| May 21, 2007 | Volume 82, Number 15 | |
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Marketing Catholic schoolsBishop Francis X. DiLorenzo has been very firm in saying that he wants the diocese’s Catholic schools to be affordable for all Catholic families. He wants parents to have the option of sending their children to the schools if they so desire. But he also realizes that not all families have the financial resources to send their children to Catholic schools. The bishop wants the schools to be able to sustain themselves, an effort which will require some give and take from everyone. Plans to address affordability are actively being pursued at the diocesan level. Guardian Angel Regional Catholic School in Staunton is one such school which is facing the brutal reality of the cost of Catholic education. Principal Dan Dolan, parents and other committed benefactors are working hard to boost enrollment. Obviously, the school has to attract more students to become financially independent. Over the past five years Guardian Angel has operated at a deficit of between $200,000 to $500,000 per year. Private contributions and the fact that the Diocese of Richmond owns the school building and property have allowed the school to remain open. But it is not a sustainable model of education. So far benchmarks showing enrollment gains this year have all been met. But let’s face it — Mr. Dolan and other Catholic school principals are constrained by the realities of the real world. They have to compete in the marketplace where parents are the consumer and education is the product. They have to sell their product to the greatest number of people possible while preserving a Catholic Christian environment and teaching the faith. It’s often a hard sell to parents strapped with big mortgages and college tuition for their older children. In many areas of the diocese public schools — which are free — are strong competition. Here’s another dilemma — Catholic schools cannot help every student. They have to be candid about whose needs they can meet and whose needs they cannot. While in the ideal world Catholic schools could welcome all students who wish to come — regardless of their disabilities — it is unrealistic. You can’t always address the special needs of some students without proper resources which cost money. And moving special needs students into the mainstream is usually unfair to them because they are unable to keep up with the other students. Catholic schools in the Diocese of Richmond are doing a fantastic job at providing a quality academic program within a Catholic Christian environment. Standardized test scores are in the top 10th percentile in the nation. Let’s buy and sell the product.
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