FAST FACTS (Return On Investment - ROI)                           

 “Catholic schools are not an alternative. They are a choice to provide more than 35 hours a week immersed in an education where Christ illuminates the learning and the life of our students. Catholic schools invite students to grow in friendship with Christ. This friendship helps students to discover that their potential is much greater with Jesus than it is without Him. This makes Catholic schools the single most effective means the Church has created for evangelization.”

~ Bishop David Walkowiak

(Catholic Schools Week Message, 2014)

Diocese of Grand Rapids Catholic Schools

Facts for 2014-15:

SPECIAL NEEDS

·         10.2% of our students have identified special needs.

·         Schools budget an average of more than $1,200 per identified student in direct service.

·         In addition, each of these students benefit from almost $800 in Federal Title services.

·         Many students also benefit from direct services provided by their local public school.

 AFFORDABILITY

·         Over $3,800,000 is provided each year in tuition assistance.

·         The average qualified elementary student receives more than $1,400/year in assistance.

·         The average qualified high school student receives more than $3,800/year in assistance.

·         For a family with 3 children, the average elementary tuition is $2,407 per K-8 student.

·         The average high school tuition for a parishioner is $6,676 per student.

·         The average high school tuition for a non-parishioner is $7,265 per student.

 Return on Investment - ROI

Research on Catholic schools shows:

·          Overall academic achievement is higher (Coleman, Hoffer, & Kilgore, 1982; Sander, 1996)

·         Catholic school students:

·          Graduate from high school [Broughman, S.P. and Swain, N.L.(2013); Stillwell, R., and Sable, J. (2014)]

·          Attend college [Broughman, S.P. and Swain, N.L.(2013); Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2014)]

·          Graduate from college (Regional Economist October 2012 by Michael T. Owyang and E. Katarina Vermann)

·          Get higher paying jobs (Regional Economist October 2012 by Michael T. Owyang and E. Katarina Vermann)

·         All at exceptionally higher rates than other religious, private, public and charter schools

·          (Rates were taken from two studies highlighted in the NCEA’s 2013-14 Annual Statistical Report and from the Value of Education Study shown above.)

Catholic school graduates are:

·          more likely to vote (Dee, 2005)

·          more likely to earn higher wages (Neal, 1997)

·         more civically engaged

·         more tolerant of diverse views

·          more committed to service as adults

      (Campbell, 2001; Wolf, Greene, Kleitz, & Thalhammer, 2001)

 With attendance in any Catholic school for any period of time, students are:

·         4x’s more likely to be attending church at the age of 45

·         3x’s more likely to be confirmed

·          2x’s more likely to be married in Church

(research noted by Sr. M. Paul McCaughey, O.P., Back to School Kick-Off, 2009) 

The longer students attend a Catholic school:

·         the more regular their church attendance

·         the more generous they will tend to be

·          the more they will tend to give back to the community through service

       (The Catholic School Effect noted by Fr. Ron Nuzzi, ACE Leadership Mentor Workshop, 2005)

The Value of Education: Measuring the Effect of School Choice on Economic Outcomes found that Catholic High School Graduates:

·         earned 13.6% more than their public school counterparts

·         were 6.5% more likely to attend college

·         were 19.7% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree

                  (National Education Longitudinal Study – Reported in the Regional Economist October 2012 by Michael T. Owyang

                  and E. Katarina Vermann)

Two studies highlighted in the NCEA’s 2014-15 Annual Statistical Report:

·         National Secondary School Graduation Rates Catholic (99.0%), Other Religious (97.8%), Non-sectarian Private (95.2%), Public (78.2%)

                   [Broughman, S.P. and Swain, N.L.(2013); Stillwell, R., and Sable, J. (2014)]

·         Percentage of High School Graduates who attend 4-year colleges Catholic (85.7%), Other Religious (62.1%), Non-sectarian Private (56.1%), Public (39.5%)

                   [Broughman, S.P. and Swain, N.L.(2013); Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2014)]

·          Cardinal Dolan of New York and former President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said in his blog: “There is no more tried-and-true way of passing on our Catholic faith to our kids than by sacrificing to put them in a Catholic school. Data proves they persevere in the faith at higher rates, pray better, are more faithful to Sunday Mass, live gospel values, are more generous to their parish, even have happier marriages, volunteer more, and transmit the faith to their own children, than those not in a Catholic school.” (http://blog.archny.org/?p=2470)

In the year 2000, the Barna Research group did a nationwide study to determine the probability of making a major life decision to “believe in Jesus as one’s Savior”

·         33% reported making that decision between the ages of 6-13 (K-8)

·         4% between the ages of 14-18 (9-12)

·         6% after the age of 19

·         Of the 43% that will ever make that decision, 37% of people make that decision in their K-12 years

·         Which means more than 86% of the people who decide to follow Christ make this decision when they are school-aged.