All signs point toward diocesan Catholic schools continuing a positive trajectory this year in content and enrollment as funding initiatives make education more affordable to families.

 Total enrollment across the 23-county diocese is expected to increase again this year, eclipsing last school year’s record of 17,000, the highest student count for the 11 high schools and 39 K-8 schools in a decade. 

A nearly 10% increase in K-8 enrollment was expected, according to spring projections but actual enrollment  could exceed estimates based on more families choosing Catholic schools due to a combination of programs that have made Catholic education more affordable. 

The state’s Educational Choice Scholarship Program (EdChoice) is now accessible to all Ohioans after House Bill 33 was signed into law on July 3 by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. The program originally was implemented in 2005 to provide parochial and private school options to families living in underperforming public school districts but has been expanded multiple times over the past 18 years to aid more families, particularly those with lower incomes.

Now, every family, regardless of residence or household income. can receive state scholarship dollars for students to attend a participating Catholic school for little or no cost, effectively allowing parents to choose a school best suited for their children.

Families at 450%  or below the Federal Poverty Guideline will receive the maximum scholarship amount of $6,165 (K-8) or $8,407 (9-12). Those at 451% or more will receive a portion of the full scholarship amount depending on household income and family size.

During the 2022-23 school year, only 42% of students in diocesan Catholic schools were eligible or took advantage of EdChoice scholarships. With the recent changes, every student now is eligible to receive a state scholarship.

Another program benefiting students and families is the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund, which is the diocese’s certified Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO).

Anyone can make a gift to the SGO, which provides a dollar-for-dollar credit up to $750 per person to offset a donor’s Ohio tax liability, by going to www.emmausroadscholarship.org or sending a check to the Office of Catholic Schools. The SGO allows taxpayers to save money while increasing the diocese’s capacity to help families afford Catholic school.

In 2022, more than $1.9 million was raised for scholarships and, according to estimates, nearly 1,300 students in the diocese were slated to receive the scholarships this year. 

Overall, with a boost from the SGO funds, the amount of tuition assistance available in the diocese more than tripled for this academic year, resulting in a 100% increase in the number of awards over the previous academic year.

New administrators at schools in the diocese are: Nandee Hocker, assistant principal, Columbus Immaculate Conception; Veronica Stemen, principal, and Ericka Gowitzka, assistant principal, Columbus St. Agatha; Anna Tufano, assistant principal, Hilliard St. Brendan; Brian Lower, interim principal, Columbus St. Joseph Montessori; Nikki Ford, assistant principal, Columbus St. Mary  German Village; Sister Mary Regina Whitney, OP, Worthington St. Michael; Luke Patterson, interim assistant principal, Westerville St. Paul; Eric Pfeifer, principal, Delaware St. Mary; Carli Saliba, assistant principal, Newark St. Francis de Sales; Katie Laufersweiler-Hanf, vice principal of student services, Columbus Cristo Rey High School; and Phil Kraker, vice principal of operations, Columbus St. Francis DeSales High School.