Christian Schools Grow in Popularity Amid Pandemic, Public School Controversies

Students at St. Paul VI Catholic High School pose for a quick photo before lunch in Chantilly, Va., Feb. 2022. Courtesy of St. Paul VI Catholic High School Communications

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va.—For the first time in two decades, St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Virginia has a waitlist, which is occurring not long after a move to a larger campus that expanded the school’s capacity by 20 percent, or 200 students.

Paul VI, as locals call it, has enjoyed double-digit growth for the past two years: 12 percent in the 2020–21 school year and 13 percent in 2021–22. With the current student count at 1,090, the school is anticipating another 8 to 9 percent increase in the school year 2022, according to Billy Atwell, chief communications officer of the Diocese of Arlington.