A few months ago, one of our Catholic Herald reporters was assigned to a story looking into the effects of the Milwaukee Parental Choice program on our archdiocesan schools. Legislation passed late last summer allowing the program to expand into Milwaukee and Racine counties, and we were curious as to the effect it was having on the Catholic schools involved.
In researching the story, Ricardo Torres not only learned that five archdiocesan schools had embraced the opportunity to welcome Choice students, but he learned that for the first time in 13 years, Catholic school enrollment is on the rise in our archdiocese!
And interestingly, that’s not solely due to the increase in the number of schools accepting Choice students. Of the 50 Catholic schools that saw enrollment increases, 27 of the schools are suburban and rural schools that do not participate in the Choice program!
Catholic school enrollment in our archdiocese is 32,193, a 1 percent increase over last year.
For those of us who believe in the value of a Catholic education, that’s certainly something to celebrate. Actually, for anyone, that’s reason to celebrate. Even if you choose a public education for a child, a strong Catholic school system benefits all of us. Catholic school graduates will likely have a positive impact on our community with their sound educational background, rooted in Christian values.
