[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 8, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S576-S577]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 506--SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF NATIONAL CATHOLIC 
                              SCHOOLS WEEK

  Mr. TOOMEY (for himself and Mr. Casey) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                               S.Res. 506

       Whereas Catholic schools in the United States are 
     internationally acclaimed for their academic excellence and 
     provide students with more than just an exceptional 
     education;
       Whereas Catholic schools instill a broad, values-added 
     education emphasizing the lifelong development of moral, 
     intellectual, physical, and social values in young people in 
     the United States;
       Whereas Catholic schools serve the United States by 
     providing a strong academic and moral foundation to a diverse 
     student population from all regions of the country and all 
     socioeconomic backgrounds, and of that student population--
       (1) 21.4 percent of students are from racial minority 
     backgrounds;
       (2) 18.6 percent of students are of Hispanic heritage; and
       (3) 20.1 percent of students are from non-Catholic 
     families;
       Whereas Catholic schools are an affordable option for 
     parents, particularly in underserved urban areas;
       Whereas Catholic schools produce students who are strongly 
     dedicated to their faith, values, families, and communities 
     by providing an intellectually stimulating environment rich 
     in spiritual, character, and moral development;
       Whereas Catholic schools are committed to community 
     service, producing graduates who hold ``helping others'' as a 
     core value;
       Whereas the total Catholic school student enrollment for 
     the 2021-2022 academic year was more than 1,680,000 and the 
     student-teacher ratio was 11.5 to 1;
       Whereas the Catholic high school graduation rate is 98 
     percent, with 85.2 percent of graduates attending 4-year 
     colleges;
       Whereas the week of January 30, 2022, to February 5, 2022, 
     has been designated as ``National Catholic Schools Week'' by 
     the National Catholic Educational Association and the United 
     States Conference of Catholic Bishops;
       Whereas National Catholic Schools Week was first 
     established in 1974 and has been

[[Page S577]]

     celebrated annually for the past 48 years; and
       Whereas the theme for National Catholic Schools Week 2022 
     is ``Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.'' and 
     reflects Catholic schools' purpose to form students to be 
     good citizens of the world, love God and neighbor, and enrich 
     society with the leaven of the gospel and by example of 
     faith: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals of National Catholic Schools Week, 
     an event--
       (A) cosponsored by the National Catholic Educational 
     Association and the United States Conference of Catholic 
     Bishops; and
       (B) established to recognize the vital contributions of the 
     thousands of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the 
     United States;
       (2) applauds the National Catholic Educational Association 
     and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on their 
     selection of a theme that all people can celebrate; and
       (3) supports--
       (A) the dedication of Catholic schools, students, parents, 
     and teachers across the United States to academic excellence; 
     and
       (B) the key role that Catholic schools, students, parents, 
     and teachers across the United States play in promoting and 
     ensuring a brighter, stronger future for the United States.

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