Georgetown Researchers: Changing Number of Catholic Elementary Schools Reflects Re-alignment in U.S. Catholic Population
Washington, D.C. – The number of Catholic elementary schools in the United States has declined over the last five years, but the reduced number does not reflect a decline in demand for Catholic education as much as a demographic shift of where U.S. Catholics live, according to a new report from researchers at the Center for Applied Research on the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University.
The number of Catholic elementary schools in the U.S. declined by 339 to 6,574 between the 2000-01 and 2005-06 school years. According to the report, many of the schools that closed were in the Mid-Atlantic region, where the numbers of Catholics have declined in recent decades, and in the “Rust Belt” states, which have seen population declines in almost all demographic segments. Meanwhile, many communities in the South and West and in New England have experienced increasing demand for Catholic education, with new elementary schools opening and others keeping applicants on waitlists.
The report summarizes a body of research that was commissioned by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), to obtain a comprehensive picture of the present status of U.S. Catholic elementary schools. CARA researchers used NCEA databases and CARA surveys of 269 Catholic pastors, 510 Catholic school principals, 143 diocesan superintendents of education, and a national random sample of 1,419 Catholic parents.
The report also studies other aspects of Catholic elementary schools. Some 23 percent of Catholic parents with elementary school age children have enrolled them in a Catholic elementary school in the last five years. Parental satisfaction with their children’s education and experience at these schools remains high. Tuition cost is an important factor among Catholic parents deciding not to enroll their school age children in a Catholic elementary school. Many schools, particularly those in inner cities, are facing mounting operational costs, which put an upward pressure on the tuitions that the schools charge to their students. Catholic elementary schools in areas with vouchers or scholarship programs that assist parents in paying tuition have higher enrollments.
Copies of the report are available to media by contacting the Georgetown University Office of Communications.
About CARA
The Center for Applied Research on the Apostolate was founded by Catholic leaders in 1964 to put social science research tools at the service of the Catholic Church in the United States.
About Georgetown University
Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs on its three campuses in Washington, DC. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu.
