Students rally in support of BOOST scholarship program

ANNAPOLIS – About 300 students from all over Maryland rallied in cold, rainy weather March 5 outside the Statehouse to help lawmakers understand the importance of continued support for students in nonpublic schools.

Attendees of Nonpublic School Advocacy Day were especially focused on promoting the BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today) scholarship program that provides scholarship money to help children from low-income families attend Catholic and other nonpublic schools.

Gov. Wes Moore’s budget, unveiled in January, allotted $9 million for the program – the same amount the General Assembly approved in the last legislative session. Moore’s initial budget included language that would have phased out the BOOST scholarship program for future students. In a supplemental budget, however, he stripped that provision.

Last year, the governor had included similar “phase-out language,” but the Maryland General Assembly removed it.

Advocates are calling on lawmakers to approve BOOST funding.

“This is a very tight budget for the state, with over a $1 billion gap in the revenue projections for the state,” said Garrett O’Day, deputy director of the Maryland Catholic Conference. “Level funding is a very reasonable place to land to ensure BOOST students are assisted, although it’s important to note that there was $18 million in demand for the $9 million available last year.”

According to the Maryland Department of Education, BOOST scholarships hit an all-time high in 2023. During the 2022-23 school year, there were 3,250 BOOST recipients, all of whom were eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

In the Archdiocese of Baltimore, there were more than 700 BOOST scholarship recipients last year at archdiocesan and independent Catholic schools.

Antoine Padonou, a senior from Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, was among those attending the March 5 rally. He wanted lawmakers to understand the impact the BOOST program has had on his life as his family has faced financial struggles, he said.

“The BOOST program helps me stay at Curley,” Padonou said. “I made a lot of friends there. I had a lot of fun at sports. I met new people, and I’ve been given a lot of new opportunities. Without BOOST, I don’t think I would have grown better as a person or develop my character. I just think Curley has been the best fit for me.”

Gregory Farno, chancellor for education for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, said programs such as BOOST are critical for helping parents make choices about education for their children – especially in economically challenged areas such as Baltimore City and Western Maryland.

“We know that if we can get the children into our schools, great things will happen,” he said.

Nefertari Lee, whose two sons received a Catholic education at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson with the help of BOOST scholarships, noted that many state and federal leaders send their children to nonpublic schools. All people should have that option, she said.

“This should be a family decision,” she said. “I lived in Baltimore City, where some of the most underfunded public schools are located. It’s not like Montgomery County, which is doing very well. But this is our reality. If it’s not working, we need those options.”

Lee said there is a misconception that BOOST fully funds private education.

“It doesn’t,” she said. “I still paid on average $1,000 a month and worked three jobs to pay tuition. BOOST was a help.”

Of the 20 schools in attendance at the Annapolis rally, 16 were Catholic schools from the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Archdiocese of Washington.

During the gathering, students met with lawmakers to discuss issues affecting their schools. In addition to BOOST, they advocated for a bill that would provide a refundable tax credit to parents for the cost of providing school bus transportation for their students to and from their nonpublic school. 

They also called for the continuation of a program that provides state money to purchase nonreligious textbooks and technology in nonpublic schools and for grants that provide nurses, counselors and other health services, as well as safety improvement grants for nonpublic schools.

Amaya Eliax and Alex Cuadra, eighth graders at St. Mary’s School in Landover Hills, said they took away a lot from the day.

“I learned how critical it is to advocate for something you believe in, such as education,” Alex said. “What I was presenting was transportation and how it affects the lives of other students.”

Amaya said she believes the BOOST scholarship could go further with greater funds.

“I know a lot of students and their parents depend on BOOST so they can come to our school, too,” Amaya said.

At the end of the event, students regrouped for lunch at The Atreeum, a venue owned by the Columbus Club of Annapolis for the Knights of Columbus. There, it was announced that Eliax won first place in the poster contest for her rally poster design. 

BOOST applications close on May 3, 2024.

Catherine Buckler of the Catholic Standard in Washington and Kevin J. Parks of the Catholic Review in Baltimore contributed to this story.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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