The school, which now has 67 students, expanded its facility in 1999 to keep up with the growth, said Meyer, who also teaches seventh and eighth grades. Catholic schools in the region are experiencing enrollment increases, though not at the same rate as Lutheran schools in the Lake Country area. But Bryan Van Deun, president of Catholic Memorial High School, said enrollment there has held steady at about 980 students. It peaked 10 year ago at more than 1,000 students. Part of the reason is enrollments at Waukesha, New Berlin and Elmbrook school districts, from which Catholic Memorial draws about half of its students, have not increased significantly, Van Deun said.
Religious faith is at the heart of education at parochial schools.
Julie Beres, who has three children at St. John Vianney, said she and her husband chose the school because morals, values and faith would be a part of their children's education. Terry said many parents feel that way. Meyer, the principal at Zion Lutheran, echoed those sentiments. They complement one another. At both the Lutheran and Catholic schools, students are immersed in a Christian culture, administrators said.