Hundreds demand "transparency and accountability" from Charlotte Catholic High leaders
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Charlotte Catholic is a longstanding Charlotte institution, dating back to 1955. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Parents of Charlotte Catholic High School students started a petition calling for "transparency and accountability from CCHS administration" following the school's recent accreditation change, fearing it'll weigh on the school's competitiveness.
Why it matters: Charlotte Catholic is a longstanding Charlotte institution, dating back to 1955. It's among the area's largest private schools with 1,364 students, and enrollment has been growing since the pandemic.
Context: The petition launched on Jan. 7, outlining concerns regarding what parents described as a lack of communication around the accreditation change from Cognia to Lumen, as The Charlotte Ledger first reported.
- As of Thursday afternoon, 1,450 people signed the petition.
- The accreditation change impacts all Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS), not just Charlotte Catholic.
Between the lines: Gregory Monroe, superintendent of Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Schools, sent a letter to families on Jan. 9 responding to the concerns. Charlotte Catholic president Kurt Telford and principal Lori Phillips sent a letter to families on Jan. 12 outlining the change.
- With the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Schools' Cognia contract set to expire in 2024, they began discussions with The Catholic University of America, which launched Lumen in 2021, in the fall of 2023 and started the Lumen evaluation process that December, ultimately transitioning to Lumen July 1, 2024.
- Lumen is "part of an initiative to renew the Catholicity of schools by integrating foundational elements of Church teaching into the strong academic programs that have always been a hallmark of Catholic education," Monroe told families.
Zoom in: Parents voiced concern that Lumen would not carry the same weight as Cognia, a global non-religious accreditation program, thus hurting their child's chance of attending top-tier colleges and universities.
- In recent years, Charlotte Catholic students have been accepted to elite institutions such as Harvard University, Yale University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- 98% of Charlotte Catholic graduates pursue post-secondary education, according to the school's 2024-2025 profile. The school's class of 2024 earned roughly $22.4 million in scholarships.
Yes, but: School leaders say the accreditation change should not affect a student's chances of attending the school of their choice.
By the numbers: Charlotte Catholic tuition is $19,521 for non-participating Catholics and $13,635 for participating Catholics.
- Many North Carolina students receiving opportunity scholarships, also known as vouchers, attend religious schools. Changing accreditation does not impact MACS voucher eligibility, per a MACS spokesperson.
Parents who signed the petition say they're also concerned about curriculum and staff changes at CCHS.
- Charlotte Catholic leaders say they'll continue to offer "a full range of Core, Honors and AP classes," and that ancient history won't be part of the future curriculum as it's covered in middle school, other history courses and a new philosophy course.
- CCHS is also transitioning to a full semester of health and physical education instead of a combined health and wellness course.
- Monroe says Charlotte Catholic's three staff departures were unrelated to the Lumen switch.
Zoom out: The recent petition is the latest issue parents have with local Catholic schools after multiple students were suspended from Charlotte Catholic last fall for bullying.
What we're watching: It's a busy time for the Diocese of Charlotte, which installed a new bishop last May and plans to build a new, larger facility to replace its aging St. Patrick Cathedral in Dilworth.
- Some families are considering sending their children to other private or public schools as a result of the accreditation change, as the Ledger reported. The deadline to apply at many of the area's most prominent private schools was Wednesday, Jan. 15.