Catholic Schools

Maryland's bishops have called the state's Catholic schools an "An Outstanding Apostolate of Hope" and invited all Catholics to support initiatives like the BOAST Maryland Tax Credit that will benefit Catholic school families.

Maryland's Catholic schools have served the state for two centuries. They educate 55,000 students annually and, together with other nonpublic schools, save taxpayers $1.5 billion each year in per-pupil public school costs. About 29% of Maryland Catholic school students are minorities and 22% are not Catholic. They do, however, face difficulties. Enrollment in Catholic schools statewide declined by 12% between the 2004-2005 and 2009-2010 school years.

The table below highlights the savings provided by Maryland's Catholic schools in the 2009-2010 school year alone. The savings are calculated by multiplying enrollment by the state's average per-pupil expenditure in public schools. The most recent figure of per-pupil expenditure in public schools was $12,508 from the 2007-2008 school year, meaning that the actual savings are almost certainly greater than the estimate below.