Written by Melissa Frick for MLive.com on February 6, 2022. Photo of West Catholic High School credited to Taylor Ballek at MLive.com.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Private school systems in the Grand Rapids area saw higher enrollment this year as parents sought a reliable and safe return to in-person learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, officials say.
The faith-based schools are closely tracking the growth. Some school leaders are already planning to add space and say there could be waiting pools for buildings if the enrollment trend continues.
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids had a total of 6,491 students enrolled across 31 learning communities in the region as of last week, which is up 8.1% from last year’s count day, said Sarah Toepfer, marketing communications coordinator for schools at the diocese.
Many new parents who enrolled their kids in the Catholic school system said the pandemic played a factor in their decision to come to a private school this year, Toepfer told The Grand Rapids Press/MLive on Friday, Feb. 4.
“We’re getting questions like; how many days are you virtual or hybrid?” she said. “We have parents coming to us who want that full in-person option and that consistency.”
“Beyond 2020, we have not closed down. We’ve had a session 180 days each year. So having that consistency, I think parents are noticing that and appreciating that, on top of all the safety protocols, because we’re following the health department’s guidelines.”
While the school system saw a decline in enrollment last year due to fewer parents enrolling their preschoolers and kindergarteners over COVID-19 fears, this year’s total enrollment surpassed both last year and the 2019-2020 school year, and the diocese saw its highest kindergarten enrollment in 13 years, Toepfer said.
“We had a 20% decrease in preschool enrollment (in 2020), but then we rebounded with kindergarten and preschool this year,” Toepfer said. “A lot of people held their preschoolers back when it was going to be virtual (in the 2020-21 school year), so now that we’re in person, I think that has definitely aided those numbers.”
Enrollment in the Catholic school system is up 1.6% from before the pandemic, Toepfer said. The system enrolled 6,342 students in the 2019-2020 school year, according to 2019 fall count day data.
To support families amid the pandemic, beginning the 2021-22 school year, families new to Catholic schools in the diocese did have access to Welcome Scholarships for their preschool and kindergarten students worth up to $750 toward tuition.
To read the full story including enrollment data from other faith-based schools in our area, click here.