Families arrive at St. Ann School in Charlotte for the first day of school Aug. 17, 2022. (Photo by SueAnn Howell)CHARLOTTE — Enrollment in Catholic schools across the Diocese of Charlotte has surged since the pandemic began in 2020, as families continue to choose the robust educational experience provided at the system’s 20 schools throughout western North Carolina.
Projected enrollment systemwide for the new school year is 7,927 students – up 4.4% from last year and 15% from the 2019-’20 school year, when the pandemic began. That includes 32 students enrolled this fall at Canongate Catholic High School in Asheville, an affiliated school that joined the diocese in May.
The nine Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS) project enrollment of 5,351 students this fall, an increase of 3.7% from last year and 15.5% since the 2019-’20 school year. And many schools have waiting lists of hopeful students and families.
“Parents are choosing Catholic schools because they recognize the quality and value of our Catholic education,” said Dr. Gregory Monroe, superintendent of Catholic Schools. “They want to invest in the character, virtue and leadership development our schools instill in their children, in addition to the excellent academics and extracurricular opportunities.”
Monroe said Catholic schools have been intentional in navigating COVID-19 by taking sensible safety precautions and continuing in-person instruction whenever possible. Families like what they experience, he said, as more than 96 percent of students who enrolled in the diocese’s Catholic schools during the pandemic have remained.
“Parents are the best advocates for our schools because they share with others first-hand what their children are experiencing,” Monroe said.
Terri Baich is one of those parents. Her son Andrew was worried he wouldn’t be ready for college after months of unimpressive virtual instruction at a public charter school.
“He wasn’t as cheerful, not as engaged when he was learning at home,’’ Baich said. “Academically, he was doing fine, but he felt he learned better in person.”
Andrew studied his options and in 2021 transferred as a junior to Christ the King High School in Huntersville.
“He was drawn toward that environment. It was peaceful. People were very kind. It wasn’t the closest location for us…but he never hesitated,” Baich noted. Her son graduated in June and now attends the University of Georgia.
Growth at the 11 schools outside of Mecklenburg County, most of them parish based, is projected to slightly exceed MACS’ growth rate over last year – with an enrollment increase of 5.9%.
Among them, St. Michael School’s projected enrollment for the upcoming year is up a whopping 34.7% over last year, after significant curriculum changes were made. Located in Gastonia, the school has 163 students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.
St. Michael incorporated a new Catholic liberal arts curriculum in a “classical” model in 2021. Students are taught how to think critically – going above the already rigorous language arts and STEM curriculum standards St. Michael has in place. In this time-tested and research-based approach, students develop not just intellectually but also spiritually, emotionally and socially as lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.
“We have hand-picked a curriculum that exposes (students) to the truth, the beauty of the world and the goodness of God,” St. Michael Principal Michelle Vollman said. “We teach them critical thinking skills, how to construct an argument and how look for fallacies in the arguments of others. As a classical school, we focus on educating the whole child.”
Father Lucas Rossi, pastor of St. Michael Parish and chaplain of the school, has worked with Vollman to structure each school day to begin with time in the church, either with an all-school Mass or praying the rosary.
“We are reviving a culture and families are responding,” Father Rossi said. “The school’s motto is ‘Build Strong Families.’ We want the school to be a place where families grow stronger together in their faith as well intellectually.”
Patrick and Wendy Malloy have invested in Catholic education for all five of their children. Their youngest is in the eighth grade at Sacred Heart School in Salisbury.
“Catholic education has been impacting our lives for 20 years now,” Wendy Malloy said. “All five of our children began their journey in kindergarten or junior kindergarten, with three of them graduating from a Catholic high school, and one recent Belmont Abbey College graduate who has gone on to teach in a Catholic high school.
“The opportunities our children were given to play sports, participate in art and theater, and grow academically and spiritually has no doubt impacted their futures in a way that will continue to change the world for the better,” Malloy added.
Monroe hears similar testaments from many parents: “Our Catholic culture is one that families want to be part of as the intentional formation and pursuit of excellence permeates all that we do. Catholic school parents and students share their positive experiences and successes and that, coupled with the continued growth and good news of the diocese, have allowed for our enrollment to grow.”
— SueAnn Howell
See photos from the first day of school across the diocese
Sacred Heart School students on the first day of school. (Provided photo)CHARLOTTE — To help ensure Catholic schools remain viable and accessible for students and their families, schools across the Diocese of Charlotte are embracing creative new ways to build philanthropic support – and are already seeing results.
In partnership with the diocese’s Development Office, all 20 Catholic schools will hold annual funds in the new school year and continue a variety of other efforts to build financial support.
“Our Catholic schools want to keep tuition as low as possible to ensure they are accessible to all students, so they are building stronger fund-development programs and enhancing existing income streams in many different ways,” said Ben Hoke, director of development for Catholic Schools.
Diocesan officials report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, families and donors embraced the call for philanthropic support – setting a record in annual giving.
Fifteen Catholic schools held annual fund campaigns with a record number of 1,785 donors contributing nearly $1.2 million. It was the first such annual fund for eight of those schools.
Our Lady of the Assumption School in Charlotte was among the first-timers offering an annual fund and saw the highest ever level of parent participation in fundraising.
In Salisbury, Sacred Heart School’s annual “1882 Fund,” named for the year the school was founded, has also hit a record of $184,000. The annual fund supports financial assistance, academic programs, technology and more.
“Annual funds are used to promote Catholicity and provide financial assistance for students, professional development for teachers and staff, academic programs, beautification projects and other operational initiatives at each school,” Hoke said.
When accounting for all types of funding options – annual funds, endowments, special events, and other restricted gifts – donors gave roughly $3.3 million in the most recent fiscal year – also a record in donor directed giving for Catholic schools.
“This culture of philanthropy and support for our schools is based on relationships, not transactions,” Hoke said. “These are individuals and families who are in communion with the Church, other families and, most importantly, with our students and teachers.”
Hoke noted that philanthropic support not only keeps Catholic schools affordable but allows them to build on the strength and variety of what they offer, from academics to extracurricular activities.
Among other changes in fund development, schools have increased efforts to tell their stories and communicate with parents, alumni and communities. Christ the King High School in Huntersville launched a magazine. Sacred Heart School produced its first-ever annual report to illuminate how philanthropy helps the school, and parish-based St. LeoSchool in Winston-Salem expanded its alumni relations program. Online giving tools were introduced, as were donor-relations databases that help cement relationships and support.
“There are so many options for people who want to support their schools and our children – from major gifts to planned gift programs to annual funds,” said Jim Kelley, the diocese’s director of development. “All of them help build healthy, sustainable schools while at the same time changing lives of students who benefit from these gifts.”
To maintain momentum, the diocese is sponsoring a philanthropic workshop Sept. 7 for principals and those who serve in admissions, enrollment, marketing, finance and fund development roles.
The keynote speaker is Conventual Franciscan Father Michael Martin, who served as director of the Duke Catholic Center from 2010 to 2022. The workshop will also include remarks from Dr. Gregory Monroe, superintendent of Catholic Schools, and sessions with local Catholic school representatives who specialize in marketing, enrollment and fund development.
“The spirit of philanthropy,” Monroe said, “is perfectly aligned with our Catholic schools’ mission, which says: ‘In communion with our families and parishes, we form students to be virtuous disciples of Jesus Christ. Rooted in Scripture, Tradition, and the defined teachings of the Catholic Church, our students pursue excellence of intellect, heart, and soul with salvation as the ultimate goal.’”
— SueAnn Howell