By Mary Frances McCarthy
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 1/22/04)

As some Catholic schools across the country have had to close their doors in recent years, the Arlington Diocese has made a name for itself by opening new schools and expanding existing schools.

Keeping with the spirit of expanding the teaching ministry within the diocese, the Office of Catholic Schools, with the help of consultant Dave McCarthy, is working to boost enrollment in Arlington and Alexandria schools. They hope to boost enrollment to the equivalent of a new school, without laying a single brick.

Between the eight Metro schools — the Cathedral of St. Thomas More School, St. Agnes School, St. Charles Borromeo School and St. Ann School in Arlington, Blessed Sacrament School, St. Rita School and Queen of Apostles School in Alexandria, and Corpus Christi School in Falls Church — there are approximately 300 open seats for the 2004-05 school year. McCarthy, former chairman of the Diocesan School Board, has been working with these schools and the Office of Catholic Schools since September on a strategic plan to boost enrollment.

None of these schools is at risk of closing, but if enrollment could be raised so that each school is at capacity, it will be the equivalent of opening a new school inside the beltway.

"The phenomenon of urban schools with growth potential is all over the United States," McCarthy said. "By no means is it confined to so-called inner city schools. We’re a prototype. Nobody has done an enrollment growth campaign as comprehensive as this one. The lessons we learn, we’ll share with the rest of the country."

With McCarthy’s help, the Arlington Catholic School’s Network has already secured a $25,000 grant they are using to produce a video, in English and Spanish, to assist in encouraging parents to choose Catholic schools.

"Some time in the last 30 years parish schools stopped being the default for Catholic families," McCarthy said.

The targets of the enrollment project are "children in play." These children are primarily those under the age of six, but also children of families about to move to the area, and children whose parents are currently unhappy with their public school.

This project is not one whose results will be seen in the 2004-05 school year. McCarthy said they are "looking at tomorrow’s market."

Parochial schools hope to reach out to children in their own parish by welcoming the newly baptized and newly registered. Parents of young children will be invited to events and networking opportunities at the schools. The schools may also sponsor events for preschool kids, such as breakfast with Santa, so that the children feel comfortable in the school.

The schools plan to invite preschool leaders, realtors, business leaders and human relations personnel to visit the school so that members of the community will be more aware of what Catholic schools have to offer.

Real estate agents can help the schools by letting parents know what schools are available. Schools can help the realtors sell houses to Catholic families who want their children to attend Catholic schools.

Aside from the broad group of parents of children under six, the network has identified military and immigrant families as groups that need more attention.

The network wants to work more closely with the Archdiocese of Military Services and with officials at local military bases to contact military families being transferred to the area and work with them before they move to Northern Virginia.

Because of language barriers and often-times low incomes, "too many immigrant families feel that Catholic school is a dream beyond their reach," McCarthy said. The network will encourage outreach through pastors to explain, "the parish school is for them too — it’s for their child as much as any other child."

Another major goal of the network is simply getting parents into the schools. "Parents who visit a school, especially when children are in the school, want to send their children there," said McCarthy.

He noted several ways that parents have been surprised by Catholic schools. Some have remarked to him that they did not anticipate the spirit — happy students, happy teachers — and the feeling of love, for one another and for God. Some are surprised at the quality of the academic programs. "Children get a real advantage [at Catholic schools] especially at a younger age when they benefit from the one on one attention." The Metro Catholic schools also offer higher quality facilities than some would expect, from gymnasiums to science labs. "Not enough parents have an occasion to stop by a Catholic school," McCarthy said.

For those parents who think they could never afford to send their children to Catholic schools, the Diocese of Arlington Tuition Assistance Program is available. Every child in the diocese who has been baptized a Catholic is eligible to apply. Private School Aid Service received nearly 2,000 applications from families seeking tuition assistance for the 2003-04 school year. The need among those families was determined to be approximately $2 million. More than 500 families were awarded grants totaling more than $1 million.

During his visits to schools and in talking to parents, McCarthy has found that parents want to send their children to a school where there is "nurturing and growth, but healthy growth." They want their children "raised in a culture that celebrates what is right and avoids what is wrong." After parents visit Catholic schools, McCarthy said, "it’s an easy choice."

The steering committee of the Arlington Catholic Schools’ Network is accepting applications for the position of executive director. This position would continue and expand upon McCarthy’s efforts and will tentatively be filled by March. Interested applicants can contact the Office of Catholic Schools at 703/841-2519 or catholicschools@arlingtondiocese.org.