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Catholic school enrollment in Florida is on the rise for the fourth consecutive year, with education officials crediting the state’s universal school choice program as the key driver behind the trend.
According to a new “Catholic School Update Brief,” released by Florida Catholic Conference and Step Up for Students, enrollment in Florida’s Catholic schools increased by 2.3% for the 2024-2025 school year.
The growth stands in stark contrast to national figures, which show a 13.2% decline in Catholic school enrollment nationwide — including a staggering 31% drop in New York. By comparison, Florida has seen a 12.1% increase over the past decade.
“The Florida story should give us all reason to cheer,” the report stated, pointing to strong academic outcomes on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and increased access for working-class families. “For generations, Catholic schools have uplifted families from all walks of life, including working-class families, often whether those families were Catholic or not.”
The report attributes the enrollment boom to HB 1, Florida’s 2023 school choice law that extended taxpayer-funded scholarships to every student in the state. New campuses also opened this year in the Florida Keys, Orlando, and the Panhandle, even as dioceses in other states close campuses due to declining enrollment.
The report cites a 2023 article, “Why Catholic Schools in Florida Are Growing: 5 Things to Know,” which described school choice as “one of the keys to Catholic school success in Florida.”
“Florida’s steadily expanding school choice programs have allowed steadily growing numbers of parents to access them… [and] are helping to drive that growth and diversity,” the article stated.
Now, federal lawmakers are considering a nationwide expansion of the model in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which narrowly passed the House last month. If passed in the Senate, the legislation would expand education scholarship accounts and provide tax credits for families who opt for private, religious, or homeschooling options.
Other Republican-led states are already following Florida’s lead. Just last month, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a sweeping school choice bill, making Texas the 16th state to pass universal school choice in the past four years.
“Florida, though, may see competition in the comeback department soon,” wrote Step Up for Students’ Ron Matus in a June 3 article. “Across America, there are more glimmers of hope for Catholic schools.”
