Catholic Parents: If Your Kids Don't Attend Catholic School, Why Not?

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blackforest

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I can’t emphasize this enough: This is NOT a thread for bashing on Catholic schools. My parish runs a small, fabulous school that part of me wishes my children could attend. Some barriers are getting in the way, however, and I wonder if there are other families with similar experiences.

This is also NOT the thread for pointing fingers and playing a game of “Yer doin’ it wrong!” Take for granted that every family, regardless of their educational choices, is doing the best they can for their children.

Catholic schools, which come in many shapes, sizes, and personalities, can be absolute gems. But some, like all institutions, are corruptible and can stray, so we keep them in our prayers.

Select as many options as are applicable, being aware that “I/me” can be interchangeable with “we/us,” especially if you and your spouse are in agreement on these issues.
  • We have financial considerations, e.g. high tuition, not enough aid/scholarships, not in family budget, already living in high cost-of-living area.
  • The school lacks resources needed specifically for my children – e.g. special needs, adequate programs for gifted children, etc.
  • The school lacks coursework for my student’s interests – e.g. band or choir for a musician
  • I feel that the school strays too far from Church teaching
  • I believe in supporting my local neighborhood public school.
  • I see a lot more benefits to homeschooling my children.
  • I prefer a particular non-Catholic private school.
  • The school has a negative social environment for my children – e.g. drugs/alcohol, cliquishness, teen sex
  • Personal in-fighting – I don’t get along with teachers, administrators, particular families in the school
  • The school adheres to Common Core or other federal standards that I do not support
  • I don’t find the academic standards high enough
  • The academic standards put too much pressure one kids/too much homework
  • It’s too hard to get in, e.g. a long waiting list
  • I disagree or take issue with one or more school policies
  • Other, (please explain)
0 voters
 
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My other is that my son’s school allowed him to take study hall freshman year so that his 504 plan could be effectively implemented. This has not happened. The teachers do seem overworked and sort of blow off our concerns for my child…if we get an answer at all. Also, public shaming is popular, and that is one way to shut down my son.
 
We have considered putting our kids in our parish school (currently and planning to stay in public school.) Our public school and our parish school are excellent. What stopped us from switching (a range of minor and major things):
  • The Catholic schools are much farther away and we wouldn’t have busing
  • The school day starts and ends at times less convenient for our family schedule
  • The academic curriculum is identical to the public school but with fewer resources
  • No gifted support (though they do have support for some special needs which is great)
  • The schools are in the beginning stages of a major consolidation plan so we don’t even know if it will stick around or maintain its reat track record
  • None of the above would matter nearly as much if religion and faith were much more central to student experience. They do have morning prayer everyday and Mass once per week. But the religion curriculum is identical to CCD and not that meaty, and to what extent the faith is taught in other subjects is up to the teacher. To us, that wasn’t enough to justify spending thousands of dollars per year.
But, if we lived in any other local school district, we’d probably go there.
 
Hoo boy, so many options that apply… #1, without question, is the cost. My parents sacrificed a lot to send us to Catholic schools. Nowadays, I’d have to go without food to make it happen. But closely following this is the concern we have about Catholic teachings not actually, well, being taught. My second child went to a Catholic preschool and they never even learned to make the sign of the cross. I don’t believe her teacher was even Catholic. There is, however, a St. John Bosco school near us and we’d really consider it as an option (no common core, classical education).

It’s really a tragedy what’s happened to Catholic schools over the course of the past 40-50 years.
 
I recognize that, thank you. 🙂

People can check (tick, as you say in Britain), any barriers to Catholic education that are relevant to them. Obviously the tuition concern wouldn’t apply in the U.K.
 
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gracepoole said:
There is, however, a St. John Bosco school near us and we’d really consider it as an option (no common core, classical education).
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One woman I know started a non-parochial Catholic school with a classical bent. She refused to take any federal funding not because she didn’t believe in students in need getting lunches, but she didn’t want to take all of the strings attached, e.g. Common Core requirements. Retaining some autonomy can be a good thing for Catholic schools.
 
We lived a 20 minute drive from the school, I worked 70 minutes away in the opposite direction. The public school offered bus service. At that time, to heap another hour and a half to my already long commute was a deal breaker.
 
Good point. That should have been included in the options. I tried to add it, but they don’t let you add poll options more than 5 minutes after posting.
 
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I didn’t vote since my kids are in Catholic school now but for the first few years they went to public school. The reason was mainly cost. We have a voucher system in my state now so tuition is covered either for 90% or 50% depending on income. However, if that were to go away we would have to do public again (possible online public depending on the child).

I will say, however, that although the school that they are at now has been ok, there’s been issues with bullying and some cliquey types. We’ve also had issues with staff turnover.
 
I agree with you. The drop in vocations was huge. My husband reads a lot of religious books. In trying to get my son to read something other than science books, we gave him some of Elizabeth Scalia’s books to read. A visiting priest stopped by his lunch table and was really impressed because he was reading a religious book in a Catholic school. Times have changed.
 
I voted other and financial.

Financial because well, it’s self self explanatory and the other reason is my ex-wife won’t allow them in a Catholic school even if there were no financial difficulties.
 
We live in a rural area and don’t have a Catholic school close by. My kid is actually my stepdaughter so she only lives with us every other week, and her mom will not agree to homeschooling.
 
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Cost.

And the local Catholic school doesn’t do much better then the local public school.
Same curriculum, same social problems, same success rate from the students.
 
I didn’t go to a Catholic School as our locals didn’t have very good reports/reviews at the time. My cousins go now as the schools have improved tremendously.
 
My main reasons are the cost of tuition for the Catholic school, the lack of diversity in the student body, the lack of acceptable fine arts education, the inordinate (in my opinion) attention given to athletics at even the elementary level, lack of appropriate gifted and special education, lack of elective options at the secondary level. Also, I LOVE the elementary school where I work and I think it’s the perfect place for my kids to grow up. Actually, that’s probably really the main reason.
 
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