Catholic school closures, vouchers are in the national spotlight

Published: 2008-02-08

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- When President George W. Bush gave his State of the Union address Jan. 28, he briefly mentioned something Catholics know all too well: Their inner-city schools are closing. Although the president did not specifically name Catholic schools, the reference to "faith-based schools" that are "disappearing at an alarming rate in many of America's inner cities," clearly described what has been happening to the nation's inner-city Catholic schools. According to the National Catholic Educational Association, enrollment in Catholic elementary schools has dropped 15 percent nationwide since 2001-02, and more than 212 U.S. Catholic schools were closed or consolidated during the 2006-07 school year. In response to the steady decline of inner-city "faith-based schools," the president said this spring he would "convene a White House summit aimed at strengthening these lifelines of learning." Sister Dale McDonald, a Sister of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the NCEA's director of public policy and educational research, has attended some of the planning sessions for the summit, scheduled to take place in late April. She said the gathering, to include about 300 people, will aim to "shed light" on the problem of city schools closing.

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