CATHOLIC SCHOOL NUMBERS GROWING

Increasing enrollment, overcrowded classrooms and limited building space aren't just problems of public schools. Even parochial schools in Southeast Missouri have seen increased enrollments and all the problems that come with it.

Almost all the classes at Immaculate Conception School in Jackson are at full capacity. The school limits enrollment to 30 students per grade level.

The jump in enrollment started about seven years ago when the school began a kindergarten program, said Nan Beussink, a third-grade teacher at the school. Very few Catholic grade schools in the area offer such a program.

"Part of it came with the kindergarten," she said of the increase. "But part is that the size of Jackson is growing, so the Catholic community in Jackson is growing."

But Jackson's situation isn't unique; nationwide trends show a 450 percent increase in Catholic school enrollment from 1982. For the fourth consecutive year, Catholic schools have seen increased enrollment.

"Parents and students clearly are striving for their personal best in choosing Catholic schools," said Dr. Robert Kealey, executive director of the National Catholic Education Association. "Our enrollment trends underscore the importance of providing parents with an opportunity for educational choice."

However, most local schools have had steady enrollments, said Linda Tinson of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese. The diocese oversees education in 23 elementary schools and three high schools throughout southern Missouri.

About 12 of the elementary schools and one high school are in Southeast Missouri. Most of those schools are supported directly by the parishes they serve.

"There's a lot of parental support," Beussink said. "You have a lot in the public school but not everyone supports it. The parents go the extra mile since they pay tuition."

Many parents offer to help with school activities and as classroom volunteers, she said.

Notre Dame High School is seeking volunteers to help fund a building project for a new high school near Route K and Hitt Road west of Cape Girardeau.

Enrollment has increased so much at the school during the last five years that it is outgrowing its present building at 1912 Ritter. The school is still in the fund-raising stages but plans to start construction next spring.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Population trends show increasing numbers of students at elementary and preschool age levels. In Southeast Missouri, most Catholic schools have seen increased enrollments.

-- In 1995-96, there were 82,50 Catholic schools. More than 6,900 were elementary schools and more than 1,220 were high schools.

-- There are 23 Catholic elementary schools and three high schools in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese. The Diocese covers most of southern Missouri from Joplin to Campbell.

-- More than 16,000 new students enrolled in Catholic schools last year. Total Catholic school enrollment for 1996-96 was 2,635,218.

-- Pupil teacher ratios for Catholic schools in 1995-96 was 17:1 in elementary schools and 13:1 in high school classes.

--More than 13 percent of the Catholic school enrollments for 1995-96 were non-Catholic students. Almost 24 percent of the total enrollment are minority students.

Source: National Catholic Educational Association.

Where are they located?

Many of the parishes in Southeast Missouri support a Catholic elementary school.

Benton

St. Denis Grade School

Cape Girardeau

St. Vincent de Paul Grade School

St. Mary's Grade School

Notre Dame High School

Chaffee

St. Ambrose Grade School

Charleston

St. Henry's School Grade School

Glennonville/Dunklin County

St. Teresa Grade School

Jackson

Immaculate Conception Grade School

Kelso

St. Augustine Grade School

New Madrid

Immaculate Conception School

Oran

Guardian Angel Grade School

Poplar Bluff

Sacred Heart Grade School

Scott City

St. Joseph Grade School

Sikeston

St. Francis Xavier Grade School