As public school enrollment continues to decline across the country, classical Christian schools in the dark blue city of San Francisco are coming under scrutiny, according to a new report.
The San Francisco Standard has been documenting this growth as three religious schools have opened in the Bay Area over the past five years to provide students with a classical, liberal arts education.
Donum Dei Classical Academy, which offers a Bible-based curriculum for students in grades K-8, may seem out of place in the Bernal Heights community “embellished with rainbow pride flags,” but its influence is growing.
The small school has reportedly added 25 students since it opened in 2019, and donations have jumped from $45,692 that year to $773,319 in 2023.
Nearly 70% of Biden administration’s education enforcement targets Christian and vocational colleges, new report shows
Classical Christian schools are increasingly appearing in San Francisco. (Reuters)
Donum Dei joins the ranks of other classical Christian schools in the city, including Nativity High School, a private Catholic school that opened in Inner Richmond this fall with 20 students; and St. John’s San Francisco Orthodox Academy, a private Catholic school in Inner Richmond K-8 school in Richmond with 25 students.” The Standard reports that the Richmond school opened in 1994; Stella Maris School, a former Catholic school on the same campus as Nativity, has doubled its student population to 86 students since a complete overhaul in 2021 student.
Parents seeking a curriculum that incorporates “tradition, faith and conservative values” are attracted to these schools, staff told the newspaper.
Marilyn Bridon, an art teacher at Stella Maris School, explained that their school may look different than many public schools because “woke” books are often removed from school libraries, and preferred “pronouns” will not be discussed.
An administrator and teacher at St. John’s Orthodox Academy in San Francisco, another classical school, explained that parents say they don’t want their children’s education to be “too left-leaning.”
What weary San Franciscans are saying after voters refuse to ‘shackle’ the progressive left
Parents seeking a faith-based classical education for their children are increasingly turning to classical Christian schools in San Francisco, according to a new report. (iStock)
“Many people in our community have expressed that it’s important to them that we don’t go too far, too left,” Helen Sinelnikov-Novak said in the report. “I Not to preach to parents, but I hear them and this is what they are looking for.”
The classical education movement has gained momentum as parents seek alternatives to public schools. According to the Association of Classical Christian Schools, as of 2023, 502 schools in the United States have joined the organization.
While more such schools are opening across the country, public school enrollment has declined in America’s most populous cities, according to a recent report.
According to a report released by the Department of Education in June, public school enrollment nationwide fell by 2% from 49.9 million to 48.8 million between 2013 and 2022, reaching the lowest point in decades. manhattan college.
Click here to get the Fox News app
Fox News’ Kendall Teets contributed to this report.
