Catholic schools have undergone dramatic changes in the last fifteen years. However, they still remain, for the most part, tied to traditional parish structures. Such an arrangement keeps the pastor as the most influential person in the overall structure of parish school management. In such a leadership position, he can maintain the parish school or begin a process for closing it. This position remains solidly established in Canon Law, tradition and Civil Law.
The major purpose of this study was to identify and to compare the perceptions of pastors and pastors-to-be in the Archdiocese of Boston concerning the (1) value, (2) effectiveness, (3) financial viability, and (4) future structure of Catholic schools.
Data for this study were generated from completed questionnaires returned by 72% of the total sample of diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Statistical Analysis included frequency distribution analysis of each item. After examining the distribution of the variables, the data were further analyzed by means of cross tabulation. A chi-square treatment was applied to test the statistical significance between the observed and expected frequencies. The minimal level of significance was set at .05.
The study concluded that a sizable minority of priests do not agree with the value that the American Bishops have placed on Catholic schools today in the mission of the Church in their pastoral statements, To Teach As Jesus Did (1972) and Teach Them (1976). While there was substantial agreement from priests on the value of Catholic schools in terms of general need in the mission of the Church, there was less substantial agreement on the value of Catholic schools in terms of specific needs in the mission of the Church today, namely, evangelization, integration, and education for justice. Priests did perceive that Catholic elementary and secondary schools in their area were better than the public elementary and secondary schools, and were also more effective in training young Catholics than the CCD programs. They were hesitant, however, in affirming the lay teachers' contribution to the quality of the educational programs in Catholic schools.
Length of time ordained, as well as years of service in a parish with a school, had a positive impact on priests' perception of the value and effectiveness of Catholic schools. The greatest degree of disagreement and indecision on the value and effectiveness of Catholic schools was given by the priests ordained 11 to 20 years.
Although priests indicated a reluctance to close Catholic schools, or to support the establishment of new Catholic schools, they perceived the present Catholic schools as using a disproportionate amount of parish revenue. While mixed perceptions surround the alternatives dealing with the future structure for Catholic schools, priests strongly supported the concept of regionalization with surrounding parishes bearing some responsibility for the financial support.
Lastly, and perhaps most important for the future structure of parish school management, the priest respondents strongly agreed that the primary role of the pastor, in relationship to the school, should be that of spiritual leader while they barely agreed that the single most influential person in the structure of parish school management in the Archdiocese of Boston is the pastor.
