By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT —Enrollment numbers at Catholic schools in the Diocese of Davenport continue to rise. The state’s Education Saving Accounts (ESA), signed into law by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in 2023, sets aside money for students to use for tuition and fees at accredited private schools in the state. If there is leftover money, those funds can be used for approved education expenses.
Overall enrollment for preschool through senior year in high school was up 252 students compared to last school year.
“One of the biggest things we saw when ESAs began was that families that had been at John F. Kennedy Catholic School for preschool or kindergarten but then left for financial reasons were able to return to a school they loved. ESAs made school choice a reality for them,” said Chad Steimle, principal at John F. Kennedy Catholic School in Davenport.
This school year saw an increase of 49 students on top of the addition 44 from the year before. Due to the high demand for kindergarten at JFK for 2025-26, “we were able to be creative with our spaces and accommodate a third section of kindergartners. Without that option, we would have had to turn away 18-25 kindergarten students. Now, we cannot have both three sections of 1st graders and three sections of kindergartners next year, but we will be able to accommodate one cohort of three sections moving through JFK until they graduate from eighth grade.”
Evangelization has also increased. “We have had more families and students join the Catholic faith as a result of being able to attend JFK than in prior years,” Steimle said.
“A Catholic school education has always been a highly valued option. ESAs are now making it available for even more families. People recognize that, like our slogan says, there is a difference in education. Catholic schools offer a faith-filled education: ‘Faith in Christ, Faith in the Whole Person, Faith in Oneself, Faith in One Another, Faith in Community,’” Steimle said.
“It is no doubt the opportunity provided by the ESA for Iowa families has been a game changer,” said Bridget Murphy, principal at Assumption High School in Davenport. Her school saw an increase of 55 students this year and had an additional 26 the year before.
“Since ESA, Assumption has seen a higher percentage of our feeder schools making the choice to stay in Catholic school through high school.”
In some cases, she believes, some lower- to middle-income families were “intimidated by the nearness of college educational expenses and made the decision to leave Catholic school during high school to offer time to save for college. Now, having the option to continue in Catholic school under the support of the ESA, more of those families are choosing to do so.”
Another factor in the increase is transfers from other schools.
“There are many valid reasons as to why families select a school,” Murphy said. “With all of this, we are called to actively respond in ways that best honor the Catholic mission at our center. We work to provide a quality experience on all fronts, but there is a highest priority with what we do. We must embrace the opportunity to evangelize both within our Church and to those who are new and exploring our schools. Throughout this time at Assumption, we have continually witnessed God’s desire to be present within our school, our community, our students and their families. We are now in the midst of a significant expansion to our school chapel, just sent off a 2025 Assumption graduate to seminary, and had an amazing experience with over 50 of our students at the SEEK conference earlier this month.”
“A school culture built on the principles of our Catholic faith is the best roadmap we can have as school leaders. It is a difficult world, and we are a work in progress, but God is truly working for good in our schools. We are simply doing our best to let him lead the way. Once families are engaged in this community, they are often compelled to share the positives with others who may be searching,” Murphy said.
Glenn Plummer, principal at Regina Junior/Senior High School in Iowa City, said the increase at his building the past three years is largely from students moving up from the elementary to junior/senior high – even before ESAs started. This year there are 31 more students in grades 7-12 compared to last year.
“Regina offers a faith-based education where students can attend school on the same campus from preschool through high school. Our students benefit from the relationships that are built in a smaller school and the safety and support that comes from that, while having the many opportunities that come from being in a university town. Our students excel in academics, the arts and athletics,” he noted.
Sharon Roling, principal at St. Joseph Catholic School in DeWitt, said ESAs “had an instrumental part in bringing additional families to the school. Generally we have one or two families each year who are new to the DeWitt community.” ESA has expanded access to Catholic families who may not have previously consideration sending their students to St. Joseph due to finances.
Roling added, “Our growth has been supported by many factors, including our strong integration of faith throughout the school day and our commitment to academic excellence. We are also fortunate to have dedicated teachers and staff who are deeply committed to education and who genuinely care for every student.”
“There are many valid reasons as to why families select a school,” Murphy said. “With all of this, we are called to actively respond in ways that best honor the Catholic mission at our center. We work to provide a quality experience on all fronts, but there is a highest priority with what we do. We must embrace the opportunity to evangelize both within our Church and to those who are new and exploring our schools. Throughout this time at Assumption, we have continually witnessed God’s desire to be present within our school, our community, our students and their families. We are now in the midst of a significant expansion to our school chapel, just sent off a 2025 Assumption graduate to seminary, and had an amazing experience with over 50 of our students at the SEEK conference earlier this month.”
“A school culture built on the principles of our Catholic faith is the best roadmap we can have as school leaders. It is a difficult world, and we are a work in progress, but God is truly working for good in our schools. We are simply doing our best to let him lead the way. Once families are engaged in this community, they are often compelled to share the positives with others who may be searching,” Murphy said.
Glenn Plummer, principal at Regina Junior/Senior High School in Iowa City, said the increase at his building the past three years is largely from students moving up from the elementary to junior/senior high — even before ESAs started. This year there are 31 more students in grades 7-12 compared to last year.
“Regina offers a faith-based education where students can attend school on the same campus from preschool through high school. Our students benefit from the relationships that are built in a smaller school and the safety and support that comes from that, while having the many opportunities that come from being in a university town. Our students excel in academics, the arts and athletics,” he noted.
Sharon Roling, principal at St. Joseph Catholic School in DeWitt, said ESAs “had an instrumental part in bringing additional families to the school. Generally we have one or two families each year who are new to the DeWitt community.” ESA has expanded access to Catholic families who may not have previously considered sending their students to St. Joseph due to finances.
Roling added, “Our growth has been supported by many factors, including our strong integration of faith throughout the school day and our commitment to academic excellence. We are also fortunate to have dedicated teachers and staff who are deeply committed to education and who genuinely care for every student.”
