FAMILIES IN A FINANCIAL BIND.
TO KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN, CATHOLIC SCHOOLS HAD TO PIVOT.
READING, WRITING, AND ARITHMETIC ARE A -- ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS
OF EDUCATION BUILT ON A FOUNDATION OF COMMUNITY.
IN MARCH OF 2020, THE PANDEMIC FORCED ALL SCHOOLS IN
MASSACHUSETTS TO CLOSE.
THE PIVOT TO REMOTE ONLINE LEARNING TOOK A TOLL ON
STUDENTS.
>> SOME OF MY FRIENDS ARE ONLY CHILDREN, SO NOT EVERYBODY HAS
THE EASIEST ENVIRONMENT AT HOME, IT IS LIKE GOING TO SCHOOL,
GOING TO A CLUB, DOING SPORTS, THAT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE’S OUTLET
AND ESCAPE FOR A DAY.
COVID COMPLICATED MATTERS FOR EVERY SCHOOL, INCLUDING MORE
THAN 100 SCHOOLS IN THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON THAT RELY
ON TUITION.
>> LAST YEAR WE HAD ROUGHLY 32,500 KIDS.
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, WHAT HAPPENED RIGHT AWAY IS WE
ENTERED INTO A PRETTY PROFOUND FINANCIAL CRISIS.
>> CAROL SAYS SOME FAMILIES WERE UNABLE TO KEEP PAYING TUITION
FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING AND BEFORE AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS CAME TO
A HALT.
>> THERE WAS A BIG FINANCIAL HIT.
WE HAD 11 SCHOOLS CLOSE AND THAT WAS THE LARGEST CLOSURE IN 11
YEARS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE.
MOVING FORWARD INTO THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, OUR ESTIMAT WERE
BASED ON WHO HAD ALREADY ENROLLED, OUR ENROLLMENT WAS
DOWN BY 5700 CHILDREN.
WE HAD A DROP OF 17% IN ONE YEAR.
THAT WOULD HAV BEEN CATASTROPHIC.
>> IN THE SUMMER OF 2020 THE ARCHDIOCESE MADE THE DECISION
THAT STUDENTS WOULD RETURN TO IN PERSON LEARNING IN THE FALL WITH
HYBRID AND FULLY REMOTE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO PARENTS.
>> WE BELIEVE EVERY CHILD WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE AND
LIKENESS OF GOD, AND IF YOU BELIEVE THAT WITH ALL YOUR HEART
AND SOUL, GIVES WE CAN LEAVE KIDS BEHIND -- YOU SIMPLY CANNOT
LEAVE KIDS BEHIND.
THERE IS A BURST OF RENEWED INTEREST IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.
WHEN THAT HIT THE 6:00 NEWS, EVERYONE OF OUR SCHOOLS PHONE
STARTED RINGING OFF THE HOOK.
>> ACCORDING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, ENROLLMENT IS UP
BY ABOUT 4400 STUDENTS SINCE JULY 15.
YEAR-OVER-YEAR ENROLLMENT IS STILL DOWN BY 1300 STUDENTS.
80% OF THOSE STUDENTS IN PRESCHOOL GRADES.
>> WHAT HAPPENED IS PEOPLE STARTED TO WORK REMOTE, THEY ARE
KEEPING LITTLE KIDS AT HOME.
THOSE KIDS IN ALL LIKELIHOOD WILL RETURN IN THE FALL.
SO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORST PANDEMIC ANY CENTURY, OUR
NUMBERS ARE OFF SLIGHTLY.
>> ONE OF THE NUMBER -- ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE BEEN
SUCCESSFUL KEEPING STUDENTS AND FACULTY SAFE IS BECAUSE EVERYONE
IN THE BUILDING HAS THE FOLLOWING PROTOCOLS RELIGIOUSLY
YOU COULD SAY.
>> THEY HAVE ASKED -- PROVIDED EXPENSIVE WEEKLY TESTING FOR
STAFF.
THIRD-GRADE TEACHER WHO HAS NOT BEEN VACCINATED YET SAYS THE
TRANSITION TO IN PERSON LEARNING HAS BEEN SMOOTH AND SAFE.
>> FROM THE BEGINNING WE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED.
WE HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF.
THE SHIELD, THE MASKS, STAYING DISTANCE.
THE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN RESPECTFUL OF THAT MAKING SURE
THEY DO NOT GO OUT OF TOWN.
IF I DID NOT FEEL SAFE, I WOULD NOT BE BACK.
>> AT BISHOP FENWICK HIGH SCHOOL, BREANNA IS BACK TO B --
IS READY TO BE BACK WITH HER FRIENDS AND TEACHERS.
>> MISSION GRAMMAR TEACHER IS NOW FULLY VACCINATED.
SHE WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE HER SHOTS SHORTLY AFTER OUR VISIT TO
THE SCHO