Photo courtesy of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of New York
National test scores show that if the Catholic school system were a state, it would rank number one in the nation. In contrast, the U.S. public school system, managed by the Department of Education, now ranks only 18th in the world. America used rank close to the best in the world.
In March, President Trump issued an executive order to begin closing the U.S. Department of Education, aiming to return control over education to states, parents, and local communities. The order rightly frames the Department as costly, ineffective, and unaccountable, pointing to decades of poor student performance as evidence of the failure of federal oversight.
Created in 1979 under pressure from teachers’ unions, the Department has overseen ballooning education budgets, over $200 billion during the COVID era alone, while national test scores have stagnated. According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, 70% of 8th graders are below proficiency in reading, and 72% in math.
Additionally, the order mandates that federal education funds comply with new restrictions, prohibiting support for initiatives tied to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or gender ideology.
The Secretary of Education is tasked with overseeing the Department’s shutdown while maintaining essential services. The administration argues that eliminating the Department will improve educational outcomes by decentralizing authority and cutting bureaucratic waste.
More than four years after the COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures, which continued under the Biden administration, American public-school students have still not recovered academically. By contrast, Catholic schools, which have historically outperformed public schools, pulled even further ahead by reopening as early as 2020. Meanwhile, public schools in many areas remained closed or operated on disrupted schedules for up to two additional years, widening the academic gap. Meanwhile, public schools in many areas remained closed or operated on disrupted schedules for up to two additional years, widening the academic gap.
A 2024 report by the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) found that students remain less than halfway to full academic recovery. Math proficiency among 4th graders dropped from 69% in 2019 to 56% in 2023. Reading scores declined as well, particularly in early grades, with little sign of improvement. Schools also continue to report widespread behavioral and attention issues, especially among younger children, including rising aggression and developmental delays.
A 2023-24 study by NWEA found that rather than improving, the gap between pre- and post-COVID scores widened by 36% in reading and 18% in math. Chronic absenteeism surged to 26% in 2022–23, up from 13% in 2019–20. Efforts to reanalyze state test gains revealed that perceived reading improvement may have been due to test changes, not real academic gains. Experts warn that the long-term consequences could define a generation.
According to data from the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), Catholic school students consistently outperform their public school peers. In 8th grade reading, only 9% of Catholic students scored below basic, compared to 25% in public schools. Nearly half—48%—were proficient or above, including 8% at the advanced level, twice the rate of public school students. Similar trends are seen across subjects.
In 4th grade math, Catholic students scored 245 versus 239 for public school students, with fewer falling below basic (13% vs. 21%) and more achieving proficiency. In 4th grade reading, Catholic students averaged 235 compared to 221 in public schools, with higher proficiency rates (37% vs. 27%) and fewer at the lowest level (18% vs. 33%). Catholic high schools also report nearly 100% graduation rates and 85% college attendance, figures that far exceed national public-school averages.
These results show that Catholic schools deliver better outcomes at a fraction of the cost, challenging the assumption that bigger federal budgets through the Department of Education are necessary to ensure educational quality. Public schools spend about $20,000 per student annually, while Catholic elementary schools average just $4,340 in tuition, and high schools $9,090, less than half the cost of public or other private schools. Though no longer staffed primarily by religious personnel, Catholic schools remain affordable through a mix of tuition (57%), parish support (22%), and fundraising.
Democrats often object to Catholic schools because of their religious foundation, associating Christianity, wrongly in many liberal circles, with white nationalism. With DEI programs now removed from the federal education system, critics claim Christian schools will become racially exclusive. In reality, Catholic schools are deeply inclusive, reflecting the Church’s teachings and its long history as an immigrant institution.
Catholic schools welcome students of all backgrounds without quotas, admitting families as they come. As a result, their student population is highly diverse: 21% are racial minorities, 18.6% Hispanic, and 20% of students come from other faiths. These schools operate on a parent-choice model, families voluntarily enroll and are embraced as full partners in their children’s education.
Catholic schools also provide a safe haven for marginalized students, including LGBTQ youth who have faced bullying in public schools. Research backs this up: a meta-analysis of over 13,000 studies found that religious private schools are strongly associated with greater civic engagement and higher levels of political tolerance.
Unlike public schools, Catholic schools are highly decentralized, typically run at the parish level. They are flexible, responsive, and often provide need-based scholarships, making tuition affordable for many. Free from union control and political disruption, Catholic and other private schools are not subject to strikes, walkouts, or protests, allowing them to focus fully on student success.
The point of this article isn’t that everyone should attend Catholic school, but rather that private education, especially religious-based schools, can deliver far better outcomes than public schools at a fraction of the cost. President Trump’s move to dismantle the Department of Education aims to return control of education to states and local communities, something private and religious schools already do effectively.
Catholic schools prove that a centralized federal bureaucracy and billion-dollar budgets aren’t necessary to provide quality education. Without teachers’ unions, DEI mandates, or political agendas, and with educators truly dedicated to helping students learn, these schools show what’s possible: better results, stronger communities, and real accountability, without Washington in the way.
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