National School Choice Week Celebrating Fifteenth Year in January

By: Josh Worden

When National School Choice Week began in 2011, stories like Central Christian School’s (CCS) were the goal. 

School choice programs in Kansas, along with scholarships CCS itself provides, enable the school to welcome students who were previously unable to afford tuition, which has positively influenced the school’s culture. 

“It really binds us together in a special way because students and families from all walks of life have more access to a Truth-based education,” said Superintendent Dr. John Walker. “God loves diversity, and because God loves diversity, so do we.” 

Because of school choice, some students are shepherded by Christian educators for the first time, which has made a positive impact in the home. 

“I have seen parents become more involved in church due to their child's desire to get more involved in church,” Walker said. 

Seeing parents enjoy the fruits of choosing the right school for their children was always the intention of National School Choice Week (NSCW), a nonprofit that has supported 236,746 community events and activities over the last 15 years in the effort to raise awareness about effective education options for children. 

“We believe that parents know best where their child should learn and grow,” said Shelby Doyle, Vice President of Public Awareness for NSCW. “Evidence supports different students succeeding in a variety of types of schools; what matters most is the fit between the student and the school.” 

For Christian schools in particular, school choice is important to make sure that access to Christ-centered education is available to people from every demographic, just like the Gospel should be.  

“School choice is the only way for schools to be able to sustainably offer Christian education to a broader social-economic demographic,” said Dr. Merle Skinner, Administrator of Champion Christian School in Pennsylvania. 

Most students at Champion Christian School use some form of financial aid supported by the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program.  

Providing more families access to enroll means that the socioeconomic makeup of the school represents the community it serves. In addition, it has allowed the school to fund its financial aid program and spread scholarship dollars further. 

NSCW provides a toolkit for schools interested in promoting the Week, which will run from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, 2025.  

ACSI also has resources from the Faith Teaches: Christian Education Awareness Campaign to support schools, parents, and churches looking to promote school choice and Kingdom education.