Catholic schools hold opportunity for church

It’s a fairly grim picture for the U.S. Catholic Church these days. Church attendance among all but immigrants in the U.S. is dwindling. Dioceses are being bankrupted by the priest pedophilia scandal. As a result, the church is shuttering many Catholic hospitals, but there’s one possible growth market for the American church: Catholic schools.

Since at least the middle of the last century, many Catholic schools have offered excellent and rigorous academic regimens, with heavy doses of history, math and the sciences. They also have been, historically at least, significantly cheaper than other private schools.

According to USA Today, Catholic school enrollment hit its zenith in the 1960s when 5.2 million American students attended 13,000 schools. Last year, 2 million children attended 6,800 schools that cost significantly more to run.

What is the main difference between now and then? Real estate and labor costs are substantially higher, of course, but we all know the church does not lack for real estate. However, its labor costs have gone up at a significantly greater clip than have those of other school administrators. That’s because the laity have replaced many of the members of religious orders — primarily nuns — who staffed Catholic schools.

Lay administrators, teachers and staff accounted for 97 percent of Catholic school positions in the 2011-12 academic year, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Clergy and other religious professionals represented only 3 percent.

Today, the United States has 60,000-plus nuns. Most hold paid positions to support themselves outside the church. Few wear habits. Continue reading

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