Five Reasons Parents Choose a Catholic School Education

Catholic School Week is an annual celebration in late January of Catholic education in the United States. Sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association, schools observe the week with Masses, open houses, and other activities for students, families, parishioners, and community members.

In honor of Catholic School Week, here are five common reasons parents choose a Catholic school education for their children.

1. Parents believe that their child’s teachers should serve as moral role models. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate Institute at Georgetown University confirmed that “strong moral values” is the top reason parents choose to send their child to a Catholic school. Many of the parents who select a Catholic school want their child’s education at school to be an extension of what they are being taught at home. They are looking for influences on their child that mirror their religious beliefs and moral choices.

Parent Angela Savage chose a Catholic school education for her young daughter for several reasons including safety concerns and a desire to have a school that focuses on the entire child. Happy with her decision, Angela stated that “the consistent religious instruction and activities helped my daughter’s faith develop even in demanding situations.”

2. Daily exposure to the Catholic faith is important to developing a strong religious foundation. Daily lessons in the Catholic faith create a strong foundation for children. Graduates of Catholic high schools statistically are more likely to continue church involvement as an adult.

According to Our Greatest and Best Inheritance: Catholic Schools and Parental Choice (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops), “Catholic school students are more likely to pray daily, attend church more often, retain a Catholic identify as an adult, and donate more to the Church.”

3. A church parish and school create a community for the family. Families who have children in a parish school have an easier time developing a sense of community with their fellow parishioners. Opportunities for fellowship, friendship, and service are available for families and create a warm and welcoming community. For those who don’t have other family in the area, this can be especially important, and their church and school become an important hub.

4. Catholic schools offer a relatively affordable private education. Private school tuition can be expensive, but many Catholic schools and dioceses offer generous tuition-assistance programs for parish families who need help.

5. Catholic schools offer high-quality education. According to the National Catholic Educational Association, 99 percent of Catholic secondary school students graduate and 88 percent go on to college. In general, on national and standardized tests Catholic schools consistently outperform public and other private schools by as much as 20 percentage points.

Naples’s Catholic schools are communities – small families in their own right, but also linked to the traditions and goals of Naples. Residents from Marco Island to Estero attend three prekindergarten through eighth grade schools: Saint Ann School, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School, and Royal Palm Academy. High School options include St. John Neumann Catholic High School (grades 9-12) and Donahue Academy (prekindergarten-12) in Ave Maria.

Open Houses on January 31, 2021

Saint Ann School: 11 am to 2 pm; 542 8th Ave South, Naples, FL 34102

St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School: 10 am to 1:30 pm; 2730 53rd Terrace SW, Naples, FL 34116

Saint Ann School

St.Elizabeth Seton Catholic School