A surprising year for Catholic schools

When this school year began at Xavier High School, we were greeted with a pleasant surprise - and what began as a pleasant surprise has become somewhat of a norm as this school year has progressed. That pleasant surprise? Increasingly, families are looking to Xavier as an option for their son or daughter’s educational experience.

Xavier began 10 students above our projected total enrollment for this school year. Additionally, when we recently returned from Christmas break, we had four new students transfer in, becoming our newest “Saints.” Perhaps 10 students above projection and four recent transfer students may not seem like a lot, but history at Xavier tells us otherwise. These trends are not typical.

Taking what we’ve observed at Xavier High School a step further, Xavier Catholic Schools (XCS) as a whole has also experienced this trend. For the first time since 2008-2009, enrollment grades K-12 actually increased. This year’s trend within XCS schools runs contrary to the statistics nationwide for Catholic schools in regard to enrollment, which has been trending downward.

Why the recent jump in enrollment here locally? To me, three reasons stand out:

1. During the 2020-2021 school year, when educating students was especially difficult due to COVID-19, XCS shined. We place a high value on something we believe has always been a strength of ours: community. We offered in-person learning the entire school year. We continually believed that we needed to be together, not apart, as much as we possibly (and safely) could. Our faculty and staff worked as hard as I’ve ever witnessed a group collectively work last school year. Our community owes them a debt of gratitude that we likely will never be able to repay.

2. Our size and organizational structure allows us the ability and flexibility to adjust as necessary when the unforeseen arises. Educationally, we can pivot and attend as needed to each student’s individual and unique needs. Additionally, we can do the same when making difficult decisions that affect the larger school community. Increasingly, I hear of our parents appreciating this structure and environment.

3. Most importantly, Xavier High School is rooted in Jesus Christ. In an uncertain world, full of increasingly new and unexpected challenges, we continually lean on the cross of Jesus to carry us through tough times. It seems society is doing everything it can today to take Jesus out of our lives. At Xavier we believe now more than ever, an atmosphere, environment and expectations centered on Christ is needed. This is especially true for teenagers.

Our doors are always open. We thoroughly enjoy giving tours and showing families what we have to offer. And please do not let tuition hold you back from giving us a look. This school year alone, over $500,000 have been awarded in tuition assistance to our families at Xavier High School alone.

From Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, XCS will join thousands of Catholic schools across the country celebrating national Catholic Schools Week. Believe me, it is a well-celebrated week!

We celebrate because of our incredible students and teachers. We celebrate because of our unique community and structure. But most of all, we celebrate the fact we are rooted in Christ. And that, as they say, makes all the difference.

Chris McCarville is president of Xavier High School.