Archbishop O'Brien Speaks About Catholic Schools
Thank you for your support and your interest in the Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. We're just completed a very emotional and challenging school year and I hope and pray that those students whose schools will not reopen next year, will remain in a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Parents frequently tell us they choose to have their children educated in a Catholic school because they are safe and academically excellent, their children are cared for and educated in a loving and Christ centered environment.
Although changes are taking place to strengthen and preserver Catholic schools, these attributes will remain a hallmark of a Catholic education and will remain the foundation upon which we will fortify our school system.
In an increasingly competitive environment, where parents have many options for their children's education, Catholic schools continue to provide the best value. A 2010 study conducted by a noted regional economist determined that Catholic school students produced higher test scores, they are also more likely to graduate than their public school counterparts. We are very proud of our 97% graduation rate.
Additionally, our students are more likely to attend and graduate from college and to achieve greater financial success over their lifetime when compared to those in public schools.
We are pleased by these findings but know our schools have room to improve. Therefore, we are expanding our academic program offerings, improving our facilities, so we can continue to offer the latest technological learning tools and increasing the financial support of Catholic schools so that we can provide more tuition assistance to more families.
Catholic schools have been educating children in our region for over 200 years. We look forward to serving your children in the coming school year and generations of children for years to come. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about Catholic schools call 1-800-5-CATHOLIC.
