The Catholic schools in the northern Virginia area registered their third straight year of growing enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year, marking a 10% increase in enrollment since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020.
With 37 elementary schools, four high schools, three stand-alone preschools and five independent schools, the Catholic Diocese of Arlington has continued to record increased student enrollment, even as public school districts in Virginia have continually failed to reach pre-pandemic enrollment levels.
ALL EYES ON RON: PRESSURE MOUNTS ON DESANTIS AHEAD OF FIRST GOP DEBATE
According to the Diocese of Arlington Office of Catholic Schools, an estimated 18,488 students have enrolled in schools within the diocese, whose geographic boundaries comprise the entirety of northern Virginia, including the highly populated counties of Loudoun and Fairfax. The latest enrollment numbers represent a 10% jump from the 2019-20 school year, when 16,798 students enrolled, and an increase of 150 students from last year.
“The foundation of authentic Catholic education is a commitment to the Faith and its teachings. I am so grateful to the parents, teachers, faculty, and staff who renew their promise to embrace the Faith through Catholic education each year,” Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington said. “Our teachers selflessly offer their time and considerable talents, partnering with parents to cherish, nurture, and educate each of their students. After all, parents are the primary teachers of their children. This partnership is one of the reasons our students find such great success.”
The increased enrollment and interest in Catholic schools in the area has seen several schools implement wait lists and resulted in Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia, recording its first year of full enrollment in more than 20 years, according to a diocesan press release.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The figures stand in sharp contrast to nearby public school districts that have seen enrollment decline in recent years and have yet to recover from pandemic-linked enrollment drops. While the numbers for the 2023-24 school year are not yet available, Fairfax County Public Schools, the largest school district in Virginia, reported 180,109 students in the 2022-23 school year, a notable drop from the nearly 189,000 students that were enrolled in 2019-20.
“Our faith teaches us that each young person is a gift from God," Burbidge said. "All students deserve to be formed intellectually, physically, emotionally, and most importantly, spiritually. I thank parents who continue [to] put their trust in our growing Catholic schools. Parents, teachers, faculty, and staff can be assured of my prayers as the school year begins."