What Every Parent Should Know About School Choice
Reclaiming Your Right to Direct Your Child’s Education
As a parent, there are few decisions more important than how and where your child is educated. It’s not simply about academics anymore; it’s about worldview formation, spiritual development, and personal identity.
That’s why more families are turning to school choice as a path forward.
But what exactly is it?
💡 What Is School Choice?
School choice is the ability for families to use public education funds for private, faith-based, or alternative educational options that better align with their values and their child’s needs.
Rather than sending tax dollars directly to local public schools, school choice policies let the funding follow the student, empowering parents to choose the best educational setting, including:
1: Private Christian schools
2: Fully online schools (like Pathway Christian Prep)
3: Charter schools
4: Homeschool programs
5: Microschools and learning pods
In short, school choice is about educational freedom and parental authority.
🧭 Why It Matters Now More Than Ever
In recent years, public confidence in the traditional school system has reached historic lows. A 2022 Gallup poll revealed that only 28% of Americans had strong confidence in public education, down from 60% in the 1970s.
Even more concerning for Christian parents:
Over 70% of Christian teens abandon their faith during or shortly after their first year of college, many after years of being immersed in secular or spiritually neutral academic environments.
These numbers tell a clear story:
Where our children are educated directly impacts what they believe.
School choice gives parents the ability to be proactive—not passive—in shaping their child’s faith and future.
📍 Where School Choice Is Active
More States. More Support. More Opportunity.
School choice programs are expanding across the U.S., giving families the freedom to select educational options that align with their values, goals, and beliefs. In particular, several states now offer funding that can be applied toward tuition at private or Christian schools like Pathway.
Here’s a breakdown of where families are seeing the most support for the 2025–2026 school year:
💵 States Offering $7,000+ in Educational Funding
Arizona – Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA)
Alabama – Newly launched ESA program
New Hampshire – Education Freedom Account
Alaska – Expanding ESA-style options in 2025
Texas – Expected $1B school choice initiative underway
This funding can be applied toward private or online Christian education, often covering the majority or full cost of annual tuition.
✨ Not in one of these states? School choice is growing fast. Reach out to our team and we’ll help you explore local resources and advocacy efforts.
📍 How It Works
These programs typically work through Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).
Families can apply for funding and use it for private school tuition, tutoring, online programs, and more.
At Pathway Christian Prep, we are registered or eligible for participation in every one of these active states.
🏫 Why Christian Education Is More Than an Option
For decades, Christian education was seen as a luxury — something “extra” or “nice to have” if your budget allowed. But in today’s cultural and educational climate, it’s no longer optional. It’s essential.
If you’re a parent who wants to raise your child in the faith, build strong moral character, and provide a learning environment that reinforces—not undermines—your values, then Christian education isn’t just an alternative. It’s the answer.
🧠 Education Shapes Worldview
Every educational environment teaches more than facts. It teaches values. It shapes how students see the world, themselves, and God.
In most public school settings today, students are:
Immersed in secular ideologies
Exposed to gender and identity frameworks that conflict with biblical teaching
Encouraged to pursue truth as relative, not absolute
Rarely taught objective morality or purpose
Without consistent, Christ-centered instruction, many children develop a worldview that’s disconnected from—or even opposed to—the faith they were raised in.
📉 The Numbers Are Alarming
“70% of Christian teens abandon their faith within one year of entering college.” — Barna Group
Let that sink in. The most important part of your child’s identity — their relationship with Christ — is being abandoned by the majority of Christian youth within one year of entering secular institutions. This trend doesn’t start in college. It begins with years of formation in environments that sideline God.
🏫 Public School Is No Longer Neutral
It’s no secret: public education is no longer ideologically neutral.
Only 28% of Americans trust public schools today (Gallup, 2022)
Curriculum now includes critical theory, sexual identity ideologies, and social activism as core narratives
Faith, prayer, and even objective truth are being pushed out of the classroom
As a parent, you can no longer assume that school will simply teach math, reading, and history. It’s shaping identity. And if Christ isn’t central, something else will be.
❤️ Christian Education Does More Than Educate; It Disciples
At Pathway Christian Prep Academy, we don’t just teach subjects—we disciple students.
Every class is taught from a biblical worldview
Teachers are committed Christians who model faith, integrity, and leadership
Students grow in their identity in Christ, not just their academic abilities
Chapel, mentorship, and faith-based leadership training are built in
We believe school is one of the primary mission fields of discipleship in this generation. That’s why we’ve built a model that is both academically excellent and spiritually grounded.
👨👩👧👦 A Partner for Parents
Christian education isn’t meant to replace the family’s role — it’s meant to support and reinforce it. At Pathway, we believe that parents are the primary disciplers of their children. Our role is to come alongside, not take over.
Through:
Parent partnership programs
Family discipleship resources
Clear communication and spiritual alignment
...we ensure your child is surrounded by a consistent message: You are known. You are loved. You were made for purpose in Christ.
✝️ How Pathway Christian Prep Supports Families
We’ve built Pathway with one central mission: to partner with parents in raising up a generation grounded in truth, identity, and Christ-like leadership.
We offer:
💻 Various tracks: LivePath, ExactPath, and HomePath
🙋 Small class sizes and live, interactive virtual learning
📖 Fully integrated Biblical worldview across subjects
🎓 Fully accredited diploma track
🏡 Optional homeschool curriculum for more flexibility
💸 Access to school choice funding for qualifying states
Whether your family values the structure of live instruction or the flexibility of independent learning, we provide a high-quality, faith-filled education that equips students both academically and spiritually.
🤝 Looking Ahead: The Role of the Church
We believe churches play a vital role in educational renewal. That’s why we’re developing Phase 3 & 4 of our model; partnering with churches to offer hybrid learning experiences and localized support for students and families.
If your church is interested in offering faith-based education in your community, Pathway can handle the heavy lifting while your congregation focuses on pastoral care, discipleship, and spiritual growth.
🎯 What School Choice Means for Your Family
At the heart of this movement is one simple truth:
You deserve to choose the kind of education your child receives.
If you’ve felt limited by finances, frustrated with curriculum trends, or uncertain about the future: school choice is an invitation to realign your child’s education with your family’s values.
And the best part? You don’t have to walk this journey alone.
📩 Ready to Take the Next Step?
We’re here to help you navigate the process from eligibility questions to enrollment guidance. Pathway Christian Prep has state-specific resources and a team of admissions advisors ready to assist.
📧 Email us: admissions@pathwaychristian.org
🌐 Visit: www.pathwaychristian.org
Your child’s education is a sacred responsibility. Let’s steward it well, together.
📚 Sources & References
Gallup Poll on Public Confidence in Education
Gallup, Americans' Confidence in Major U.S. Institutions, 2022 https://news.gallup.com/poll/394283/confidence-public-schools-drops.aspx
Barna Group: Faith and Youth Retention
Barna Group, Church Dropouts and the Influence of Faith, 2019 https://www.barna.com/research/resilient-disciples/
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
U.S. Department of Education, The Condition of Education https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/
EdChoice – School Choice Data & ESA Programs
EdChoice, The ABCs of School Choice, 2024 Edition https://www.edchoice.org/research/the-abcs-of-school-choice/
State Government ESA Program Info
Arizona Department of Education – ESA Program https://www.azed.gov/esa
New Hampshire Department of Education – EFA Program https://www.education.nh.gov/who-we-are/division-of-learner-support/bureau-of-educational-opportunities/education-freedom-accounts
Alabama State Department of Education – CHOICE Act https://www.alabamaea.org/choice-act-overview
Alaska Department of Education (for correspondence and homeschool funding) https://education.alaska.gov/
The Heritage Foundation
Heritage, Why School Choice is Good for Students, Parents, and Teachers, 2023 https://www.heritage.org/education/report/school-choice-empowers-parents
The Gospel Coalition / Focus on the Family
Various thought pieces on the biblical mandate for Christian education and the importance of faith-based discipleship in youth.
