This academic year, kindergarten through grade 12 enrollment is up by 3.5%. Students of color make up 27% of K-12 enrollment. High schools saw 97% retention. At least 16 parish catechetical programs are offered in Spanish.
These statistics and more are included in the recently released 2021-2022 Annual Report on Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The archdiocese’s Office for the Mission of Catholic Education collects enrollment and other data each October from archdiocesan elementary and high schools to prepare the report. It also includes details about the estimated 26,862 students enrolled in parish catechetical programs, which are led by an estimated 2,661 volunteers.
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In fall 2021, the 90 Catholic elementary and high schools in the archdiocese reported a total enrollment of 27,023 for the 2021-2022 school year, up from 26,101 the year before. Compared with two years ago, total enrollment has increased nearly 8%, with increases of 20% in kindergarten, 23% in first grade and 19% in second grade.
Those numbers lay the foundation for sustained growth in the future, the report said.
The report gives an overview of who Catholic schools serve, noting that 75% of the students in Catholic schools in the archdiocese are Catholic, 15% qualify for free and reduced-cost meals, and 9% are English language learners.
Students of color make up 27% of the Catholic school student population. That’s higher than the average percentage people of color in the population in the archdiocese’s 12-county metro area, at 14%, the annual report said.
Enrollment increases during the COVID-19 pandemic indicate that Catholic schools are succeeding as partners with parents in educating their children with excellent academic and religious instruction and meeting the challenge of in-person learning during the pandemic, said Jason Slattery, director of Catholic education for the archdiocese.
The Church touches every continent in the world and encounters every culture and people, Slattery said. He sees the demographic profile in Catholic schools of the archdiocese as representative of the universal Church, “that the Catholic Church seeks to encounter all cultures and all people and to share with them the power of Christ’s love.”
Slattery said the archdiocese’s Roadmap for Excellence in Catholic Education, launched in November 2019, has been a guiding light that kept strategic goals in focus even during the pandemic. The Roadmap uses a strategic approach over time to strengthen Catholic education in the archdiocese, with an emphasis on talent management, particularly leadership development; curriculum and assessments; access and sustainability; mission schools; and governance.
One roadmap focus is Drexel Mission Schools, which serve the highest concentration of children and families in need. The 10 Mission Schools enroll 1,895 students, 60% of whom are eligible for free and reduced meals, and 82% of whom are students of color. The generosity of individuals, parishes and philanthropic partners enable Drexel schools to continue their work, Slattery said.
Catholic and other private schools can be perceived as only serving the elite, those who can afford them, Slattery said. But that’s not the demographic profile of Catholic schools. Instead, archdiocesan schools serve the neighborhoods where they’re located, he said.
Catechetical programs
Highlights of the Archdiocesan Catechetical Report are included in the annual report, based on the 67.7% of parishes that responded to the OMCE’s data request. OMCE staff also estimated total numbers had all parishes responded. For example, 18,189 students are enrolled in parish catechetical programs, based on numbers from the 126 responding parishes, with an estimated 26,862 students enrolled in all 186 parishes. An estimated 2,661 volunteer catechists serve in the parish sacramental preparation and faith formation programs.
Full report online
To see enrollment numbers by school and other detailed information about archdiocesan schools and catechetical programs, review the annual report online at simplebooklet.com/omceannualreport202122.
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