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Catholic schools adapting to new archdiocese policies
Tuition scales to change from previous format
Friday, Feb. 5, 2010
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by REID SILVERMAN
Kindergartner Alyssa Johnson tries her pillow out for comfort Wednesday during class at Father Andrew White School in Leonardtown after the students helped make pillows to send to American troops overseas. Activities were held at Catholic schools throughout the region celebrating Catholic Schools Week.
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The state of Catholic schools in St. Mary's County is changing, as new policies begin to shape what is in the classroom and other aspects of the institutions.
There are 16 Catholic parishes in St. Mary's, a Catholic high school and five elementary/middle schools. This week, at least in between snow delays, students, staff and others are celebrating Catholic Schools Week.
"There's a strong Catholic population here and a very strong desire for Catholic education," said Linda Maloney, principal of Father Andrew White School in Leonardtown.
According to the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., more than 8,000 parishioners attend Catholic church services weekly in St. Mary's, a figure that has remained relatively constant for the last several years, based on average Sunday visitations tallied each October.
Although enrollment at Catholic schools here has dropped over the last decade, there continue to be around 1,000 students enrolled in Catholic elementary/middle schools and about 700 more at St. Mary's Ryken High School in Leonardtown.
"We work hard at making sure we have the right programs in place for the children," Maloney said.
Each of the Catholic schools has begun adapting, adding programs such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum or foreign language courses.
"I think everyone is doing their best to manage the best they can," said Susan Fatka, principal of Mother Catherine Spalding school in Helen.
"We are all working together," Fatka said.
Holy Angels-Sacred Heart school shuttered its doors after 83 years at the end of the last school year due to low enrollment and financial troubles. About 50 of the students from there — more than half of its total final enrollment — transferred to Mother Catherine Spalding this school year, boosting its enrollment to more than 200 students.
"Both school communities have come together in a very beautiful way," Fatka said.
The school now serves five parishes.
A handful of Holy Angels-Sacred Heart students enrolled at Father Andrew White, which has the highest enrollment of any of the Catholic elementary/middle schools in the county.
"We are blessed with a very good enrollment," Maloney said.
Asked if there was any talk of consolidation among St. Mary's Catholic schools, similar to what happened in parts of the archdiocese, Maloney said, "Not yet, I don't think," adding, "I don't know what the future will hold."
St. Mary's County's Catholic priests and school principals held a meeting several weeks ago to go over aspects of the schools, including how new policies are being implemented.
The archdiocese released new policies for Catholic schools last summer. The policies, which cover Catholic identity, academics, school governance, and affordability and accessibility, began going into effect starting Oct. 1. They mark the first comprehensive policy revisions since 1976.
The 45-page document addresses key issues, such as what makes a school Catholic, including religious education, unity with the bishop, the celebration of sacramental life and a faith-filled school environment. It also outlines the different types of Catholic schools, both archdiocesan and independent.
"Our schools are now being asked to think proactively and look at how they see themselves in the future," said Kathy Dempsey, spokesperson for the archdiocese.
The new set of policies promotes academic excellence; increased Catholic identity; and affordability and accessibility, she said.
She said the archdiocese would like to see schools annually hold a "state of the school" presentation that outlines new accomplishments as well as any "bumps" that the school or associated churches may be up against. These presentations should be held with "no drama," Dempsey said.
"The schools have to be transparent with their parents and the parishioner community," she said.
The archdiocese has held consultations with several schools throughout the region, including St. Michael's School in Ridge. The school recently announced it had raised enough money through fundraising this winter to remain open next year and has long-term funding plans in place.
"The love of the community, that is just overwhelming and overflowing, and it is just fabulous," Dempsey said.
Most of the tuitions for the five elementary/middle schools in St. Mary's start at about $4,400 for one in-parish child and increase for out-of-parish children and non-Catholics.
The out-of-parish rates will no longer be enforced and each school will offer two tuitions — a Catholic rate and a non-Catholic rate.
This is part of the archdiocese's move to uniformly assist its schools, Dempsey said.
"If you are a participating Catholic ... part of your [offertory] contribution automatically goes to help Catholic education across the archdiocese," Dempsey said. "You're already putting money into the pot."
Catholic schools in St. Mary's County have been based on a regional model, where nearby parishes, usually two or three, support each of the schools.
Currently all parishes, whether attached to a school or not, pay 2 percent of money collected through offerings to an archdiocese education fund that, among other things, supports tuition assistance for families.
"Parishes without schools, their assessments to Catholic education have increased significantly," Dempsey said.
Beginning next summer, Catholic churches that are not directly supporting a school will have to pay 9 percent from their offertories, Dempsey said.
Schools that do support a school will pay 3 percent to the archdiocese fund and another 5 percent directly to the supported school.
"We want all of the archdiocese to support Catholic schools," Dempsey said.
Catholic schools begin accepting applications for new students at their open houses this week and current Catholic students can re-enroll at the start of March during open enrollment.
Policy changes available online
The new education policy of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., can be viewed at the Web site www.CatholicSchoolsWork.org.
