Twin Cities Catholic schools hold steady with student enrollment

Twin Cities area families continue to show faith in their Catholic schools.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis reported last week that 19,663 students were attending the 80 Twin Cities area Catholic schools serving kindergarten through eighth grade.

That’s virtually the same number as in 2021-22 when families flocked to private schools due in part to COVID-17 restrictions enacted at their public school counterparts.

The Oct. 1 student count was down 1.6% from a recent peak of 19,975 in 2023-24. But demand in Catholic school options remains high, as shown by growing interest in scholarships offered by the Aim Higher Foundation, a St. Paul nonprofit.

“In the grand scheme of things, it’s no secret that there are growing financial pressures,” Ricky Austin, the group’s president, said of the challenges now facing families. “They look at their checking accounts and say, ‘How do I make this work?’”

Enrollment in Minnesota has grown at a time when Catholic schools nationwide have been on the decline.

Some credit foundations and others for increasing financial aid scholarships and for strengthening the schools, making the options more attractive and helping draw more students who might not otherwise be able to afford the private education.

The GHR Foundation is working with the archdiocese to support the Drexel Mission Schools Initiative — providing funding and support to 10 Catholic elementary schools serving low-income families and students of color in the Twin Cities area.

Four of the schools — Ascension and St. John Paul II in Minneapolis, and St. Peter Claver and St. Pascal Regional in St. Paul — fall under the umbrella of Ascension Catholic Academy. The Minneapolis-based nonprofit provides centralized leadership and support to schools tailored to serve urban families in need.

Patricia Stromen, the academy’s president, said last week that the four schools now serve more than 800 students in Minneapolis and St. Paul. She said total enrollment should grow by about 15% next year when St. John Paul II merges with Immaculate Conception Catholic School at its Columbia Heights site.

“At our schools, no one is turned away due to financial circumstances, and nearly 92% of the academy’s operating budget comes from donations,” Stromen said. “It’s truly a unique model for Catholic education.”

The Aim Higher Foundation offers $1,000 annual scholarships, often in tandem with aid provided by the schools and/or parishes. They are good for each school year a student attends through eighth grade.

Austin, when asked about the slight dip in enrollment at the K-8 Catholic schools over the past two years, said the demand for scholarships has risen steadily. He said 6,961 applications were received for the school year and 2,900 were awarded — at a cost of $2.9 million.

The foundation’s board will meet on Feb. 18, at which time Austin expects members to again approve an increase in the number of scholarships to be awarded. He also expects that the $1,000 scholarship amount will be increased within the next year or two.

The foundation aims to keep up with the times and the increased attention to a Catholic education.

“In a world that’s increasingly chaotic and uncertain, I think we’re going to continue to see demand in Catholic schools,” Austin said. “They bring community and stability, and that’s what families are seeking right now.”