The writer, of Omaha, is principal of St. Stephen the Martyr School.
The nation's Catholic schools are celebrating Catholic Schools Week. This year's theme is “Catholic schools: A+ for America.”
Catholic schools, especially parish schools, are a uniquely American institution. Catholic schools were established across America congruently with the growth and western expansion of the population. Initially, as towns were formed, they were populated with new immigrant families. The late 1800s and early 1900s were a time of rapid expansion.
In Nebraska, the immigrant Catholic families were quick to establish parishes and schools. For many of these groups who did not speak English, the Catholic schools became a way to become “Americanized” and thus members of their new country.
Faith, as well as education, was very important to these immigrants. Teaching nuns were the first facilitators of these dual goals. The Sisters of Mercy first arrived on the banks of the Missouri River in 1864. Other teaching orders soon followed. Within the Archdiocese of Omaha, at one time there were 27 teaching orders.
The teaching nuns passed on the faith as well as reading, math and all areas of the curriculum, and they did so in a frugal manner. There was little pay. Parishes held “food showers” in order to provide for the nuns. Through the sacrifices and efforts of the teaching nuns, the system of Catholic schools developed in this country.
In 1943, 98 percent of the teaching force in the Omaha Catholic schools was made up of religious orders. In less than 60 years, that number was reversed: In 1999, 98 percent of the teachers in the Omaha Catholic schools were lay teachers. It takes a lot more money to run Catholic schools today. With the laity, there are established salaries, limited benefits and other expenses.
But that does not mean the sacrifices do not continue. Currently, Millard Public Schools has a base salary of $36,000 for a first-year teacher. (OPS has a base of $33,000.) Many of our Catholic schools are not even at 80 percent of that base. In most cases, Catholic school teachers work 10 to 12 years to reach the $33,000 rate. In addition, there are considerations of benefits such as insurance or pension.
As of July 2010, there were 333,671 students enrolled in Nebraska schools. Of that number, according to the Nebraska Department of Education, 38,489 students (11.5 percent) were enrolled in non-public schools, with 28,232 (8.46 percent) of that number enrolled in Catholic schools.
With 20,207 students enrolled in its 73 schools (2009-10 figures), the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Omaha would be the fourth-largest school district in the state, behind Omaha, Lincoln and Millard.
The savings provided to the State of Nebraska is evident. Through the sacrifices of these parents (who pay tuition) and by these teachers (who make thousands less than their public school counterparts), a very successful system of schools operates within this state. Catholic high school graduation rates in Nebraska were over 95 percent last year.
Only one state-appropriated tax benefit is provided to non-public school students in Nebraska: the textbook loan program. This year, $465,500 was appropriated for this expense. This money is used to purchase textbooks by the public school districts and loaned to their private school counterparts.
This year, that amount is approximately $12.09 per child in a non-public school. Based on average daily attendance, public school students in Nebraska are supported by state and local taxes at a rate of approximately $10,568.59 per child, according to the Nebraska Department of Education's Annual Financial Report, dated Jan. 25, 2010.
If the 38,489 students who were enrolled in the non-public schools in Nebraska last year chose to attend our public schools, the additional cost to the taxpayers would be more than $400 million.
As we enter into the celebration of Catholic schools, we celebrate the sacrifices made by the parents who send their children to Catholic schools and the teachers and staff who work to make them successful. Through these sacrifices, the institution continues to thrive.
Although Catholic schools are closing in some areas of the United States, that is not true of Omaha. Our schools thrive with a strong base of 33 elementary schools, nine Catholic high schools, the College of St. Mary and Creighton University.
The history of Catholic schools is the American dream realized. The independence of their existence, their effectiveness as learning institutions and their positive impact on the State of Nebraska, both economically and institutionally, are clearly evident.
Happy Catholic Schools Week to all of our Catholic schools in Omaha and in the USA.
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