Diocese of San Diego bans homeschooling groups on parish grounds

A new policy from the Diocese of San Diego prohibits homeschooling groups from using regional parish facilities, but allows parishes to rent space to non-Catholic schools in individual cases.

Some homeschooling cooperatives in the diocese were reportedly notified of the measure until a few days before weekly classes were to begin, and one group was forced to immediately find another location to accommodate weekly classes for at least 40 children.

The Diocese of San Diego has not responded to The pillarDiocese sources, in response to questions from the diocese about the move, say it comes against a backdrop of an increase in home schooling in the region and tensions within the Diocese of San Diego over the phenomenon.

A memo sent to parish and school administrators last week stated: “The use of parish facilities by charter schools, homeschooling, or private school programs is prohibited because such use could undermine the stability of surrounding Catholic schools and mislead people into believing that the Church endorses and promotes certain alternative schools and programs.”

The directive – which is dated September 1 but reportedly was not distributed until September 18 – states: “The purpose of parish institutions is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to serve the needs of the Catholic community. This includes the teaching mission of the Church.”

“Parish-run schools and religious education programs are the primary means by which the Church fulfills its educational mission for children and young people,” the text continues.

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Sources in the Diocese of San Diego reported The pillar that the memo comes amid tensions in the region, particularly given the increasing number of homeschooled students in the area.

The number of homeschoolers across California grew 78% between 2017 and 2023, making the state one of the fastest-growing homeschooling regions in the country. In the San Diego Unified School District, homeschooling has grown even faster since 2017—by nearly 130%, from 420 students this year to 961 in 2023.

The number of private schools in the region has also increased: In 2022, 14.8% of students in the greater San Diego area attended a private school, up from 10.7% in 2019.

But even though many Catholic schools in the area are at capacity and home schooling does not pose a major threat to their viability, the increase in home schooling is reportedly posing challenges for some San Diego parishes and some diocesan officials.

According to a source familiar with the matter – who wished to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak on the record – the tensions stem from a combination of practical problems in parishes and the perception of homeschooling communities among diocesan officials.

One trigger for these problems, the sources said, is that some homeschooling communities have reportedly asked in recent months to be allowed to run their own sacramental preparation initiatives alongside the parishes' normal CCD programs – even though diocesan policy emphasizes that homeschooling families should use the parish's established catechism classes.

“Some people feel – rightly or wrongly – that homeschool parents don't want their children to go to CCD with other children from the community. And that has caused frustration,” said one source The pillar.

“Some churches just don't want to deal with things that aren't up to the norm,” one source explained, “but on the other hand, homeschooling families haven't always been friendly to the church when they have problems. So that's becoming part of the story.”

At the same time, there were sources saying that some representatives of the diocese had little experience with home schooling and that some had doubts about the theological commitment of families who educate their children at home.

“The homeschooling stuff is getting noticed in the office,” said a source The pillar“and not in a good way.”

Diocesan policy announced in 2020 emphasizes that families who homeschool their children are required to participate in parish sacramental preparation activities—including retreats and other gatherings—and that while classes can be provided by families with the permission of a parish priest, children's religious education “cannot be provided independently of the parish.”

“All religious education must be provided in a way that strengthens unity within the Church. No home schooling can be tolerated that does not promote the understanding that being a Christian is not a private matter of individual choice, but rather a personal vocation in the context of the Church, lived out in the experience of the parish,” the 2020 directive states.

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While the new San Diego policy is dated September 1, documents were reviewed by The pillar indicate that the Diocese's Priests' Council was consulted on the issue in mid-September and a memo was sent to priests and school administrators on September 18.

According to several sources close to the Chancellery, the diocese's Priests' Council supported this policy.

The directive also allows the leasing of unused school buildings to “non-Catholic educational programs or schools,” but only “on a case-by-case basis with the authorization of the bishop, always emphasizing that there are no conflicts with Catholic teaching in his mission and that such leasing does not harm neighboring Catholic schools.”

In some U.S. dioceses, long-term leases for closed school buildings—often charter schools—have proven to be a financial relief for struggling parishes.

In San Diego, at least one homeschooling group of about 40 students has begun meeting in a family's dorm for weekly cooperative remedial classes, while others are reportedly continuing to meet in parishes as pastors and administrators seek clarity on when the groups will have to leave the premises – especially those that have formal leases with parishes.

Although no timetable has been set, “these cooperatives will ultimately phase out of parishes,” a San Diego priest wrote in a memo to homeschooling families last week. The pillar.

The Diocese of San Diego did not respond to requests for an interview on this topic.