Every few years in most Roman Catholic school systems, a drop in enrollment leads to school closings. However, these school closings are becoming more frequent and one must wonder, is this the end of private Catholic schools?

Catholic schools became popular in the mid 1800’s when Catholic immigrants came to America but wanted their children to uphold their traditional religious beliefs.

Many parents still choose to send their children to Catholic school because of the strict, rigorous teaching, and the character-building associated with these acts.

However, more and more parents are deciding not to send their children to these prestigious schools and instead opting for the public school route.

There are many reasons for the sudden closing of Catholic schools. From a shortage of priests and nuns, to rising tuition prices in an economic decline, the enrollment numbers are deteriorating.

Enrollment has been so bad in Catholic schools, it has been cut in half from its highest number of five million 40 years ago.

While most of the Catholic educational institutions closing are elementary schools, one cannot help but wonder if Catholic universities will soon be inflicted by this same plague.

As the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J. noted in his Jan. 20 Presidential Update, Creighton is currently down in applications from last year. However, we did have a record number of applicants last year, but the dip is still concerning.

When the school begins to get smaller, tuition fees must rise to pay costs. Especially in a time where the economic downfall has made such a large impact, parents and students cannot afford the expensive tuition that private universities require.

As mentioned before, parents send their children to Catholic schools because of the strict teaching and strong morals put into a private education, but it is not only the parents that enjoy the private learning experience.

Some students also appreciate the private school atmosphere. There is a smaller teacher-student ratio, few large lecture halls, and the students are known by name, not number.

More students build stronger relationships develop in and outside of the classroom as well as a sense of community.

However, when the rise in tuition is combined with a draining economy, public schools become the back-up plan for many who can no longer afford the expensive tuition of a private university.

If the schools decide to decrease their tuition, more students need to be accepted into the school to make up for the lost money.

With more students, we lose our community feel, begin shoving students into lecture halls, and professors no longer remember names.

If this is the kind of education a person is receiving, there is no difference between the private school and the public.

Although there has been no evidence that Creighton will consider closing its doors, with the onset of thousands of Catholic schools across the nation closing, this economic downturn had definitely turned heads.

As a student body, we must remember the reasons we came to Creighton and how these reasons outweigh those of rising tuition prices. Although money is tight in our country’s current state, our education and close-knit community is worth the large expense.