Catholic schools
Voucher expansion leads to more students, waitlists and classes for some religious schools
By Holly Meyer — March 4, 2024
(AP) — Against the backdrop of favorable decisions by the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court, Florida was among nine states that expanded school voucher programs last year.
Catholic educators need to take a lesson from public school battles
By Charles C. Camosy — August 31, 2023
(RNS) — The ‘wokeism’ crisis in public education is a historic opportunity for Catholic schools.
‘Rosary beads? Yes. But crystals, no.’: Catholic school counselor loses her job
By Heather Greene — January 26, 2023
(RNS) — An employee who invited three Wiccan high priestesses to speak to marketing students did not believe that the crystals they handed out nor their religion would cause a stir.
Still recovering from Maria, Puerto Rico’s Catholics assess Fiona’s blow to church buildings
By Kathryn Post — September 22, 2022
(RNS) — Just as Catholics made progress on repairing a few dozen of the 1,000 Catholic buildings damaged by Maria, Hurricane Fiona swept in.
Indiana court sides with Catholic diocese in teacher firing
By Tom Davies — September 1, 2022
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana teacher who was fired from his job at a Catholic high school after entering a same-sex marriage cannot sue the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
Enrollment in US Catholic schools rebounds after sharp drop
By Luis Andres Henao — February 15, 2022
(AP) — This is the first increase in two decades and the largest jump in at least five decades.
LA Archdiocese sues LAUSD, alleging it kept federal funds from Catholic schools
By Alejandra Molina — December 20, 2021
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — A complaint filed Thursday (Dec. 16) claims that the district 'has openly and consistently acted to prevent federally funded services from reaching eligible, lower income (archdiocesan) students.'
Public funding of religious schools is coming. The first lesson is compromise.
By Thomas Reese — December 14, 2021
(RNS) — What religious schools need more than anything is something like the Pell Grants that are available to low-income college students.
Facing enrollment declines, some Catholic dioceses are betting on online schools
By Yonat Shimron — June 9, 2021
(RNS) — Catholic schools saw a 6.4% decline in enrollment at the start of the 2020-2021 school year. Now some dioceses are trying to attract new students with online schools.
Catholic schools’ push for in-person learning counters record enrollment drop
By Elizabeth E. Evans — March 2, 2021
(RNS) — While public school districts debate in-person learning, many elementary Catholic schools opened their doors in fall of 2020 and have stayed open.
Teachers at religious schools fear Supreme Court took away their civil rights
By Yonat Shimron — July 22, 2020
(RNS) — This month’s Supreme Court ruling established that any religious school teacher who performs a religious function is beyond the reach of civil rights protections accorded to other workers.
Under new California rules, LA Catholic schools will no longer be able to resume in-person classes
By Alejandra Molina — July 18, 2020
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — 'Though our return to our beloved campuses will be delayed for now, we will return,' said Paul M. Escala, superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese.
In Los Angeles, Catholic schools plan to resume in-person classes, while public schools go online
By Alejandra Molina — July 15, 2020
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — ‘We cannot eliminate the risk of COVID-19 in our communities, but we can reduce it by being flexible, consistent and vigilant,’ said Paul M. Escala, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Supreme Court broadens scope of ministerial exception
By Yonat Shimron — July 8, 2020
(RNS) — The ruling allows religious schools to include lay teachers as among those subject to an exemption from civil rights laws that give workers the ability to sue for sexual harassment, overtime pay, equal pay and a myriad of other protections.
Amid pandemic, scores of US Catholic schools face closure
By David Crary — June 12, 2020
(AP) — About 100 Catholic schools have announced in recent weeks that they won’t reopen this fall — that number could more than double in the coming months.
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