Schools

New Schools: A Story of Growth and New Life

April 23, 2024

As far as many people know, the story of Catholic education in the United States over the last two decades is a story of declining enrollment and closing schools. That story does fit the reality in some places. According to the NCEA Statistical Report on Schools 2023-24, enrollment in Catholic schools dropped by over 96,000 students over the last five years (5.4% of the total enrollment). In addition, over the last five years, a total of 477 Catholic schools have closed in the United States.

At the same time, the story of declining enrollment and closing schools is not the only story of Catholic education right now. There is also a story of growth and new life. Most of that enrollment decline for the last five years took place in a single, pandemic influenced year, dropping 6.4% from 2019-20 to 2020-21. Since then, however, overall Catholic school enrollment grew 3.7% from 2020-21 to 2021-22, and then grew another 0.3% from 2021-22 to 2022-23. In addition that enrollment recovery, you can see new life in the existing Catholic schools that are expanding and in the new Catholic schools that are opening across the country each year.

The contrast between these two stories of Catholic education can be seen in this table of data from the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA). While the number of schools dropped in all six regions of the country from 2018-19 to 2023-24, there were also new Catholic schools that opened in 2023-24 in five of those six regions, with a total of 20 new schools overall for the year.

Where are these new schools opening – and why?

At Meitler, our perspective on these questions is informed by our work with Catholic schools around the country. In addition to strategic planning, Meitler works with many dioceses and parishes around the country to assess the enrollment potential and financial viability of possible new schools. We have analyzed demographic trends, conducted market research surveys, and led focus group discussions in many parts of the country.

In 2023 and 2024 alone, we have engaged in 19 new school studies. Those studies have taken place in each of NCEA’s six regions from the table above. They have also involved a variety of levels of schooling. Two studies have focused on opening early childhood centers. Meitler has done five studies for potential elementary schools, nine for high schools, two for schools with grades 6-12, and one for a K-12 school. That wide range of work illuminates some patterns in terms of new Catholic schools.

One reason for the new schools is shifting demographics. Sometimes that can mean demographics at the local level. We have done a new school study in a growing suburb while at the same time conducting a planning process to address low enrollment at another Catholic school just a few miles away, in a part of the city where the population is declining. At the national level, there is greater population growth in the Southeast and West/Far West regions than in other parts of the country. Many cities in those regions did not build a large number of parishes and Catholic schools 75 to 100 years ago the way that cities in the Great Lakes and Mideast regions did, so the Catholic communities in those southern and western cities are often underserved in terms of Catholic schools.

A second factor in many of these new school studies is state funding. Wherever school choice or tax credit scholarships are available to cover a significant amount of the cost to educate a student, a wider range of families can afford Catholic schools, which makes it more feasible to open a new school to serve those families.

A third factor is an increased willingness on the part of many stakeholders to explore other options. Our focus groups and survey results over the last three years consistently show that more parents in public schools are looking for something different – sometimes because of their experience with at-home learning during the pandemic, sometimes because of concerns about controversial issues and cultural trends in the broader society. More stakeholders are also interested in pursuing a particular focus in a Catholic school. We are seeing more interest across the country in classical Catholic schools, Catholic Montessori schools, in Catholic high schools that incorporate vocational and technical programs.

Several things characterize a Meitler new school study. One is a focus on long-term sustainability. The parishes or dioceses that we work with usually hear from a group of parents who are highly interested in opening a new school, but we want to be sure that the interest is broad enough and deep enough to sustain the school into the future. We don’t want to encourage the opening of a new Catholic school just to have it close a few years later due to weak support.

We also focus on a new school’s potential impact on enrollment at other Catholic schools in the region. Our goal is to grow Catholic schools in general, so we don’t want to encourage a new school to open if it will cause another Catholic school down the road to close.

Another focus is vision. Meitler’s new school studies engage a lot of stakeholders in a visioning process to reflect on what kind of school is called for at this time and in this place. We give them space to consider doing something bold or innovative. We also work with a local study team to develop a communications plan, so that the community is informed about the potential new school and is aware that exciting new things are happening. This awareness of new opportunities and the conversations about the school’s vision often generate new life even before any shovel breaks ground for the new school.

If you are interested in working with Meitler to clarify your vision and support it with data, please reach out to us. We would be happy to partner with you.

¹ NCEA divides the country into six regions.
New England includes six states (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT).
The Mideast region includes five states (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA) and the District of Columbia.
The Great Lakes region includes five states (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI).
The Plains region includes seven states (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD).
The Southeast region includes twelve states (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, and WV).
The West/Far West region is the biggest, with fifteen states (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OK, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY).

Value Proposition Part Two: Which Proposition?

April 4, 2024

In the first part of this blog post, we looked at one key idea about value propositions (Whose value?). This part of the blog post explores another key idea that flows from the first.

We tend to talk about “value proposition” in the singular, as if a school should have one universal message to promote. If, however, the value proposition is about what the prospective family values and how the school can deliver that, then it is important to recognize that not all prospective families value the same thing. For some of them, their top priority is a strong Catholic culture that instills church teachings and will help their kids maintain their Catholic faith. For many other parents, their top priority is strong academics, including a disciplined classroom environment and the development of good study habits. Other parents might be concerned about their children getting lost in a large public school, and they want a school where their kids will be known and can find ways to connect and belong, whether that is in the theater or on a sports team. Each of these segments of a school’s audience needs a value proposition that responds to what they value.

So schools develop a set of messages that respond to those varied parent priorities. The key question, though, is how those messages are imagined and presented.

One way we can imagine them is like a photo collage. They all fit together, they are all shown at the same time. Some are a little larger, and you look at them first. Others are a little smaller, and get less of your attention. This might be how a school’s value proposition messages are communicated on the website or in the school’s printed materials. The first message is about faith, the second message is about academics, the third message is about community, the fourth message is about athletics, and so on. It’s an efficient way to communicate, but it’s not always completely effective. If a parent’s top priority is a connected community where their child will fit in and make friends, and the first and largest message is about religious instruction and the school’s authentic Catholic identity – or vice versa – then parents may not yet be convinced that this school is the right fit for them.

A second way of thinking of the school’s value proposition messages is like the cards you hold in your hand when you are playing a game. You have six or seven cards, but each time it is your turn to play, you can pick the card that will be the best fit for that situation. This is how you can approach your value proposition messages when you have an interview and school tour. You have an assortment of authentic messages about your school to draw from, and you can pick the right two or three messages that are the most appropriate fit for that particular family. The key is to know what drives the decision-making of prospective parents, and the best way to find out is simply to ask them.

The more a school can shift its thinking about its value proposition messages from the image of a static photo collage to the image of a set of cards, to be chosen strategically based on a particular family’s priorities, the better.

Value Proposition Part One: Whose Value?

March 5, 2024

In our work with Catholic schools, we find that more and more Catholic school leaders are familiar with the concept of a value proposition and its importance to their school’s marketing and recruitment. A value proposition is a series of statements that clearly communicate the benefits of your school to prospective families. Simply put, it is your promise to deliver value to those families.

Many schools we have worked with have found it helpful to remind themselves about a couple of key ideas related to value propositions. One of them is a question of perspective. Schools can sometimes think of their value proposition as how they convey to prospective parents the benefits of what the school cares about most strongly. The value proposition becomes about what the school values. When schools remember to flip that around, focusing the value proposition on what the parent values and how the school delivers that, the schools regain some of the power of the value proposition.

For example, we worked with a Catholic high school that focused a lot of its marketing on the fact that it is an all-girls school. In our surveys of parents, however, we discovered that the single sex nature of the school was actually fairly low on the list of decision-making factors for the parents. Many more of them chose the school because they believed it would deliver academic excellence or because they believed it would provide a safe and secure learning environment. We helped the school shift its emphasis. Rather than focusing first on its all-girls identity, which was a lower priority for most parents, they began to focus first on the academic excellence the school could provide and the safe and secure learning environment, which were higher priorities for most parents. Being an all-girls school became the second thing they talked about – an element of how they deliver the excellence and the environment that parents are looking for.

This key idea about value propositions (Whose value?) leads to another key idea (Which proposition?), which will be addressed in part two of this blog post (coming soon).

Latin Mass Communities

May 16, 2022

In early May of 2022, Pope Francis spoke to instructors and students of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome and reiterated his concern that the Latin Mass communities were divisive to the Church, opposed to the reforms of Vatican II, and are politicizing the liturgy. In order to gain some perspective on his comments, let’s take a look at the history of the Latin Mass in the last sixty years and what we know data-wise about the Latin Mass communities.

Here is a timeline of the Latin Mass. The Tridentine Mass was approved in 1570 after the Council of Trent which was convened to respond to the Protestant Reformation. All the reformers had called for the language of worship to be the spoken language of the people. The Tridentine Mass was celebrated throughout the church up to the Second Vatican Council, 1962 – 1965.

1963 – Bishops at the Council called for a revision of the liturgy which could be celebrated in the local or vernacular language of the people

1970 –The New Order of the Mass (Novus Ordo) was approved in Latin for translation into local languages. The celebration of the Tridentine Mass was banned.

1988 – Pope John Paul II approved the use and expansion of the Tridentine Mass. Every diocese was to establish at least one site for the faithful to attend a Tridentine Mass.

2007 – Pope Benedict XVI allowed for even greater expansion by permitting individual priests to respond to the need for Tridentine Masses at their parishes.

2021 – On July 16, Pope Francis issues a document, Traditionis Custodis, which revokes the previous guidelines and gives the local bishop the authority for permitting Tridentine Masses only under very special circumstances. Any priest offering a Tridentine Mass must receive permission from his bishop. The scriptural readings must be in the local language. The sacraments of Holy Orders and Confirmation must be celebrated in the new rite. The details are still being worked out in individual dioceses.

The great concern about the Tridentine Mass arose because of fear of a schism in the Church. There were certain bishops, primarily in France, who refused to accept the new order of worship and most of the decrees of the Council. After years of dialogue with these bishops and the communities which had formed, a kind of middle-ground was determined which allowed for the Mass in Latin to continue to be used. An official schism has been avoided so far. The Tridentine Mass was looked upon in a way similar to other, older liturgical rites which have remained in union with the Roman Catholic Church.

Here is what we know about the Latin Mass communities throughout the world.

40% of all the Latin Masses in the world are celebrated in the United States.
20% are celebrated in France
15% are celebrated in Canada

These three countries represent 75% of all the Masses in Latin throughout the world. This should not be viewed as a worldwide phenomenon.

In the United States, this is what we know about the Latin Mass communities:

150,000 Catholics or 1-1.5% of all Sunday Mass attenders do so at a Mass in Latin
489 churches offer at least one Mass in Latin which represents about 4% of all the parishes in the United States
1% of the household income is the average parish contribution of Catholics
5-6% of the household income is the average parish contribution of Latin Mass attenders
99% weekly Mass attendance among Latin Mass attenders

The question is whether these communities are growing in number, maintaining or in decline. Unfortunately, the answer depends upon whom is asked. Proponents of the Latin Mass point to the increase in sites and the number of young families who are joining. Some would even say that the Latin Mass is “the wave of the future.” There are some limited studies which, in contrast, show that the number of Latin Mass attenders remains steady with younger families (usually children of Latin Mass families) replacing those who have died. In reality, even if the number of attendees was to double, that number would represent a very small percentage of the total number of Catholics in the United States.

So far, an official schism has been averted. No matter what the future months bring regarding the latest Vatican pronouncements, there are and always will be communities within the Catholic Church that view discipleship and spirituality in different ways.

Dr. Mark Kemmeter

photo credit: Andrewgardner1

10 Key Metrics for Your Parish

May 2, 2022

Finance councils have become adept at reading financial statements and determining courses of action based on the numbers. Parish pastoral councils need to become as proficient with the use of parish data points. Most parishes will discover that they have a wealth of information at their fingertips from reports which are submitted annually to the diocesan offices. Some parishes will discover that even more data can be available if attention is paid to gathering it. Here are ten “key” metrics which parishes can use to determine a level of vitality and sustainability.

Mass Attendance – This data point is the greatest indicator of parish vitality. What percentage of your membership attends Mass on Sundays? Households can be converted into members by using the average household size of the parish, locality, or state. Divide the number of attendees by the number of members and you have the percentage. The smaller a parish, the higher the percentage. Many parishes will be in the range of 33% attending Sunday Mass. That percentage can double on Christmas and Easter.
Seating Capacity – Seating capacity and how many seats are filled on Sundays is important information. The percentage of seats that are filled can help a parish determine if they have too many Masses or not enough. Most dioceses recommend that at least half of the seating capacity should be filled to justify a Mass time. Architects indicate that if a church is more than 90% filled, people will go elsewhere. Capacity is also important for preparing for holiday Masses.
Household Trends – If we take the missionary command of Jesus seriously, the more households there are in the parish the better. However, every parish’s membership is smaller than reported. It is better to be growing than declining. Many parishes pay little attention to membership trends. Are more people joining the parish than leaving? People do not often communicate when they leave the parish, so parishes need to monitor deaths, stewardship activity, and changes of address.
Baptism to Funeral Ratio – One key indicator of potential growth is the ratio of baptisms to funerals. Church planners look for at least a ratio of two baptisms for one funeral as a sign of organic growth. Numerous parishes today have more funerals than baptisms. Additional ways for parishes to grow need to be studied and implemented.
Sacramental Reception Trends – Numbers for all sacraments reveal a level of spiritual vitality in the parish. Are the numbers rising or falling? Is the parish gaining new members through the RCIA process? Low sacramental reception numbers reveal parishes with few children and teens as well as minimal evangelization activity.
Enrollments in Faith Formation – Enrollment trends for children and youth tell a story about the ability of the parish to attract and retain young families. They also reflect the quality of the formation programs. Parishes need to do a better job of documenting involvement in adult faith formation sessions. Parishes with outstanding opportunities for adults are helping to form intentional disciples and creating a high level of vibrancy.
Ministry Engagement – Matthew Kelly contends that the average parish engages about 7% of its parishioners in some form of ministry. Parishes should record numbers involved in ministries. Use that number and divide by the number of adults in the parish. Kelly suggests that parishes set a goal of increasing adult involvement by 1% each year. Parishes should also review how the parishioners are engaged. If the majority of those involved comes from parish festivals, fish fries, or dinners, there should be a conversation about how to engage parishioners more actively in the mission of the Church.
Parish Stewardship – The average Catholic household in the United States contributes 1.1% of the annual household income. This percentage is lower than all other religious denominations. However, many parishes have no idea what their potential contributions at 1.1% may be. Because household income is public information, there are sources which can provide this information based on the parish census. Keep in mind that the 1.1% is also a bit misleading. Not every household in a parish contributes that percentage and so many Catholics are contributing more to offset those who do not contribute or who are unable to contribute even the 1.1%.
Matthew 25 Ministries – When the topic of parish outreach to those in need arises, numerous parishes respond by saying, “our St. Vincent De Paul Society and Knights of Columbus take care of that.” The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, is quite clear that all of us must be involved in caring for our neighbors. Parishes should not delegate this responsibility but should encourage members to be involved. These ministries can be coordinated with other Church and civic organizations but the quality and degree of involvement of parish ministries are essential signs that the parish is taking Matthew 25 seriously.
Funding the Ministries (Budgets/Capital Campaigns) – Parishes are non-profit organizations. With that said, some years there will be a surplus and other years a deficit. On average, most parishes will have two small deficits over a ten-year period. Parishes should not regularly balance their budgets by draining their reserves or selling buildings or properties. This limits the ability of the parish to conduct ministry and moves the parish closer to becoming a place for Sunday Mass only. Every 10 years or so, parishes should consider a capital campaign to improve, replace, or add to their facilities for providing ministry. As a rule of thumb, parishes can raise up to one time their annual contributions. Two or three times the annual contributions can be raised if the case is extremely strong. Even more can be generated if there are major donors to the campaign. Deferred maintenance and inadequate ministry space are two of the greatest factors which can lead to parish mergers and closures.

After reviewing these “key” metrics, it is clear that a picture can be painted which tells the story of each parish. The picture is never complete because the Spirit cannot be quantified but it does provide insight into the vitality and sustainability of each parish.

Schools

photo credit: Andrewgardner1

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