4 days ago
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.
