Earlier this year, as parents across the United States filed their taxes, a serious question kept coming up at kitchen tables: Why are we paying into an education system that no longer reflects our values, and then struggling to afford the education we actually want for our children?
That question deserves an honest answer. The system is broken, the public school monopoly needs to end, and parents should be in charge of their children’s education. Not bureaucrats. Not unions. Not activists pushing ideology on 6-year-olds.
There is some good news. A new federal law now allows families and taxpayers to receive a tax credit when they give to scholarship organizations that help students attend private and Christian schools. New scholarship groups, including the Christian Education Network, are stepping up to connect those resources directly to families who want a Christ-centered education but can’t afford it on their own.
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That kind of opportunity couldn’t come at a more critical time.
Families are making it clear that the status quo in education isn’t working. Over the last four years, public schools have lost more than 1.4 million students, and federal data projects further declines. At the same time, private school enrollment has climbed since pandemic-era disruptions reshaped how parents think about school. This isn’t a blip on the radar. It’s a major trend, and parents are voting with their feet.
And where are they going? They’re predominantly going to faith-based schools.
This isn’t complicated. Parents want schools that are safe, academically strong, and aligned with the values they teach at home. They want an education that reinforces truth, responsibility, and faith, not one that tells their children that biological sex is a feeling, that America is irredeemable, or that mom and dad are bigots for going to church on Sunday. Christian schools are meeting that demand, and the long waitlists prove it.
Meanwhile, too many public schools are moving in the opposite direction — away from common sense, away from parents, and away from the values that matter to everyday families. For parents who want their child’s education to reflect their Christian beliefs, that’s not just frustrating. It’s unacceptable.
But even as demand grows, there’s a real barrier: cost.
For many middle-class families, Christian education feels just out of reach. Tuition often rivals major household expenses. Many families make too much on paper to qualify for traditional aid, but not enough to realistically afford tuition. So they’re stuck. They’re paying taxes into a system they don’t trust while sacrificing to try to afford a better option.
Policymakers are beginning to recognize this gap. In Texas alone, more than 130,000 families applied for school choice programs designed to expand access to private education, a clear sign of pent-up demand. About 60% of parents nationwide are now searching for some form of alternative education, with 36% specifically seeking private, faith-based schools for their children.
But too often, cost is a serious barrier. It feels like paying twice — once through taxes, and again out-of-pocket for tuition. That’s just not sustainable, or fair.
That’s why these new tax credit scholarship programs matter. They offer a practical, common-sense solution. Instead of sending every dollar into a one-size-fits-all system, families and taxpayers can now redirect a portion of their tax liability to fund scholarships for students. Those scholarships help children attend schools that align with their family’s values, including both Evangelical and Catholic schools. Scholarship Granting Organizations like the Christian Education Network SGO can serve as the bridge, connecting generous donors with families who want their children to finally get a Christ-centered education.
The public school monopoly has had its chance. For decades, it has demanded more money and more authority, and in return, it has delivered worse outcomes, hostility toward parents, and an ideological agenda no one voted for. It’s time to dismantle that monopoly and replace it with a system where the dollars follow the child, and the parent calls the shots.
American education is no longer one-size-fits-all, and it shouldn’t be. Every family is different, and parents deserve the freedom to choose what’s best for their children.
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Parents are done settling. Their expectations aren’t unreasonable. They’re simply looking for schools that partner with them, not push against them. Schools that teach truth, not confusion. Christian schools are ready to meet that need, and with expanded access through scholarships, more families will finally have that opportunity.
At the end of the day, this is about something simple but profound: giving parents a real shot at choosing the education they believe is best for their children. Families are already investing heavily in education. The question is whether that investment can finally start working for them, instead of against them.
Aaron Baer is the president of Center for Christian Virtue and founder of the Christian Education Network Scholarship Granting Organization.