‘We are in growth mode’
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Joanna Valdes was holding her baby boy when she recently said she wants him to be a student at a private Catholic school in southeastern Miami-Dade County.
Valdes was among the parents who met Jim Rigg, the superintendent of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami Schools, during a recent open house.
“I had it growing up, and I think it’s really important,” Valdes said.
This is the first year for the new Our Lady of the Holy Rosary St. Richard Catholic School at 18455 Franjo Road, in Cutler Bay, near Palmetto Bay and West Perrine.
“All families deserve to make a choice for their child’s education, and we’re fortunate enough to be in a state that prioritizes parental choice,” Rigg said about the state’s school choice programs, adding, “So, we are in growth mode in the Archdiocese of Miami, and there are active conversations about new sites.”
Rigg said most of the 65 Archdiocese of Miami schools in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties were at full capacity.
“Over 50% of our Catholic schools are at capacity with waiting lists, and the majority of those that are not full are growing,” Rigg said.
With about 800 more new students this 2025-26 school year than last year, the Archdiocese of Miami is marking the fifth consecutive year of increased enrollment.
The Archdiocese of Miami serves more than 37,000 students at the schools, including three stand-alone preschools, who are set to return to class on Tuesday.
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