Catholic Diocese Prepares for Full-Time, In-Person Schooling

VIRGINIA — The Catholic Diocese of Arlington plans to open all 41 of the schools in its diocese for full-time, in-person learning starting Aug. 23.

The diocese, which has nearly 17,000 students enrolled at its schools, offered full-time, in-person learning and a hybrid approach during the 2020-21 school year.

Enrollment for the 2021-22 school year has increased by more than 6 percent over last year’s enrollment, the diocese said in a news release Thursday. Diocesan schools also have expanded their staff, hiring additional teachers and administrators to support the increased enrollment.

“This year is a particularly exciting time in Catholic education, as we build off of the many innovations and lessons of the past year to reopen safely once again and to continue to pursue new, creative ways of learning for our students,” Dr. Joseph Vorbach, superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, said in a statement.

RELATED: Diocese of Arlington To Hold Job Fair For 150 Teaching Positions

The diocese said it has put in place COVID-19 mitigation plans at the schools, including provisions to scale up or scale down based on local infection rates.

Specific mitigation strategies, which could include the use of face coverings, are being developed at the local level by the school principal in consultation with the parish pastor. A blanket policy across all areas is not practical or appropriate at this time, the diocese said.

Initial plans submitted by the schools indicate many will begin the year with a mask requirement for anyone who enters the school building, including staff, teachers and students.

Saint Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, an initiative of the diocese that supported 150 students last year, will continue to offer students a virtual option. The school is now a smaller virtual schoolhouse that is a part of Queen of Apostles School in Alexandria. Saint Isidore is still accepting applications for the current academic year.

High schools in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington are already preparing for the fall sports season where students will compete in football, cross-country, cheerleading, volleyball and soccer.

The Catholic Diocese of Arlington is home to 70 parishes and more than 460,000 Catholics. There are currently 276 priests serving in the diocese.

The diocese includes the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park and Winchester and the counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, King George, Lancaster, Loudoun, Madison, Northumberland, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren and Westmoreland.