By Kathi Stearns, Staff Writer

ATLANTA--Twenty-four thousand Catholic families who have children 13 years of age and younger were mailed a survey Jan. 11 composed by Meitler Consultants, Inc.

This “Catholic School Interest Survey” is intended to measure the level of parental support for new Catholic elementary and secondary schools, in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and to assess the potential for expansion or restructuring of existing schools.

Families included in the survey are from geographic areas encompassing 49 existing parishes, including those which already have schools. Urban and suburban parishes from a diversity of locations throughout the diocese are included in the sample.

The survey was requested by a steering committee appointed by Archbishop John F. Donoghue in February, 1994, to help solve funding problems of the Catholic elementary schools of the archdiocese. The steering committee continued the work of an ad hoc committee which had been convened in the spring of 1992 under a mandate from the late Archbishop James P. Lyke, OFM, to address the increasing cost of Catholic education and current archdiocesan subsidy policies.

The steering committee, chaired by Msgr. Don Kenny, chancellor of the archdiocese, established as its priorities: the expansion of Catholic elementary and secondary schools and a determination of the financial structures needed to do this; the guarantee of financial security of existing schools; the establishment of scholarships for needy students; an increase in the quality of education for all people to the level of the best schools, and a general plan of action.

The steering committee decided that a survey would be a valuable information gathering tool. “During a meeting of the steering committee on Sept. 22 we decided to hire the Meitler group on the basis of their proposal,” Msgr. Kenny said.

Meitler Consultants, Inc., which specializes in market research and strategic planning for Catholic schools, has formulated more than 300 strategic planning programs for the nation’s Catholic elementary and secondary schools since 1970.

In 1987-1988 Meitler Consultants, Inc. conducted a survey of elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Atlanta which identified several areas for potential elementary school expansion.

Meitler’s Sept. 8, 1994 proposal was developed in conjunction with the steering committee into the Catholic School Interest Survey intended to assess the following from the parents of school-age children: their attitudes toward Catholic elementary and secondary education; their feelings about proposed new elementary schools and a new high school; their interest in new grade structures, such as middle schools; their willingness to travel to Catholic schools; their sincere intent to enroll children and pay realistic tuition rates; their ability and willingness to provide other forms of financial support to start and operate new schools; any reasons parents might have for supporting or not supporting any of these proposals.

The last page of the survey includes questions about a Catholic college education. Administrators of a Catholic university in the Northeast approached the steering committee about the possibility of opening a Catholic university in Atlanta. “That was the most exciting idea. Here we were just looking at elementary and secondary schools; then suddenly, out of the blue, a Catholic private school comes along and says, ‘We could be interested in locating an institution of higher education here,’” said Msgr. Kenny.

Meitler expects Atlanta’s population growth between 1990 and 2010 to increase from 50 to 300 percent in the suburban areas of north Fulton County, the city of Marietta, south Cobb, north Cobb County, the cities of Buford and Lawrenceville in Gwinnett County, Rockdale County and Douglas County.

We’ve reached a stage where people will have to pay for the education they receive,” Msgr. Kenny said. “But the archdiocese also realized the need for an importance of scholarship programs.”

“I believe that people can have more schools,” said Msgr. Terry Young, Secretary for Education, “But people must be prepared to pay for them.”

Msgr. Young explained that when Catholic schools were established the majority of students were from immigrant families or from families with limited financial resources. The majority of teachers at the time were Religious and worked for subsistence wages. “These basic premises upon which our schools were founded are no longer applicable,” said Msgr. Young. “the vast majority of Catholics are solidly in the middle class, and we no long have the great resources of religious and clergy to teach in the schools.”

The surveys are to be completed by Jan. 25 and returned in a pre-addressed envelope to Meitler. Data collected will hopefully show trends in parish membership, baptisms and religious education program enrollment. Data will also be compiled for current elementary schools showing building capacity, enrollment trends and waiting lists.

In February a consultant from Meitler will seek the input of pastors from parishes with schools, pastors from parishes without schools and elementary school principals by conducting six to eight group interviews.

The survey analysis should be completed by March 15 and a final report should be sent to Msgr. Kenny by mid-May. At that time Msgr. Kenny will make a presentation to Archbishop Donoghue.

“I really don’t know where we will go from there,” said Msgr. Kenny. “The archbishop will decide just how to use the report and its recommendations. A lot of questions will remain to be answered.”