Many parents are thoughtfully choosing alternative forms of education for their children.

From The Washington Stand. Schools rooted in a biblical worldview are seeing increased enrollment in the Old Dominion, while public schools are faltering. According to a recent report, Catholic schools in northern Virginia have seen a 10% increase in enrollment since 2019. The Catholic diocese of Arlington covers the entirety of northern Virginia, including Loudoun County, which has been at the heart of the controversy over gender ideology in schools. The diocese is home to 50 schools, ranging from pre-K through high school. Collectively these schools have 18,488 students this year, a jump of nearly 2,000 since the fall of 2019.

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Arlington’s bishop Michael Burbidge told The Washington Stand, “One reason for this change is parents value the underlying philosophy of Catholic education, that parents are the first and primary educators of their children and that schoolteachers and administrators are there to support them in that journey.” He continued, “[P]arents recognize that young people hear so many untruths and falsehoods in our world today. Thus, they look to enroll their children in schools that, in addition to excellence in education, assist them with the spiritual formation of their children, and teach them the Truth in love.”

Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow for Education Studies at Family Research Council, further pointed to school closures as a key issue for parents. “Catholic schools were among the first to reopen for in person learning,” she told The Washington Stand. …

“The debate over gender identity in Loudoun County added insult and very real injury,” she added. “The Arlington Diocese has been faithful to [the Catholic Church’s] teachings on sex and gender, so parents feel their children will be safe from queer theory indoctrination in addition to knowing the schools can be relied on.”

Since 2020, the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) board has been a hotbed of controversy surrounding gender ideology policies in schools. Leesburg Elementary School gym teacher Tanner Cross was suspended in 2020 after citing his Christian faith and complaining to the school board of a policy requiring teachers to refer to students by “preferred” pronouns differing from students’ biological sexes. …

The LCPS board also ordered teachers to keep students’ gender transitions and “preferred” pronouns a secret from students’ parents and stocked school library shelves with LGBT propaganda and pornographic materials. …

Catholic schools aren’t the only evidence of this trend: other biblically-rooted schools in the area have also seen increased interest and enrollment. Cornerstone Christian Academy in Middleburg, Virginia opened its doors on Tuesday, welcoming 545 K-8 students, with plans to add high school grades every year, according to Cornerstone Chapel Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick. …

The increased enrollment in faith-based schools comes as nearby public schools see decreased enrollment. Between fall of 2019 and spring of 2023, enrollment in Fairfax County Public Schools, the largest school district in the state, dropped by nearly 10,000 students.

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(Excerpt from The Washington Stand. Photo Credit: Monkey Business Images/Canva)