Washington D.C., Jun 13, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Washington’s Catholic schools are growing as the result of a new federal voucher program that provides low-income students with grants that they can use toward tuition at private or faith-based schools.
The program, currently running in the District of Columbia, gives parents the choice to enroll their children in schools other than their local failing public schools.
The program has been a boon for more than a dozen of Washington’s Catholic elementary schools, which were slated for closure after three decades of decline, reported the Washington Post.
Of the 983 students in the voucher program, 61 percent have reportedly enrolled in Catholic schools. The percentage is expected to remain the same when the program expands to 1,600 students in September.