# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S344 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 344 PARISH EDUCATION AND SERVICES and secondary schools. The difficulties experienced by the schools from time to time during their history have led to reexamination followed by renewed appre- ciation and improved schools. This was true during the language crisis in the early 20th century, the legis- lative battles in the 1920s, the depression of the 1930s, and during World War II. It will likely be true today, when school costs cause deep concern. The Synod has consistently shown its concern for the schools. In 1947 it set an enrollment goal of 50 per- cent of its school-age children (Proceedings. p. 312, Resolution 3). In 1965 it passed a detailed resolution pointing toward maintaining and improving school quality (Proceedings. pp. 152—53, Resolution 7-01). In 1965 it asked school-supporting congregations to tailor their educational programs for community service (Proceedings, p.159, Resolution 7-14). The Synod ex- amined the question of aid to nonpublic schools and in 1965 declared federal aid acceptable for children at- tending nonpublic schools (Proceedings. pp. 153—54, Resolution 7-03). In the spirit of these and other resolu- tions the Board of Parish Education has promoted Lutheran elementary and secondary schools. a. Issues Confronting the Schools 1) Attachment to the School. Lutheran schools have changed in many ways since their inception—in lan- guage, cultural outlook, curriculum. The emphasis on thorough teaching of the Word of God and on Christian nurture has remained constant. Schools have adapted to changing conditions without surrendering their basic purpose. The psychological and theological attachment to the school must remain strong and constant if quality schools are to continue. In today’s climate of rapid change, a strong and constant attachment is not always discernible in the church. The determination to main- tain schools is not in all cases strong enough to cope with the issues confronting them. Acceptance of the Mission Affirmations and their implications and rededi- cation to the teaching function of the church can bring renewed interest and participation to the church’s work, including the schools. 2) Enrollments. Lutheran high school enrollments have been rising gradually. Twenty-five Lutheran high schools enrolled 12,018 students in September 1968. This was an increase of 3,742 since 1958. Elementary enrollments increased annually from 1943 to 1965, climbing from a low of 66,470 to an all-time high of 161,357. Since 1966 each year has shown a slight decline, as indicated in the table. Year Number of Schools Enrollment 1965 1,374 161,357 1966 1,339 159,564 1967 1,326 158,431 1968 __s«ad2‘ 281 155,568 The enrollment decline of 5,789 (3.6 percent) over a 3-year period is due in part, but not wholly, to a de- clining birth rate which since the high point in 1957 had dropped 16.4 percent by 1967. The loss of 93 schools during the same 3-year period is partly explained by the closing of some separate kin- dergartens and by a trend toward interparish schools. A total of 58 interparish schools were in operation during the 1968—69 school year. Most schools that closed were small schools, with a few exceptions. 3) School Costs. Education costs are rising rapidly in all schools, public and private. When congregational contributions do not keep pace with expenditures, school quality is easily affected adversely. Congregations pressed for funds have dealt with costs in various ways. Some have closed their school. This can be regarded as a proper solution in rare cases. One of the promising signs is that, increasingly, congregations make thorough studies of their schools. These studies cover objectives, curriculum, size of classes and staff, enrollment projec- tion, school admission policy, financing, and congrega- tional stewardship. Studies which go to the heart of the matter frequently stimulate new appreciation of the school and a new determination to maintain a quality school. A positive school spirit affects school finances favorably. 4) Public Aid. Public aid for church-related schools has been the subject of synodical resolutions since 1944. Earlier resolutions were on state aid, since 1965 on federal aid. The Synod has said that such aid is accept- able so long as it does not interfere with the distinctive purposes of the schools. Publie aid for church-related schools is still minimal. Believing that the public service which Lutheran schools perform entitles them to such aid, an increasing number of people favor an aggressive approach toward getting more federal and state aid. More details are provided on this subject in a separate report. The issue is whether the Synod and its Districts should more aggressively seek public aid and urge its Districts to do likewise. If the Synod so decides, church leaders must also be involved in safeguarding the dis- tinctiveness of Lutheran schools. Other church-related schools face similar questions. A related issue for the Synod will be whether or not to join with these schools in presenting a united front to legislators and public officials. b. How the Board of Parish Education Has Dealt with the Issues An editorial writer chiefly concerned with trans- mitting dogma from one generation to another contem- plated the future of Lutheran schools (Cresset, December 1968). His conclusion was: “Before we let the system {of schools] collapse, we had better decide what we propose to put in its place.”’ The Board of Parish Education attempts to deal realistically with issues confronting the schools. The fundamental issue is the apparently decreasing psycho- logical and theological attachment to the school. This issue faces not only the Board of Parish Education but the Synod, its officials and its seminaries and colleges. The church must deal with problems of secular human-