New High School Feasibility Study

To all Parishioners in the Northern Deanery: 

It was recently announced that we are researching the viability of a new Catholic high school to serve both the Northern Deanery (Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and San Juan Counties) and North Snohomish areas.  While previous grass root efforts have explored the idea of a Catholic high school in this region, we are now taking the conversation to the next level through robust data analysis and market research.

A feasibility study is currently underway, and it will measure the level of interest in and enrollment potential of the proposed school. This research will also offer insights and data around what a Catholic high school could mean for our children’s future. 

Questions often heard about Catholic schools include: 

  • Are they worth the expense? 
  • What are the benefits of a Catholic school education and experience? 
  • Is there a “Catholic school advantage?”
  • Should we keep investing in them? 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops affirm the mission and work of Catholic schools: 

“We must respond to challenging times with faith, vision and the will to succeed because the Catholic schools’ mission is vital to the future of our young people, our nation and, most importantly, our Church.”

In a recent study, Dr. Mark Gray of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) discovered  young adults who had left the Catholic Faith that the typical age for this decision to leave was made at 13 years.  It is imperative that we counter this experience.

“Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed, 63% said they stopped being Catholic between the ages of 10 and 17. Another 23% say they left the Faith before the age of 10.”  (Catholic News Agency) 

Research over the past 20 years has shown the impact of a Catholic school education on our youth as they became adults:

  • 33% of the Catholic school educated Millennials go to church in comparison to the 5% of Millennials who never attended a Catholic school. (CARA)
  • 82% of those who attend a Catholic primary school and 91% of those who attended a Catholic high school are confirmed in comparison to 66% of self-identified Catholics who never attended a Catholic school. (CARA)
  • 1 in 4 Millenial Catholics indicate they would have considered becoming a priest or a religious order versus 1 of 10 who did not attend a Catholic educational institution. (CARA)
  • 6 times more likely to attend weekly mass, participate in their parish, volunteer, and tithe. (CARA)
  • 98% of Catholic high school students graduated and 85.2% went on to attend a 4-year college in the 2018-2019 school year. (National Center for Education Statistics)

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, National Center for Educational Statistics found that the following traits manifest in Catholic school students, with no systematic differences across race, sex, socioeconomic, and immigrant status: 

  • Less likely than their peers to argue, fight, act impulsively or disrupt the classroom.
  • Handle peer pressure effectively and respect the property of their classmates. 
  • More accepting of their classmates’ ideas. 

As the new high school feasibility study continues, we ask for your prayers, that the Holy Spirit continues to guide us in making wise decisions for the future of children throughout the Northern Deanery of our Archdiocese.

Sincerely,

Fr. Moore (Dean of the Northern Deanery)