USCCB's education director reflects on Catholic school landscape as school year begins

August 17, 2026 - 21:01

As classrooms across the country prepare to reopen, the man in charge of Catholic education policy for the U.S. bishops is taking stock of a sector that has changed a lot in the past few years. John DeJak, who leads the Secretariat of Catholic Education for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, sat down for a wide-ranging conversation about what the coming school year looks like for Catholic schools, from enrollment trends to the role of faith in a polarized culture.

DeJak pointed to several bright spots, including steady or growing enrollment in many dioceses, especially in the South and West. He credited the pandemic-era push for school choice programs, which have expanded in states like Arizona, Florida, and Indiana, for giving more families the financial ability to pick a Catholic school. But he also acknowledged the strain: rising tuition costs, aging buildings, and a persistent shortage of teachers, particularly in STEM fields and special education.

The bigger challenge, he said, is not just keeping doors open but keeping the mission clear. Catholic schools are not simply private academies with a religion class tacked on. They exist to form the whole person, he argued, and that means integrating faith into every subject and every interaction. In an age of deep division, he sees Catholic schools as places where students can learn to disagree with respect, grounded in a shared belief in human dignity.

DeJak also touched on the changing demographics of Catholic school families. More than a third of students in Catholic schools today are not Catholic, a number that has been climbing for years. That opens a door for evangelization, he said, but it also requires schools to be intentional about how they present the faith to families who may know little about it. He stressed that parents choose Catholic schools for many reasons, including academics and safety, but the school's job is to offer something more.

Looking ahead, DeJak said the bishops are focused on supporting teachers and principals, who carry the weight of the mission every day. He mentioned new resources for catechesis and ongoing efforts to make Catholic schools more affordable and accessible to poor and working-class families. The goal, he said, is not just to sustain the system but to help it thrive as a genuine alternative to the cultural currents of the moment.

The interview comes at a time when public confidence in institutions is low, but DeJak remains hopeful. He said he sees a generation of young Catholics who are serious about their faith and eager to live it out. The task for Catholic schools, he said, is to meet them where they are and challenge them to go deeper.