•      Total Catholic school student enrollment for the current academic year is 2,270,913.

                        1,633,535 elementary/middle school; 637,378 secondary school

•      Minority student enrollment is 656,581 which is 28.9% of the total enrollment.

•      Non-Catholic enrollment is 319,561 which is 14.1% of the total enrollment.

•      There are 7,378 Catholic schools: 6,165 elementary; 1,213 secondary.

•      43 new schools opened; 169 consolidated or closed.

•      2,534 schools have a waiting list for admission.

 

The student/teacher ratio is 14:1.

·         Full-time equivalent professional staff numbered 160,075: 

                        95.9%: Laity                      (Lay women: 74.9%  Lay men: 20.9%)

                         4.1%: Religious/Clergy    ( Sisters: 3.0%; Brothers: 0.6%; Clergy: 0.5%)

 

Exhibit 9 presents the number of schools within each of the regions with the percentages of the distribution. Almost half of all the schools (48.8%) are located within the Mideast and Great Lakes regions, but these are the areas that have experienced the most significant closures (115) this year.

                                                      1997-1998                      2002-2003                 2007-2008

 

Location of Schools

Although there has been a decrease in the total number of Catholic schools in the past 35 years, the church has not lost sight of its commitment to educate children, particularly those of the poor, within the inner cities and urban areas.  Schools in these areas remain a significant presence: 42.8 % of all Catholic schools are located in urban and inner city areas, despite population losses and great financial difficulties in maintaining them.  During that same period of time, suburban schools have increased, but rural schools are experiencing declines.

 

EXHIBIT 10

The 2007-2008 data indicate that fewer than one percent of all Catholic elementary schools are single gender and 33.1 % of secondary are single gender.  Exhibit 13 illustrates their distribution.

 

 

EXHIBIT 13

Single Gender Schools

 

           Elementary/Middle                                   55                 0.9% of elementary schools

           Secondary                                               402               33.1% of secondary schools

           Total Single Gender                              457                  6.2% of all schools

 

 

EXHIBIT 15

Enrollment by Grade Level

 

                                              1997-98                       2002-2003                    2007-2008

All Schools                 Number                 %         Number            %          Number           %   

                                                                                                                                   

GRAND TOTAL                      2,648,859           100.0      2,553,277      100.0         2,270,913            100.0

 

* NB: Because some elementary schools have a ninth grade and some secondary schools have grades 6-8 in their totals, this distribution does not match that in Exhibits 16 and 26.

 

 

The national enrollment data, charted by region in Exhibit 16, show that the Mideast and Great Lakes regions enroll about half the Catholic school population (49.3%).  This percentage does indicate a decline from 53.7% over the past decade.  While the Southeast and West/Far West regions have experienced increases and declines in that same time period, they constitute a growing percentage of the national enrollment over the past decade, increasing from 30.6% to 34.7%.

 

                 

EXHIBIT 16

Enrollment by Region

 

                 

Catholic School Trend Data

 

U. S. Catholic school enrollment reached its peak during the early 1960s when there were more than 5.2 million students in almost thirteen thousand schools across the nation.  The 1970s and 1980s saw a steep decline in both the number of schools and students.  By 1990, there were approximately 2.5 million students in 8,719 schools.   From the mid 1990s though 2000, there was a steady enrollment increase (1.3%) despite continued closings of schools.

 

Between the 2000 and the 2008 school years, there were 1,267 schools that closed (15.5%). The number of students declined by 382,125 (14.4 %).  The most seriously impacted have been elementary schools.

 

Exhibit 20 details the reported school closures, and illustrates that the elementary schools in the twelve large urban areas of the country have been the most affected, with a loss of 13.3% of schools since 2003.

 

Exhibit 22 presents the national and elementary enrollment trend data. Since 2000, elementary school enrollment has declined by 24.7% in the 12 urban dioceses and 15.8% in the rest of the U.S.

 

Exhibits 20 & 22 are available in the full report, which can be ordered online. Click here to go to the NCEA Online Store.

                 

 

Tuition fees paid by families constitute a portion of the actual per pupil expenses.  The average per pupil tuition in elementary schools is $3,159 which is approximately 53.8% of actual costs per pupil of $5,870.  About 93% of elementary schools provide some form of tuition assistance. 

 

The secondary median freshman tuition is $6,906 which is approximately 80.0% of actual costs per pupil of $8,743.  About 97% of secondary schools provide some form of tuition assistance.

 

The difference between the per pupil cost and the tuition charged is obtained in many ways, primarily through direct subsidy from parish, diocesan or religious congregation resources and from multi-faceted development programs and fund-raising activities.

 

 

EXHIBIT 24

Elementary

Mean parish school tuition:              $3,159.              Per pupil cost:  $5,870.

 

Secondary

Mean freshman tuition:                    $6,906.              Per pupil cost:  $8,743.

Based on the average public school per pupil cost of $8,701, Catholic schools provide a 19.8 billion dollars a year savings for the nation.

 

The percentage of minorities in Catholic schools has more than doubled in the past 30 years.  In 1970, minorities accounted for 10.8% of the Catholic school population, in 1980 it had increased to 19.4% and in 2008 it is at 28.9%.  Minority enrollment patterns are: Hispanic, 12.7 %; African American, 7.7%; Asian American, 4.2%; Multiracial, 3.1%.

                                                                             

EXHIBIT 26

Catholic School Enrollment and Percentages by Ethnic Background

 

                                 Elementary/Middle                  Secondary                              All Schools

National                         Number                   %                 Number       %                    Number           %          

 

 

 

Most Catholic school students are Catholic.  However, non-Catholic student enrollment has risen from 2.7% in 1970 to 11.2% a decade later and today is 14.1% as shown in Exhibit 27.

 

EXHIBIT 27

Non-Catholic Enrollment 

National Totals            Number                     %

Catholic                       1,937,873                  85.3                          

Non-Catholic                  319,561                   14.1 

Not Reported                    13,479                    0.6   

Total                           2,270,913                 100.0

 

 

In 2007-2008, the total, full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching staff in Catholic elementary/middle and secondary schools is 160,075. Over the past decade, the lay faculty percentages increased from 85% to the current 95.9%.  At present, 4.1% of the professional staff are religious and clergy.  Exhibit 28 presents the FTE data by category and percentage.

 

EXHIBIT 28

Full-time Equivalent Professional Staff

Lay: 95.9 % Religious: 4.1%

The full 51 page report contains the following topics and is available for purchase from NCEA ($15 member/$23 nonmember) at the NCEA Online Store. Schools and Enrollment History School Staffing History Public/Private School Comparisons Percentage Distribution of Schools by Enrollment Size Percentage Distribution of Private Schools by Typology Percentage Distribution of Students in Private Schools by Typology Regional Distribution of Elementary/Middle and Secondary Schools Location of Schools Schools by Types of Governance Schools with Boards/Commissions/Councils Single Gender Schools School Openings and Closings Enrollment by Grade Level Enrollment by Region Student Enrollment: States with Ten Highest Enrollments Student Enrollment: Dioceses with Largest Enrollments Diocesan Enrollment Patterns Schools with Waiting Lists Average Tuition and Per Pupil Costs Catholic School Enrollment and Percentages by Ethnic Background Non-Catholic Enrollment Full-Time Equivalent Professional Staff Student/Teacher Ratio Non-Catholic Faculty Numbers and Percentages Faculty Numbers and Percentages by Ethnic Background Schools with Extended Day Programs Students Receiving Title 1 Services Participation in Federal Nutrition Programs Students Receiving Government Subsidized/Free Transportation to School Schools with Student Access to Internet