Among the highlights of my annual calendar are the opportunities for me to visit each of our Catholic schools. I am about halfway through my pastoral visits to our 18 elementary schools, three high schools and one special needs school.
As a Church in the United States, we set aside time each year to celebrate the unique value of Catholic schools during Catholic Schools Week. This year’s observance runs from Jan. 26 through Feb. 1 and will include local Masses, open houses and activities for families, students, parishioners and community members. Among these special events, the annual Celebrating Catholic Schools Breakfast has become a special highlight of the week.
This year, the theme of the week is “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.” Without a doubt our schools are outstanding places where students learn, where they are given opportunities to serve and to become leaders.
But, what does it mean to succeed? For people of faith, it obviously means more than material and financial outcomes. It is hard, if not impossible, to quantify the real value of Catholic education. One small marker is the fact that – based on the average cost per pupil of public-school education – Catholic schools save U.S. taxpayers more than $20 billion annually. That’s success!
More importantly, however, Catholic schools seek success as places of evangelization and discipleship. What a tremendous potential for faith and character formation exists when students spend 35 or more hours each week in a community of faith! As communities of faith and learning, Catholic schools form disciples of Jesus Christ by witnessing to the Gospel and inviting a response.
Our beautiful Catholic faith is woven throughout the curriculum: in the classroom, through worship and through service, and all sorts of extra-curricular opportunities. Prayer is not only permitted, it is promoted in our Catholic schools. As a result, studies show that Catholic school students are more likely to pray daily and retain a Catholic identity in adulthood. Catholic school graduates are more likely to be civically engaged, volunteer, vote and be committed to service. Historically, Catholic schools have provided a tremendously effective environment for nurturing vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In short, there is really no substitute for the many contributions our Catholic schools make to Church and society. These are good measures of success!
The Catholic Church always has affirmed the right and responsibility of parents as the primary educators of their children. To assist parents in this sacred duty, the Church has taught that children have a right to an education in faith, and that the state has a fundamental obligation to enable such a right.
In its document on religious liberty, the Second Vatican Council affirmed that “The rights of parents are violated if their children are forced to attend lessons or instructions that are not in agreement with their religious beliefs, or if a single system of education, from which all religious formation is excluded, is imposed upon all.”
Many parents exercise their duty to educate their children in accord with their fundamental religious beliefs by choosing to send their children to Catholic schools, to parish religious education programs or by homeschooling. Sometimes the higher cost of parochial schools makes it difficult or even impossible for parents to choose Catholic schools for their children. It is the responsibility of the whole Catholic community to strive to make Catholic education accessible and affordable to more Catholic parents and children who desire it. Tuition assistance programs and other kinds of need-based scholarship assistance are important for the sustainability of our Catholic schools and their mission.
There also is a growing recognition beyond the Catholic Church of the importance of supporting parents’ educational choices for their children. The importance of parents’ rights to choose the kind of education that is best for their children has led to a growing movement toward parental choice in education, that is, policies and programs that empower parents to make such choices. Effective parental choice policies give parents the flexibility to choose the kind of school that meets the needs of their children based on their religious convictions, the quality of education available or the special needs of their children.
Parental choice programs are growing nationwide. They take the form of scholarship tax credit programs, voucher programs, special needs programs, individual or business income tax credits and education savings account programs. For example, in Oklahoma families are finding assistance in sending their children to Catholic schools through the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program, which allows children with special needs to enroll at Good Shepherd Catholic School at Mercy as well as several of our other traditional Catholic schools. The Tax Credit Scholarship allows individuals and businesses who contribute to the program to receive a state income tax credit so that need-based scholarships may be awarded for students who wish to attend Catholic schools.
We have a treasure in our Catholic schools. It is a gift that gives dividends! But, it is our shared responsibility to continue exploring innovative public/private initiatives and to find effective ways to make the gift of Catholic education available to still more students and families.