by Vince Anch
I was fortunate enough to attend a Catholic grade school, St. Catherine, in south Kansas City, Missouri, but only for first, second and third grades.
My family faced some significant financial challenges and so, I and one of my siblings had to transfer to the nearest public school. I am the oldest of five children. My three youngest siblings never got the chance to experience Catholic school.
Back in those days, most families lived off one salary and certainly had more children than families do today. That is a significant shift that has adversely affected Catholic school enrollment. If families like mine did not have the money, they had no choice but to enroll their children in public schools. There was no Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) to help families like we can today.
This year alone, CEF will provide over 2,000 scholarships to families who otherwise would not be able to send their children to Catholic schools. This will total over $5.6 million dollars. Both figures are record highs. Next year, CEF has already calculated the need for scholarships to exceed $6 million.
I remember being devastated when my parents broke the news that starting in fourth grade I would have to leave St. Catherine for a public school. I would no longer be at the same school as my closest friends and cousins. I know that we weren’t the only family that faced this path which continues to this day. This is why many Catholic schools have had to close.
According to the National Catholic Education Association, an average of 100 schools close each year in this country. Since 2010, over 1,400 Catholic schools have closed. Some of the factors are population changes like smaller family size. There are other issues like younger families not practicing their faith anymore.
I often get the chance to talk to donors who sent their children to Catholic schools in the 1960s-80s. They take considerable pride in sharing how much they sacrificed for their children to receive a Catholic education. Many are brokenhearted that their children are not sending their own children to Catholic schools.
Some of these donors support CEF to help fund scholarships for families who want a Catholic education for their children but simply don’t have the means. They understand the value and so do many Kansas families that can’t afford it.
CEF’s “Sponsor-a-Child” program offers the opportunity to help children attend a Catholic school. For those interested in helping a child with the gift of a Catholic education, go online to: www.cefks.org.
