New Catholic School Study May Boost Enrollment

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Plagued by money troubles, several Maryland Catholic schools shut down in recent months, but a new study could turn things around.

Gigi Barnett explains.

Mary Keating's children, Kirby and Cayleen, attend Catholic schools. She calls the education an investment.

"It's a lot of little things," she said.

A new study released last week finds Baltimore Catholic schools achieve higher test scores than public students and, over the course of their lifetimes, earn at least $225,000 in income more than their public school counterparts.

"I think it's been a good investment and I can maybe stop saving for my own retirement.  They'll take care of me," Keating said.

Some students say it's the extracurricular courses Catholic schools offer that they enjoy.

"Not really much of a difference, but we have more values.  We have religion classes and they don't," said student, Cailin Smith.

The study comes at a time when low enrollment and high operating costs forced the Baltimore Archdiocese to shut down several Catholic schools last year. The archdiocese says the study could eventually boost enrollment again.

Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore also save Maryland taxpayers over $380 million a year.