The voucher effect? South Florida Catholic schools see more kids, even waiting lists

Helped by an influx of new Floridians, and boosted by the state’s newly expanded voucher system, Catholic schools in South Florida are seeing steady growth and even adding new classrooms, according to the Miami Herald. That’s in stark contrast to what’s going on in the public schools, particularly in Broward County, which faces tough decisions on closing entire schools after decades of continuous decline in enrollment.

How big is the difference? Catholic schools in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties this year reached the highest number of students in more than a decade. Over the same period, public schools in Miami-Dade and Broward have lost tens of thousands of students.

“The continued growth of our Catholic schools in South Florida is enormously heartening,” said Jim Rigg, superintendent of schools at the Archdiocese of Miami. ”We are thrilled to welcome so many new families.”

Read the full story on MiamiHerald.com.