Wichita ? A program offered by the Catholic Diocese of Wichita has become a national model in helping people send their children to private schools.

The diocese doesn’t charge parents tuition for their children to attend any of its schools as long as they’re active families in the church, said Bob Voboril, superintendent of schools for the diocese.

Voboril said active families attend church every Sunday, participate in parish ministries and the church’s sacramental life and are frequent volunteers for their church.

He said tithing isn’t necessary but active families tend to donate to their church, providing the necessary funds to keep their parish’s schools open.

“Our parishes make tremendous sacrifices,” Voboril said. “They’re committed to Catholic education. We’ve got most of our (Catholic) kids in our schools.”

The Wichita diocese this year has 9,706 students, kindergarten through high school, at schools spread across 91 parishes in 25 southeastern Kansas counties. More than 7,200 of the students are enrolled in 20 Catholic schools in Sedgwick County.

Sister Dale McDonald, director of public policy and education research at the Washington, D.C.-based National Catholic Education Association, said Wichita has become a model for other dioceses trying to reverse declining enrollment.

During the past decade, about 15 percent of Catholic schools in inner-city areas have closed, and schools that were vibrant 50 to 75 years ago are now in danger of closing, McDonald said.

She said demographic shifts are behind the closings, with most of the growth now occurring in the suburbs.