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Embracing Change: Six Forces Transforming Catholic Education
William J. Acton, Senior Partner at Advancement Partners
Change is inevitable in Catholic education. The schools embracing these six transformative forces—from AI integration to evolving fundraising realities—will be the ones that thrive in the generations to come.
"The only thing constant is change."
The above quote is attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, circa 500 BC. Yes, it's also attributed to many other famous historical figures, but let's give the award to the oldest guy on record, a wise man who predates Socrates, Descartes and even Mark Twain.
In Catholic education, change should be constant. Too often, however, schools are slow to change. Hey, chalk on a blackboard works just as well as writing on a smart board, but really, how good a school can we be if we still have chalkboards in our classrooms? Yea, that's not a good look in 2026. It's true, sometimes change isn't always for the better – but when it is inevitable, there is no sense in fighting it. Success…progress…means embracing change when required and using it to make our school stronger.
Let's take a look at 6 big changes influencing Catholic high schools today:
1. AI is a growing force. So many educators and parents bemoan the impact of AI, ChatGPT, and all artificial intelligence incursions on traditional educational methods. But…AI is here. It's not going away. Its impact is only going to increase. How schools incorporate it into their programs will define their success, in many ways. It certainly makes teaching writing different!
2. Experiential learning – not "desks in rows" – has become expected. We worked with one school that did a wholesale "swap out" of all their 1975 vintage desks, replacing them with a variety of classroom fixtures and furnishings that better reflect contemporary, "hands on" ways to teach, learn and study. Let's be clear: these furnishings are not inexpensive! But…by replacing floors, lighting and furniture, this school not only greatly improved their student experience, but they also suddenly "looked" like a much more serious, relevant school to prospective students. The kicker to the story: many of the desks they got rid of found their way into another Catholic high school a few towns away, but also, many years behind in their approach to school.
3. What middle school students are looking for in a high school is very different from what they will value once they are in school…and also different from what their parents value in a high school. In marketing to middle schoolers, many Catholic high schools push things like "community" – or "brotherhood" for all-boys' schools, "empowered girls," for all girls' schools. But how is a 13-year-old able to understand "brotherhood?" Now, once they enroll and experience true brotherhood, yea, that's a different story!! But if you cannot understand the concept…if it really isn't all that important in your world, the message is not going to resonate. Honestly, most 13-year-olds just want to go to a school that will welcome them…that wants them…that will give them opportunity. They aren't wired to think about college; they want to play softball or perform with the band or not be picked on. They really don't think about or understand "Catholic faith and values." But if they know an older friend or sibling…and see how that person is thriving in high school, that will influence them.
4. With the above in mind, students, not parents, pick what schools they will attend. I know many parents think they are the primary decision-makers, but anymore, it's the students making the choice – of where to enroll, or to transfer. And transferring in/out of high schools is getting more common. "Parents don't want their kids to be unhappy," I once told a school president when he was bemoaning the retention struggle his school was dealing with. "Even for a minute," was his response to me. And he's right. Back in the day, when kids came home moaning about their school, they were advised to "tough it out." But that was then.
5. The traditional enrollment years for schools are starting to blur. The four entry points were, typically (a) preschool, (b) elementary, (c) middle and (d) high school. Clearly defined and understood. Parents would choose a path when their child was in preschool, possibly considering a change at middle school and/or high school. But now, there are no clearly defined "terms of engagement." Children enroll and transfer into a school in any possible year. It is not unusual for students to move high schools at any time. It is not unusual for 2 or more high school-aged students from the same family to be enrolled in different schools. There is flux, movement.
6. $10, $25 and even $50 can't really be called "gifts" anymore...and ye olde fundraising activities simply can't help the way they used to. The standard Catholic school fundraising ventures – events, booster clubs, raffles, etc. – can't really push our missions forward, pay our teachers more, establish more scholarships, modernize facilities. Plus, these activities create competition within our own school fundraising efforts – the booster club competing with the annual fund for parent giving, for example. Additionally, smaller gifts to the annual fund can't have the same impact on our operating costs as they did 5 or 10 years ago. If the gap between what we charge a full-tuition payer and what it truly costs to teach each student is $2,000, for example…and we multiply that by our enrollment of 500 students…and we add in that 200 of those students are paying a reduced tuition (and hence, creating a bigger-than-$2,000 gap)…we would need our annual fund to bring in $1.2 million just to break even. Thousands of $25 gifts aren't gonna make much of a dent in that need. And in an era where it costs $15 to purchase a takeout lunch, can we really call a $10 annual donation to our school a "gift"?
"Change is inevitable; growth is optional," or so writes noted author on leadership, John C. Maxwell. No truer words have been spoken about the state of Catholic education today. The schools embracing change where they can, preparing for it when they should, are the schools that will continue to thrive in the generations to come.
Posted on: January 21, 2026