How City Schools Stack Up

Enrollment in the nation s Cathoüc elementary and secondary schools declined 17 per cent from 1961 to 1970, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare reported last week. The HEW report said other nonpublic schools (Lutheran, Christian, etc.) increased in enrollment by 66 per cent. And, according to a prelimïnary analysis of data, total enrollment in all nonpublic schools decreased by 8.1 per cent over the span of 10 school years. The number of students enrolled in public schools rose 22.5 per cent during the same period. How do city schools stack up with the national statistics? Enrollment at St. Francis Elementary School decreased 15 per cent from 1962 to 1970. St. Francis had an enrollment of 420 students during the 1962-63 school year, with 358 students reported in school during the 1970-71 school year. But there's a sizable increase this year to 435 students, says Principal Catherine Walters. The peak enrollment period for St. Francis since 1952 occurred in 1964-65 and 1965-66 when 474 students were registered both years. The changes at St. Thomas Elementary school are more dramatic - from 654 students in 1962-63, to 454 in 1970-71, to 320 pupils this f all, according to Principal Ronald Mrozinski. On the high school level at St. Thomas, the figures for the three periods are 324 and the current 280. Mrozinski, who joined the St. Thomas staff this summer said he hasn't been at the school long enough to know why enrollment has declined. The Rev. William Meyers, pastor of St. Thomas Catholic Church, says, "I am so new I can't anticípate local trends." As for the general decline in enrollments nationally, Fr. Meyers says he thinks the steep rise of tuition rates during the last five years has caused some persons to wïthdraw their children from Catholic schools. He also cites population mobility. Fr. Meyers says persons move farther away from the parish and transportaton is not available to the parish school. In 1969, tuition at St. Thomas was raised from a flat fee of $150 per family to a new scale which called for a maximum of some $600 per family, depending upon the number of children involved. Dr. John Corcoran, a member of the St. Francis School Board and former chairman of the Board, says he believes the school is growing because of the excellent quality of education at St. Francis. He adds that parents of students express a desire for a Christian education for their children. Discipline is strong and consistent at St. Francis, Dr. Corcoran says. "By this I mean educational time is used for education and not for unruly children." Dr. Corcoran says when St. John's Grade School in Ypsilanti closed in June, 1971, members of St. Francis actively rec r u i t e d new students who formerly attended St. John's. Commenting on why other schools may experience declines in enrollment, Dr. Corcoran says many persons can't pay increasing tuition costs. He adds that some schools lose students at the sixth grade level because the one-through-eighth-grade s y s t e m doesn't coincide with public schools. Dr. Corcoran believes the presence of middle schools may encourage parochial school students to stay in parochial school until the ninth grade when the public school students start high school. The Rev. Francis Srebernak, pastor of St. Francis Catholic Church, says he thinks enrollment at St. Francis is increasing because "parents are willing to make a great sacrifice for excellent education and excellent facilities." The priest says the majority of parents are products of Catholic school educations and want a religiously - oriented education for their children. Dorothy Knorr, assistant chairman of the St. Francis Board, says, "There are undoubtedly some parents who send their children to St. Francis because of the conditions in their own particular school district. However, I feel confident that the majority of school parents send their children here because of an opportunity to receive a Christian-orientated education along with the excellent curriculum provided." Mrs. Knorr says tuition for one child for a St. Francis parishioner is $240 per year. Out-of-parish Catholics pay $350 for one child and non-Catholics pay $400 for one child. The maximum tuition for four children or more is $360 for members of St. Francis and $500 for Catholics from other parishes. Non-Catholics pay $150 for each child after the first one. Mrs. Knorr says tuition covers only one-third of the cost of educating a child for one year. The other two-thirds is paid by the parish. Other parochial schools in the area have grown or remained about the same size in the last decade. The Seventh-Day Adventist School had 35 students in 1961-62 and 30 students in 1970-71, according to the denomination's conference office in Lansing. Enrollment this year is 40 students, Principal Kenneth Eager says. Redeemer Lutheran School, which was built in 1946, had 25 students in 1961-62 and 36 students in 1970-71. Enrollment this fall is 62 students according to Raymond Manthe, principal. Ted Berg, principal of Salem Lutheran School, says enrollment in 1961-62 was 42 students and in 1970-71 was 38 students. Enrollment this year is 41 students. St. Paui's Lutheran School, which was built in 1964, had 69 students when it was founded. In 1970-71, 212 students were enrolled and this year 225 are registered. Public schools in Ann Arbor have increased by 57 per cent between 1961 and 1970. Enrollment in 1961 was 12,838 and in 1970 was 20,149, according to school officials.