Diocesan Catholic school enrollment up 5%

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

The Catholic Schools Office for the Diocese of Sioux City recently announced enrollment numbers for the new school year and its good news.

According to Stacia Thompson, coordinator of enrollment and outreach, enrollment for Catholic schools in the diocese increased 5.3% from last year. Catholic school enrollment last year was 5,937 and this year it is 6,249 – up 312 students.

“This is the highest enrollment number since 2011,” she said.

The increase, she estimated, was due to a combination of factors.

“We have been trying to stabilize our staff and teacher pay so we have more consistent staffing. I also think ESAs (education savings accounts) have made it more affordable for people,” said Thompson.

She pointed out that 3,955 students – 63% - received an ESA this year. This is the second year the state of Iowa has offered ESAs, phasing it in over three years. Last year all kindergarteners and students new to Catholic schools qualified as did private school students at or below 300% of federal poverty level. This year kindergarten students, students new to Catholic schools and students from families at 400% of poverty could qualify for a $7,826 ESA.

“For a family of four, the 400% poverty is $124,800. Next year, everyone is included (if Iowa residents). There are no income restrictions,” said Thompson, who also confirmed the biggest enrollment increases came in lower elementary grades. “Thanks to ESAs, parents have more of a choice as to where to send their students to school.”

She identified the top four diocesan Catholic schools with the greatest percentages of increase: Fort Dodge St. Edmond School - 20%, Danbury Catholic School - 19%, Le Mars Gehlen Catholic School - 9% and Pocahontas Catholic School - 8%.

Principals respond
Tabitha Acree, elementary principal at St. Edmond, pointed out they have about 120 new students, mostly in elementary.

She pointed out that while some of the new students are non-Catholics, they did have some new families had been enrolled in the parish’s faith formation program.

“This has been really exciting and our goal is to keep the students here through graduation,” she said, noting one of the biggest factors for the increase is most likely parent choice in school education due to the ESAs. “The other thing that has helped our school is the addition of the 3-year-old preschool because most of those students are continuing on into our 4-year-old program and that keeps them here because they have had two years of connection.”

This is the third year of the 3-year-old preschool classroom. They have expanded the preschool school offerings and now have four kindergarten classrooms and a TK classroom.

The principal said she believes the faith component and family involvement in the school have been big draws – having a solid balance between academics, social and spiritual dimensions. She also views the one-building campus as a plus as it gives the younger students a chance to connect with the older students, drawing them to athletic competitions and other activities.

Molly Petersen, principal of Danbury Catholic, said it was exciting to see the increased enrollment. This is her first year as principal after teaching at the school for two years. However, her ties to the school began years ago when her own children were students there starting in 2007. And for more than a decade she was a Title I interventionist there serving Danbury Catholic through the public school.

“Danbury Catholic is a very special place and I am excited to welcome more people to our family here,” she said, noting that the school also had nice boost in enrollment last school year. “We had several local families decide later in the summer to enroll their students and we love having them here.”

The largest increases came in the preschool class as well as the first/second grade classroom.

“Our increase seems to be greatly impacted by word of mouth recommendations,” said Petersen. “Just like last year, families’ plans changed and they chose Danbury Catholic after the ESA window closed. When that happens, we do what we can to offer them other forms of tuition assistance. The support we receive from the communities we serve and word of mouth recommendations really have been vital.”

When school board members had approached her years ago about sending her own children to Danbury Catholic, they told her the school was like one big family and she is thankful it remains that way today. The family atmosphere is part of the culture and climate, she noted, that makes the school a special place which attracts families.

Other data
Along with schools having the largest increase in enrollment, Thompson mentioned there were some schools that have wait lists for multiple grades, third grade and below: Humboldt St. Mary School, Carroll Kuemper School and Spencer Sacred Heart School.

“While we are a Catholic school, we accept students of all races, religions and abilities,” said the enrollment coordinator.

In reviewing enrollment data, the enrollment coordinator noted that she found it interesting in that over one-third of the new students enrolled this fall are not Catholic. That’s a sign, she added, that the schools are appealing to non-Catholics as well. The diocesan Catholic school population is made up of 19% non-Catholic students, 11% Latinos and 7% - 425 students – are diagnosed with a disability.

“We are also working hard to ensure that our teachers are compensated fairly compared to their public school counterparts in their communities. We want to keep our staff and it’s important they are paid similarly to their community partners,” said Thompson.

Now that school enrollment in the diocesan schools is gaining momentum, she said they are working with schools on retention.

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