Chris Lange, FISM News
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Remote learning, declining morality, and social concerns are key factors that have led to a boom in enrollment at private Christian schools, a new study shows.
Seventy-nine percent of Christian schools in the U.S. have experienced an uptick in enrollment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey conducted by DickersonBakker. Among the respondents, 43% say enrollment has increased “substantially,” while 36% say it has increased “somewhat.”
The report cites remote learning during the pandemic and societal and moral concerns as key contributing factors that have led many parents to seek alternatives to public education, ushering in a “new era” for religious schools.
“A convergence of cultural factors, from the remote learning that took place during the pandemic to moral and social concerns, is causing increased numbers of parents to consider alternative education for their children,” the report says. “Christian schools across the nation appear to be benefiting from this trend, with demand increasing and enrollment growing.”
Interest in Christian schools does not appear to be limited to conservative-leaning states, but rather is “surging in every region of the country,” the report states, citing a National Polling Report published by EdChoice last month which shows that 41% of parents now say they prefer a private education for their children.
The same report also included survey data showing that the top two subjects parents ranked as being “extremely important” in their child’s education are “skills for future employment” (63%) and “core academic subjects,” (59%). Nearly half of parents (46%) ranked “values, moral characters, and religious virtues” as “extremely important.”
While increased enrollment is undoubtedly good news for Christian schools, it has also created new challenges, particularly in terms of funding.
The DickersonBakker report indicates that private Christian school leaders report struggling with finding classroom/facility space, covering operating costs, and budget restrictions as they seek to accommodate new students.
“Unfortunately, Christian schools, on the whole, are not raising money effectively,” the report says, adding that schools are “not investing sufficient time or money into fundraising efforts.”
“Given how important Christian school leaders from across the nation say fundraising is to the future of their schools, we must do more to train and equip them to do it more effectively,” the report concludes.
This article was partially informed by a Christian Headlines report.