CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina’s parochial schools are seeing major increases in enrollment, as teachers, students and their families consider alternatives to public education.

This year, more students than ever are attending parochial school in the Diocese of Charlotte.

The diocese, which stretches from the Tennessee border to Greensboro, covers the western half of the state and includes 20 schools.

In the last four years, the diocese said its student enrollment grew nearly 18%. One of the main reasons for the increase was the schools’ decision to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to diocese staff.

“Parents, who had maybe never considered our schools before, jumped on board and ended up attending,” Superintendent Greg Monroe said. “Not only did they stay, we had over 90% retention of all those new families we’ve had over the past few years.”

Since 2019-2020, the diocese added 1,222 students across the 20 schools, accounting for the roughly 17.5% growth. Enrollment currently sits at around 8,118 students.

Separate from the schools’ response to the pandemic, the state’s population has grown too, adding more potential students to the mix. The Catholic church’s longtime and public stances on many social issues also create a contrast with the ongoing debate in public school governance concerning social issues, according to Monroe.

“As things rise and fall in today’s age, we have a great tradition we can go back to. And say look, we’re non-partisan, we are Catholic. And, we have a great width and breadth of different materials for people to tap into when it comes to how we do things,” Monroe said at the Diocese’s office outside of Uptown.

In the classroom, teacher Belinda Butler said she sees the growth through the addition of new colleagues.

“We have hired more teachers, in order to be able to keep our class sizes very manageable and that’s a big difference I’ve seen,” Butler said.

Butler is an English teacher at Charlotte Catholic High School, which is set to welcome its largest freshman class in its history.

“I teach English 12th honors and freshman English,” Butler said while cleaning her whiteboard, “I have been teaching at Charlotte Catholic since the fall of 2014.”

Butler is a former banker, who entered the teaching profession 10 years ago. After a few months in public schools, she said she also made the jump to parochial school. Butler listed better pay, smaller class sizes, student discipline and administrator support as reasons for the switch. 

“In general,” she said, “It’s a very positive place to work.”

The Diocese of Charlotte is not alone in its growth. The southeast United States is seeing the largest growth of Catholic schools anywhere in the country, according to Monroe, with Charlotte’s repeatedly near the top of the list.

The Diocese of Raleigh said enrollment is at 9,553, with a roughly 11% increase in enrollment the last 3-4 years. In a press release, the diocese said Catholic schools across the country averaged an increase in enrollment for the first time in 25 years for the 2021-2022 school year.

But, access to the schools does come at a cost for families. The U.S. News and World Report said Catholic schools, on average, are cheaper than private schools. Average Catholic elementary school tuition costs more than $4,800, compared to more than $11,000 for private schools. 

The Diocese of Raleigh also gave some credit for the growth to the state’s Opportunity Scholarships, which is an income-based tuition assistance program for families, according to its website.