More Catholic schools in the Chicago area are shutting their doors even as Republican candidates for Illinois governor ramp up calls for school choice policies. The Archdiocese recently announced that four Catholic schools in the city—Our Lady of Humility in Beach Park, St. Hubert in Hoffman Estates, Sts. Bruno and Richard in Chicago, and St. Francis Borgia in Chicago—will close at the end of the school year. These closures follow earlier announcements that St. Jerome and St. Stanislaus Kostka would also shut down, adding to a broader trend of Catholic school losses statewide.
Republican gubernatorial hopefuls have seized on the situation to renew calls for expanded school choice. At a forum in East Dundee last week, candidate Rick Heidner touted school choice vouchers as a way for families to secure strong educational options, saying that for $15,000 in the private sector, parents could “get your child educated incredibly.”
Former GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey also weighed in, arguing that private schools have the flexibility to accelerate student learning in ways public schools do not, and suggesting that money, not effort, is the obstacle for public systems. Illinois public schools currently spend more than $20,000 per student in taxpayer funds, a figure that critics say underscores the need for greater accountability and choice.
The pressure for school choice comes as Illinois dropped in the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Index of State Education Freedom, falling from 38th to 44th overall. The state received low marks for student‑centered funding programs and open enrollment options.
Supporters of stronger academic standards also point to other states for contrast. Former Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski noted that Florida, which leads many education rankings, does not allow students to move into fourth grade without demonstrating grade‑level reading in third grade. Dabrowski and others argue that raising expectations, not lowering them, should be a priority.
Concerns about academic performance are particularly acute in some communities. Illinois recently lowered its state proficiency benchmarks in reading and math, and local leaders point to troubling literacy statistics among young students as evidence that more needs to be done.
DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, who has advocated for school choice and homeschooling, criticized the public school system’s ability to deliver basic skills such as literacy, noting that many individuals can earn a high school equivalency diploma through adult education programs in far less time than traditional schooling.
Church leaders from closing schools also pointed to the expiration of government scholarship support as a factor in the closures. The Illinois Invest in Kids scholarship tax credit program, which helped fund scholarships to private and parochial schools, was allowed to expire on December 31, 2023. Previous closures—including St. Matthews in Glendale Heights and several others around the state—were attributed in part to funding shortfalls tied to the program’s sunset.
Nationally, Catholic school enrollment and the number of schools have declined over the past decade, reflecting broader demographic and economic pressures facing faith‑based education.
