? **where would the Catholic Church be without volunteers?

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great for a nurse to volunteer. But she was only there a few days a week. The rest of the week a volunteer mom or the secretary was doling out meds and band-aids, tending to bee stings, etc. Volunteers are a wonderful asset to any school or organization in their scope of knowledge. I knew many parents who were not confortable having the school secretary or nice Mrs. Evans dole out medication or administer epi pens, etc to their children with no medical training.

 

[rdscheirer]

We have a Stewardship Parish- everyone that attends the school makes a yearly pledge and must keep up with it unless circumstances change (changes must go through the Priest).

Works pretty well- some families couldn’t afford 3700 and so would use public schools. Some families can and do give 8% of gross income-helps the less wealthy when the better off do their responsibility.

Some wealthy families opt to pay the tuition rather than their 8% “tithe” becuse the tuition is cheaper (they don’t put a whole lot in the collection basket on Sundays)

Stewardship is great! Plus tuition is not tax deductible- your “tithe” is!

 

[AnnaRose]

After reading over the messages I apologize for not answering the question. I’ve been concentrating more on the situation of our local Catholic school.

When I hear our liberal parish nun teach a bible class with info taken from a book written by Sr. Joan Chittister (who is a supporter of CALL TO ACTION) and sprinkles her talk with feminism theology, it makes me cringe! …and then the parish priest says there is nothing he can do about her “talks”…it makes me want to “spit nails”!!

When I taught at our Catholic school there was a teacher that was not Catholic and a teacher that was living an immoral life with her live-in boyfriend. What are they teaching our children!!!

Yes, our Catholic schools can be saved.
If we encourage friends and family members to support them by sending their children there.
By helping out financially or volunteering with fundraisers.
By sending letters to the Bishop reporting “wayward nuns”.

Perhaps this thread should list ideas to keep them open.

 

[Cygnus_X1]

Not only is it a “related” article, it’s the exact same article that’s linked in the original post.

Different source, though. I was going to start a separate thread about it in Catholic News, then saw that this thread existed.

I’ll be leaving now . . . tapdances offstage

 

[Julianna]

After reading over the messages I apologize for not answering the question. I’ve been concentrating more on the situation of our local Catholic school.

When I hear our liberal parish nun teach a bible class with info taken from a book written by Sr. Joan Chittister (who is a supporter of CALL TO ACTION) and sprinkles her talk with feminism theology, it makes me cringe! …and then the parish priest says there is nothing he can do about her “talks”…it makes me want to “spit nails”!!

**When I taught at our Catholic school there was a (1)-**teacher that was not Catholic and a (2)-teacher that was living an immoral life with her live-in boyfriend. (3)- What are they teaching our children!!!

Yes, our Catholic schools can be saved.
If we encourage friends and family members to support them by sending their children there.
By helping out financially or volunteering with fundraisers.
By sending letters to the Bishop reporting “wayward nuns”.

Perhaps this thread should list ideas to keep them open.

1. Did you ask why he/she was hired?
2. How did you know? Did he/she tell you? Or perhaps some busy bodies found it out and decided to spread it around.
3. Why don’t you sit in on one of the classes and find out?

The school my children attended hired a non-catholic jr. high science teacher. You see it is very difficult to find a teacher in the higher math and sciences that will work for the salary offered at most catholic schools. Science and math teachers are in big demand in the public schools and they are willing to pay top dollar and full benefits to get them.

 

[Lovemyfaith]

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great for a nurse to volunteer. But she was only there a few days a week. The rest of the week a volunteer mom or the secretary was doling out meds and band-aids, tending to bee stings, etc. Volunteers are a wonderful asset to any school or organization in their scope of knowledge. I knew many parents who were not confortable having the school secretary or nice Mrs. Evans dole out medication or administer epi pens, etc to their children with no medical training.

I know where you are coming from but since I dole out medication to my family whenever they need it, I guess I wouldn’t have a problem with another mom giving my kids medication. At our school, all of the teachers took first aid courses, and I was very happy to know that, and honestly anyone going into teaching should consider becoming certified in first aid. I understand with a large number of children the likelyhood and number of accidents is going to be greater than in my backyard, but I would think most of those accidents are going to be handled fine by whoever is there to handle those accidents.
My point is we have to find ways as a community to make things work for the greater good, which in my opinion is the faithful education of our children. I would love to see some moms who are nurses volunteer in the school nurses office. Maybe some retired nurses in the parish could help out, give your time, talent and treasure.

 

[Sam_Morgan]

I would like to think that the future of Catholic school is bright at least here in Texas. But, my mother who has been working as the cafeteria director for our parish school is only making 400$ every two weeks. And as much as she loves the children and the church thats barely enough to pay rent every month. She is going to ask for a raise for the next school year and i pray they can find it for her. Or else she is going to have to find a different job in the secular world. She started working there in 1978 so my brother and i could go and they would give her a break on the tuition. All three of my brothers went to school there finally and i can say that the influence of the nuns and priests who were involved has truly changed my life. In a beautiful way. The school has expanded over the years to a bigger building and added 7th and 8th grades. I am still able to go and serve lunch with her when i come home from the oilfields where i work.