Dec 18, 2020, 4:21 PM
(From The Washington Post) The Supreme Court on Thursday turned down a request from a Christian school in Kentucky and the state’s attorney general to allow in-person classes at faith-based schools, stressing that most schools in Kentucky will close for the winter holidays on Friday, Dec. 18, and are slated to reopen on Jan. 4. The request came from Danville Christian Academy, a private K-12 school near Lexington, and Kentucky. They challenged a Nov. 18 order in which the state’s Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Kentucky, banned in-person classes through the end of the calendar year. The court’s brief, unsigned ruling stressed that the order would not be in place much longer. However, the justices left open the possibility that the school could return to seek relief again if the state’s governor issues a new school-closing order after the holidays. Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented from the four-paragraph ruling.
(From The 74 Million) Despite reports from some Catholic archdiocese schools of increased enrollment since September, the overall picture of parochial school financial sustainability is less optimistic, according to Dale McDonald, director of public policy at the National Catholic Educational Association. Nationally, there has already been a 6 percent enrollment drop for Catholic schools. Adding to their enrollment fears, social distancing guidelines have forced some schools to limit their class sizes, regardless of surges in student interest. Plus, with fewer churches are holding in-person masses, revenue-strapped parochial schools have had to cut back on scholarships and financial aid for families, according to McDonald. On the other side of that equation, Catholic schools are aware of where their competitive edge lies and how essential in-person learning is to their survival.
(From EdSurge) College and university enrollments declined 2.5% overall in fall 2020, nearly twice the rate of enrollment decline reported in fall 2019, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. That translates to nearly half a million fewer students attending college than in fall 2019. Enrollment varied by institution type. Private nonprofit four-year schools recorded a decrease of 1.4%, while private, for-profit colleges actually increased enrollments by 5.3%, or about 35,000 students, over last year. Experts said these institutions may have been well-positioned for the pandemic since many already offered fully online courses.
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