This is a condensed version of an article published by Matt Hadro of CAN/EWTN News on March 10, 2016.

Hispanic Catholics are grossly underserved by Catholic schools in the United States, according to a new study. The report, published by Boston College and based on a nationwide survey of Catholic schools conducted in 2014, shows that Hispanic participation in Catholic schools has not only remained stagnant over two decades, but their enrollment is lower than even the number of non-Catholic students enrolled at Catholic schools.

And Catholic schools have not been able to adjust their staff to meet the needs of the growing Hispanic Catholic population. Only 12 percent of teachers at Catholic schools who responded to the survey self-identified as Hispanic; only 14 percent of Catholic school principals self-identified as Hispanic and just 17 percent spoke fluent Spanish. About a quarter of those schools offered a second-language program for teachers.

This presents a major problem for the future of the Catholic Church in the U.S. because Hispanic Catholics – currently 40 percent of the Catholic population in the U.S. and 60 percent of the under age 18 Catholic population – are not receiving catechesis offered in schools and in parish religious education programs. Four percent attend Catholic schools, and only ten percent of Hispanic children are enrolled in these religious education programs at parishes with Hispanic ministries.

Thus, “this is a unique opportunity for U.S. Catholics in the twenty-first century to reimagine the commitment to Catholic education in an increasingly Hispanic Church while building upon the best of our experiences and resources,” the report continued.

While the numbers are “sobering,” the reasons behind low Hispanic enrollment in Catholic schools aren’t so clear, the report declared. For instance, Catholic schools have seen a decline in enrollment and the total number of schools in the last few decades, particularly since the year 2000, and this has hit urban areas especially hard. The number of religious – many of whom take vows of poverty – staffing these schools has fallen sharply, requiring the employment of lay staff and thus higher salaries. Some schools aren’t able to stay open amid rising costs.

One initiative that might counter this trend is the “Two-Way Immersion Network,” started in 2012 by Boston College. Member schools – currently 17 in number – aim to balance the student body between English and Spanish speakers. The schools stress bilingual education including an encounter of different cultures among the students.

Most Hispanic children currently attend public schools in urban areas, where the quality of the education is poor. This problem is compounded by Hispanic students having the highest dropout rate in the country. Thus, these children are at a higher risk of poverty when they grow older. Already “about a third of all Hispanic children live in poverty,” the report stated, probably the leading reason why Hispanic families may choose not to enroll their children in private schools.

The future of the Church in the U.S. may well be at stake if the needs of a populace that makes up 60 percent of its children are not met, the report asserted. “It is imperative that we transform school environments so that the cultures that shape Church and society in our day joyfully meet and share genuine hospitality,” the report concluded. “If Hispanic Catholic families perceive that they are welcomed with all they bring, they will likely look at Catholic schools as a strong option for the education of their children.”