PHOENIX -- Loyalty to parochial schools and a booming population have shielded Catholic schools from the priest sex abuse scandal and a bishop's resignation, which have rocked the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

According to a report in the Arizona Republic, many schools in the diocese have long waiting lists.

"The Valley's extreme growth has helped us," said Leigha Renner, a Phoenix diocesan School Board member. "But for many Catholics, sending their kids to Catholic school is a long-standing tradition. That's not going to change because of reported incidents of abuse."

The Catholic Church has been embroiled in controversy since early 2002 when sex abuse charges against priests surfaced in Boston, opening the floodgates for similar complaints nationwide.

In Phoenix, Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley recently completed a criminal investigation of Valley priests. At issue is whether church leaders reassigned priests accused of sexual abuse instead of penalizing them.

Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien signed an agreement to avoid criminal prosecution. He later was forced to resign after being charged with leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run accident, the newspaper reported.

There are about 8,000 Catholic schools in the United States, nearly 50 of them in the Valley. While about 140 of the nation's Catholic schools closed or consolidated during the 2002-03 school year, none were closed in the Valley, which has some of the nation's fastest-growing cities.

More than 2.5 million students annually attend Catholic schools, 14,600 of them in Phoenix, according to the news report. An additional 30,000 Valley students receive religious education classes, such as catechism, confirmation and life teen skills. Tuition runs about $3,000 for elementary students and $6,000 for secondary students.

"It's a little pricey, but parents are willing to make the sacrifice because our schools are well worth it," said Renner. "About 95 percent of our high school students go on to college. That's impressive."

More than 530,000 registered Catholics live in the Valley, supporting schools from Phoenix to Chandler and from Goodyear to Mesa. Additional Phoenix Diocese schools are in Prescott and Flagstaff.