Latest news with #CatholicSchools
CBS News
12-08-2025
- General
- CBS News
Catholic schools in South Florida see enrollment surge as new year begins
It's back-to-school season for Catholic schools across South Florida, and for the Archdiocese of Miami, this year marks another milestone. On Tuesday, officials welcomed 37,000 students into classrooms across its 65 schools, continuing a five-year trend of rising enrollment. Catholic school leaders say a combination of curriculum, safety measures and scholarships is fueling the growth. That demand has led to the opening of new campuses, including Holy Rosary Saint Richard in Palmetto Bay. It's the first program in the Archdiocese to welcome students as young as three months old. Inside classrooms, the excitement was mounting. Uniforms were crisp, backpacks hung on hooks, and crayons were in students' hands. Three-year-old Jesse Barnes proudly declared his favorite part of the day: "Dinosaurs!" Two-year-old Greyson Puerto offered his own one-word review—"Yeah!"—while his mother, Elizabeth, admitted to first-day jitters. "I wanted him to know I'd be back and I wasn't leaving him," she said. "He's so happy… he said he had the best day ever." Over the past five years, the Archdiocese says it has opened or reopened four new schools to keep up with demand. Saint Malachy Catholic School in Tamarac, for example, grew from 25 students in its first year to 125 this year. Parents like Christina Hileire say faith is a driving factor. "We felt like he would have the best education," she said. The surge in Catholic school enrollment comes as Broward County Public Schools anticipates a decline of at least 8,000 students this year. District officials point to school choice, state vouchers, and family relocations as contributing factors—the same trends boosting Catholic school numbers. Florida's Step Up For Students scholarship program has also made Catholic education more accessible. In Broward County, awards range from $7,600 to just over $8,300 for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. In Miami-Dade, eligible students can receive up to $8,500, and in Monroe County, scholarships are between $11,000 and nearly $12,000. Safety remains a priority. Catholic school officials say they have invested in security cameras, gates, and teacher training to ensure student well-being. Public school enrollment figures in Broward and Miami-Dade won't be finalized until after Labor Day.
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
When is the first day of school in Southern Tier? Find your school
Summer vacation is coming to an end, as stores begin swapping out water guns and pool toys on the shelves for back-to-school supplies. Soon parents will be back to early morning wake-up calls, packing lunches and after-school activities. All of the students in the Binghamton area will return to the classroom the first week of September, though exact dates will vary depending on the district. Here's when the first day of classes is for schools in Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Tioga counties. Skip to your area: Broome | Chenango | Delaware | Tioga Broome County Binghamton School District All students start classes Sept. 5. Broome-Tioga BOCES Academy All students start classes Sept. 4. Catholic Schools of Broome County All students start classes Sept. 4 Chenango Forks School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Chenango Valley Central School District Students K-12th grade start classes Sept. 4. Pre-K students start classes Sept. 5. Deposit Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Harpursville School District All students start classes Sept. 3. Johnson City School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Maine-Endwell School District All students start classes Sept. 5. Susquehanna Valley School District Students 1st through 12th grade start classes Sept. 4. Pre-K and Kindergarten have orientation on Sept. 4 and start classes Sept. 5. Union-Endicott School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Vestal School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Whitney Point School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Windsor School District All students start classes Sept. 3. More: Windsor closed school in May due to bus driver shortage. What it means in new school year Tioga County Candor Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Newark Valley School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Owego Apalachin School District All students start classes Sept. 3. Spencer-Van Etten Central School District All students start classes Sept. 3. Tioga Central School District All students start classes Sept. 3. Waverly School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Chenango County Afton School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Bainbridge-Guilford School District All students start classes Sept. 3. Greene School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Norwich City School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Unadilla Valley Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Otselic Valley Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Oxford Academy & Central Schools All students start classes Sept. 4. Sherburne-Earlville Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Delaware County Andes Central School District Students K through 12th grade start classes Sept. 4. Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 start classes Sept. 15. Charlotte Valley Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Delaware Central School District at Delhi All students start classes Sept. 4. Downsville Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Franklin Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Hancock Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Margaretville Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Roxbury Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Sidney Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. South Kortright Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Stamford Central School District All students start classes Sept. 3. Walton Central School District All students start classes Sept. 4. Kalyn Grant reports on public service issues for the Press & Sun-Bulletin, focusing on schools and community impact. Have a story to share? Follow her on Instagram @KalynCarmen and on Facebook under Kalyn Kearney. Get in touch at kcgrant@ This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: When does school start in NY? Check 2025 first day calendar Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
24-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Northern Ont. school board ranks 3rd in sustainability
Northern Ontario Watch For the second year in a row, the northern Ontario french Catholic school board is being recognized for sustainability efforts.
Chicago Tribune
15-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Warren Smith left a shining legacy in Aurora
Thirteen years ago, I wrote the story of Aurora's Warren Smith, who was a retired Catholic school principal and also the retired Aurora Area Superintendent of Catholic Schools. The editor appropriately titled the story as 'A Good Shepherd of Catholic Education in Aurora.' Mr. Smith (he will always be Mr. to students and to teachers who worked under his leadership) passed away in December of 2023. There were no public tributes or media stories at the time of his passing, and he probably would have vetoed any such attempt. As I checked through old school records and talked with people who had worked with him, an amazing story of his life's work and dedication began to open up. The persistent theme of his many years of leadership became obvious: he presided over times of great change in our society, and particularly in Catholic education. In fact, the title of a Beacon-News story in 2018 was 'Change is the norm for Aurora's Catholic Schools.' Mr. Smith's career began as a social studies teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Aurora in 1963. His leadership qualities emerged and, at the age of 28, he became the principal of that school in 1967. As I talked with him for the 2018 story, he mentioned that he began noticing changes soon after assuming his leadership role. 'During the 1960s, and because of Vatican II, some conservative Catholics who didn't want change may have felt pushed out,' he said. 'In 1964, enrollment at our school stood at 800, but around 1970, it began a transition to two rooms per grade instead of three. 'Affordability started to become an issue, and a great decline in the number of teaching Sisters played a big part in the downturn,' he said. Lay teachers were needed to fill that void, and the expense of salaries became an important issue. Budgeting and funding for all of the Catholic schools became an important change starting in the 1970s, and a downward trend in enrollment began. Mr. Smith, along with other administrators and lay leaders, faced this as a new challenge. With a certain amount of bravery, they forged ahead with determination to keep Catholic schools alive and vibrant. Not having enough on his plate, and while continuing as school principal, he was appointed Aurora Area Superintendent of Catholic Schools in 1985, and continued in that role until 1997. His scope immediately increased to his being the leader of nine elementary schools and also Aurora Central Catholic High School. Change was the norm of those years—changes in the church and the Diocese of Rockford, along with legal, constitutional and economic issues and changes. Strong leadership was needed, and Mr. Smith was in the forefront. The most stellar achievement of the Aurora Catholic School System during his years as superintendent was probably the opening of the new Aurora Central Catholic campus on Edgelawn Drive in 1995. It was a multi-year project fraught with many hurdles, but many leaders and volunteers persevered through them all. The final hurdle came when the bishop of the Rockford Diocese wanted to have the project stopped, but that objection was overcome with difficulty. Some referred to the opening of the new campus as a miracle. The following message was one of many left following Mr. Smith's online obituary: 'Warren and Bob (Stewart, longtime principal of Aurora Central Catholic) pulled off and helped sustain a new miracle Catholic high school in the creation of ACC on its new site — along with the many other dedicated and passionate people intent on keeping the ACC school and tradition alive. That is a legacy that transcends time, just as Warren's many other accomplishments will do also.' Also in 1995, Mr. Smith left his role as elementary principal to devote full time and effort to his superintendent's role. I remember his telling me that his first office was an empty room in the new ACC building with a card table and a folding chair. But as he settled into his new routine, the same bishop of Rockford eliminated the job of Aurora Area Superintendent in 1997. Needing to continue working, he became the principal of St. Thomas School in Crystal Lake. He commuted to that position from Aurora, and retired in 2002. Along with his lovely wife Joyce, Mr. Smith continued to be very active back in his home parish at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Aurora, even serving as interim principal of its school in 2003-2004. Together the Smiths authored a book honoring the centennial celebration of the parish in 2009. Mr. Smith chaired several committees, and his advice was always sought for important projects and decisions. His leadership abilities and qualities were always evident, and he sometimes had to make unpopular decisions over the years, as do all effective leaders. At the same time, he was an unassuming and humble person. Throughout three generations of great, and sometimes difficult, changes in education, thousands of young people benefited from the steady and unwavering dedicated leadership of Mr. Warren D. Smith. Long live his memory.
Daily Mail
01-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: Labour fears Farage far more than it cares about the white working class
The long, miserable saga of the Labour Party 's war on good state education stretches back through many decades of 'progressive' experiments and plain neglect. It is tempting to think that their parallel hostility to private schools is partly motivated by the proof fee-charging schools provide, that good schooling is still possible. If they could tax them out of existence and drive them abroad, it would be easier to pretend that publicly funded education is satisfactory. Well, of course it is – for some children. The Labour elite know this very well, as they take elaborate steps to avoid the sorts of schooling most children have to endure, hiring private tutors, moving into costly catchment areas of exceptional academies, or developing a convenient enthusiasm for religion. Catholic schools, schools in pleasant rural areas, schools in well-off suburbs and above all schools whose pupils generally have the support of strong, stable families do reasonably well, even despite the crazy, ever-changing policies visited on them by Leftist ideologues. But the worst losers from all this experimentation have been the white working class, who have suffered from the death of traditional industry, the general decline of stable married families, the absence of fathers and the resulting break-up of family and kinship in urban areas. This is typical of Left-wing policies in modern Britain. The ideas most warmly embraced by the north London Leftist elite are also the ideas that do the most damage to the voters who have for decades kept Labour in power. For a long time there really was not much those traditional voters could do about this gap between promise and fulfilment. Now, thanks to the rapid growth of Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, there is. In fact, Mr Farage is so keen to appeal to Labour defectors that he is becoming quite Left-wing in his late middle age. Whether this is sincere or not, we have yet to discover. But it is certainly working. Labour voters are deserting their ancestral party. And the Labour high command are panicking. The latest to do so is Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. She has led the charge against private schools, using punitive taxes to drive poorer families into the state sector. Now Ms Phillipson is moving in on Mr Farage's left flank, complaining that white working-class children are being betrayed and left behind. She is quite right to say this. New data shows that such children are doing acceptably well only in a tiny 21 of the 3,400 secondary schools in England. She promises an inquiry into this shocking failure, which may even report while she is still in office. But what will it tell us that we do not already know? The poorer your area, the worse your school is likely to be. Ms Phillipson's actions haven't been much help so far. Shadow Schools Minister Neil O'Brien accuses her of cutting support for able pupils in mathematics, physics, Latin and computing. The grim truth is that, despite its claimed preoccupation with education, Labour has never had much of a plan for helping the children of the poor. Its obsession with encouraging mass migration and 'rubbing the Right's nose in diversity' meant it tended to view the white working class not as friends but as bigots, for it was among such citizens that the tougher consequences of such immigration were most keenly felt. New Labour's shiny New Britain never arrived in the grim housing estates, blasted by unemployment and anti-social behaviour, where good education is still a dream.
