Catholic School If Your Parish Does Not Have One

[AnchoredInHope]

Probably a very simple question but as a neophyte with an infant I don’t know the answer and don’t know who to ask.

If you are a member at a parish that does not have a parochial school then how does it work for your child to get enrolled–meaning can you apply wherever? Do you have to pay more in tuition because your family isn’t registered at that parish?

I realize its probably a simple situation but like I said I don’t know who to ask without feeling silly.

 

[Padres1969]

Probably a very simple question but as a neophyte with an infant I don’t know the answer and don’t know who to ask.

**If you are a member at a parish that does not have a parochial school then how does it work for your child to get enrolled–meaning can you apply wherever? Do you have to pay more in tuition because your family isn’t registered at that parish? **

I realize its probably a simple situation but like I said I don’t know who to ask without feeling silly.

Even if your parish does have a parochial school you can apply wherever you want, at least in my neck of the woods. Parish membership and school enrollment are not tied together at all. And at least in the Catholic school I grew up attending, your tuition was not dependent on being a member of the parish, or even Catholic for that matter.

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

This will vary by diocese/parish/school…
In our diocese, you fill out a form at your parish (letting them know you are active in your parish, you give of your time and talents to X ministry/ministries, participate in the diocese fundraising, etc) and after they confirm what you wrote, they contact your school and you get a discounted rate (school charges less and your parish gives your school a fixed amount per child). It is called the parish subsidy here. I have heard of it working differently in different places so, if you are considering Catholic schools locally/if you plan to stay where you are, I would call around and ask. I did that before my oldest was school age, and I also called schools in another state when we were considering moving. You can also look up the websites for the schools of interest.

 

[1ke]

If you are a member at a parish that does not have a parochial school then how does it work for your child to get enrolled–meaning can you apply wherever? Do you have to pay more in tuition because your family isn’t registered at that parish?

I realize its probably a simple situation but like I said I don’t know who to ask without feeling silly.

It’s going to be something to discuss with the local catholic schools you are considering, because it is definitely a local decision if not at the parish level then at the diocesan level.

Some offer discounts for parishioners, some don’t. Some require parish membership, at least for priority admission, some don’t. Some have cooperating agreements with other parishes where those parishes get discounts also. Some have scholarships, some don’t.

In the diocese of Wichita, for example, the parishes support the schools and all parishioners who are active parish stewards can send their child to catholic school tuition free.

 

[mikeeh]

In San Diego you can apply to and attend (if you are accepted) any school you’d like. There is a discount if you are a member of the parish associated with the school. It would be nice if parishes without schools could partner with the nearest school to also receive a discount, but unfortunately that does not happen.

 

[egretps]

Call your parish, and call the Catholic School you like.

You might need to put your infant’s name on the waiting list now. Or yesterday if it’s a good one.

Our local school supports 4 or 5 parish communities children. We get a discount if we support the Parish financially. Like a $1k deduction. But, you have to support the parish more than that of course.

 

[AnchoredInHope]

Thank you all for your replies. Very interesting. I registered as a parishioner at the Catholic church closest to our new home that was purchased while I was pregnant so I could have my baby baptized. There is a K-8th grade school at this church however I’m just not feeling spiritually fed attending Mass there and am considering going to another parish for Mass but once my child is school age attend the current parish. I was reluctant to make any decisions without knowing potentially consequences as my child attending parochial school is a big priority.

 

[1ke]

I’m just not feeling spiritually fed attending Mass there

What does that mean?

 

[Mrs_V]

In San Diego you can apply to and attend (if you are accepted) any school you’d like. There is a discount if you are a member of the parish associated with the school. It would be nice if parishes without schools could partner with the nearest school to also receive a discount, but unfortunately that does not happen.

This is how it is in our area.

 

[misspriss]

It’s going to be something to discuss with the local catholic schools you are considering, because it is definitely a local decision if not at the parish level then at the diocesan level.

Some offer discounts for parishioners, some don’t. Some require parish membership, at least for priority admission, some don’t. Some have cooperating agreements with other parishes where those parishes get discounts also. Some have scholarships, some don’t.

In the diocese of Wichita, for example, the parishes support the schools and all parishioners who are active parish stewards can send their child to catholic school tuition free.

In my area, this is true. Some just have Catholic and non-Catholic rates, some in have In and out of parish rates and non-Catholic rates, and my church specifically has an agreement with the closest school to get the in-parish rate for members of our parish as well, although this may have changed since last time I heard about it because when I went to their website they no longer had in and out of parish rates, just Catholic and non-Catholic rates. It varies

 

[AnchoredInHope]

What does that mean?

I mean that the church that I am a registered parishoner at doesn’t move me the way that the other church does. Perhaps I haven’t explained the largest difference…the parish that I am not registered at offers the Latin Mass which as a neophyte I had never been exposed to before until going there out of curiousity. There was a marked difference for me–there was a much stronger feeling of reverence, the crowd had a traditional feel that I enjoyed, and even the homilies were much much richer and educational to me. So to me, I felt much more spiritually nourished there as someone who is still very new the Catholic faith and learning and wanting to ensure my child is raised within a setting that provides the exposure I did not have growing up.

 

[Lovemyfaith]

In my archdiocese, students may go to any of the nearby parish schools in the area. Their home church will supplement the tuition, as tuition in our parish schools are subsidized by the parish for parish members. My particular church does not require Sunday contributions for that subsidized amount for grade school, but it does for archdiocese high schools.
A child does not have to be registered at any parish to attend a parish school, however, the tuition will be higher, as it will not be subsidized.
People are sometimes unaware of the contribution of the parish toward tuition fees. I’ve heard radio hosts complain public school taxes are very high compared to what it costs to educate in a catholic school, and there is truth to that in that parish schools must find every possible means to save money. However, people are sometimes unaware that parish communities contribute to the catholic education of their parish children.
It is really heart breaking to see so many parish schools close. My children are grown and have wonderful jobs and I owe a lot of that to the wonderful education they received at our little parish school.

 

[AClaire11]

It really depends on your diocese. In mine, parish boundaries are very strict and the good parochial schools are in insanely expensive neighborhoods. It’s very difficult here to get into a parish school you are not zoned for. So looking for general advice on this issue won’t help you very much.