Catholic bishops see 'substantial' progress on parochial aid, minority help sought.

According to a new report, the U.S. Catholic bishops have made "substantial" progress on their aggressive plan to win tax support for parochial schools, and they intend to reach out to Jews, Muslims and African-Americans for help on the project.

In 1990 the U.S. Catholic Conference, the bishops' public policy arm, directed its committee on education to implement a "strategic plan" on Roman Catholic schools with a report on the plan's progress to be presented during the bishops' November 1997 meeting.

The report was unveiled at the bishops' annual gathering in Washington two months ago. Not surprisingly, much of it deals with the issue of tax funding of parochial schools.

Employing standard euphemisms for parochial school aid, the report notes that "substantial but still insufficient progress has been made in the public policy arena on the issues of justice and parental rights in education." The report applauds voucher experiments taking place in a few places around the country but goes on to demand government support for "all children whether their parents choose a government, private or religiously sponsored school."

In addition to an update, the report urges new action to win tax aid. Specific recommendations include monitoring federal "choice" legislation in Congress, seeking changes in the tax code to"benefit parents interested in Catholic schools" and making full use of available federal and state tax aid for Catholic schools.

The report recommends improving communications between the USCC and state Catholic conferences and local dioceses to advance lobbying efforts. National and state Catholic school parents' groups organized by file bishops to lobby for tax aid must be expanded.

The USCC also plans to reach out to religious and racial minorities who have historically supported public schools and opposed voucher proposals. The report notes that the USCC has "opened dialogue with Muslim and Orthodox Jewish groups" and calls on the USCC to "pursue approaches that will provide us with inroads into the major minority groups that have not previously supported such efforts [vouchers] - e.g., Congressional Black Caucus, NAACP, Urban League."

Even as they step up their demands for taxpayer subsidies, the bishops have made it clear that they have no intention of reducing the sectarian character of Catholic schools. If anything, the bishops are determined to make the schools even more "Catholic."

Stressing the need for "authentically Catholic and high quality schools for the new Millennium," the report calls for "maintaining and strengthening the Catholic identity of those schools, their staff and students?' It notes that a task force has been formed to "integrate the church's social teachings into Catholic education at all levels."

The Catholic bishops operate the nation's largest private school system, with approximately 2.6 million students enrolled. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Catholic schools account for some 51 percent of all students enrolled in private k-12 education. Other religious schools enroll 34 percent, with only 15 percent attending nonsectarian private schools.