As innovation constantly transforms nearly every area of life, schooling has remained remarkably consistent in the last century — until recently. This has left parents, teachers, and policymakers grappling with what “school” means today. Catholics must also consider this if we want to ensure a firm foundation for the future.

The Catholic school system in America represents an amazing historic achievement. Bishops and pastors from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s were very focused on building schools to ensure the United States’s growing Catholic population could be educated in the faith — and kept out of public schools that were often anti-Catholic. Even after shrinking considerably from its peak in the 1960s, it remains the largest non-governmental school system in the country and possibly the world.

But the parish school is not the only way to deliver Catholic education, just as an assigned public school is not the only way to deliver non-Catholic education. The educational landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation. These changes have been happening somewhat quietly for decades, most markedly with the growth of homeschooling.

Covid-19 closures accelerated this dynamic as parents got to test-drive home education and had a front-row seat into what their kids were being taught. Many parents decided they wanted to take more control of their children’s education. Lawmakers — especially in “red” states — responded by passing or expanding school choice programs, such as vouchers for private school tuition or education savings accounts that can be used for a variety of educational purposes.

The combination of more interest from parents and the availability of scholarships has helped prompt new learning options. Microschools, intentionally small schools that typically focus on individualized education, and hybrid schools, which combine in-person and at-home learning, existed pre-lockdowns. Still, most parents — and teachers — had never heard of them. It’s impossible to know precisely how many students are using these options because many states don’t track such data, but there has been an increase in recent years.

Catholic schools, meanwhile, are facing tough times. Enrollment peaked in the mid-1960s with around 5.7 million students in nearly 13,500 Catholic schools — and thousands more students were turned away due to lack of space. A variety of issues, such as teacher shortages, rising costs, lack of space, changing demographics, and the sex abuse scandal resulted in a sharp decrease in enrollment after that high point. Today, approximately 1.7 million pre-K-12th grade students are enrolled at 5,900 Catholic schools.

The combination of more interest from parents and the availability of scholarships has helped prompt new learning options. Microschools, intentionally small schools that typically focus on individualized education, and hybrid schools, which combine in-person and at-home learning, existed pre-lockdowns. Still, most parents — and teachers — had never heard of them. It’s impossible to know precisely how many students are using these options because many states don’t track such data, but there has been an increase in recent years.

Catholic schools, meanwhile, are facing tough times. Enrollment peaked in the mid-1960s with around 5.7 million students in nearly 13,500 Catholic schools — and thousands more students were turned away due to lack of space. A variety of issues, such as teacher shortages, rising costs, lack of space, changing demographics, and the sex abuse scandal resulted in a sharp decrease in enrollment after that high point. Today, approximately 1.7 million pre-K-12th grade students are enrolled at 5,900 Catholic schools.

Surveys show parents want these flexible, less-conventional educational options. Catholic parishes and schools are well-positioned to meet families’ changing needs by welcoming new educational providers into underutilized classrooms. While these options typically start small, they often grow as excitement spreads. But even if they remain small, they can have a powerful influence.

Driving past a shuttered Catholic church or school is heartbreaking. By embracing newer options like microschools, hybrid schools, and homeschool co-ops, church leaders can provide families with nimble, low-cost access to Catholic education. The spread of diverse learning models rooted in Catholic teaching can help revitalize the faith life of families, parishes, and the broader community.