There are great reasons for Christian parents to run away from public education that have always been true: The education is often sub-par and fails to really provide the skills necessary for your child's future and the stuff being taught is sometimes contradictory to the Christian faith.
This article recognizes that the problems with public education in the past are set to get worse (much worse) in the very near future. When boys are allowed in the girls locker rooms, when the moral insanity that threatens pronouns like "his" and "hers", or when the radically harmful ideas like the Common Core hit the ground in a school near you; many Christian parents will find that they have to leave. Some of these families will also find that they have no idea how to afford sending their children to private Christian schools. If you are in the boat I just described, here are three financial bits of advice that might help you escape public education:
1. Don't PANIC!!! Pray and Plan.
Our first impulse is too often to panic when a need becomes obvious and palpable. Giving your child the training that they need and placing them in an environment that encourages faith in Christ is a wonderful desire, but if you have not planned for it just remember: Pray first. Ask for wisdom in managing your resources well. After praying, plan. First, take a look at your budget. If you don't have a budget, try this Budget form from Dave Ramsay. This form shows you where your dollars are going. You might have to ask hard questions like: What can we sacrifice in order to have some money to afford a private Christian education. Sacrifices are sometimes hard, but they show (they prove) that we really believe what we say we believe.
2. Find short term help that enables long term stability.
Remember, you need to be prudent, but no one has all of the financial answers that they need for events that are a decade away. To move you need to figure out the next year. You might want to look for short term help from family members (particularly grandparents) who might have an interest in helping protect their grandchildren. Some churches are also interested in helping families escape when they feel called to flee. If you are having trouble figuring out how to ask, try this: just sit down with your family member and tell them about your desires, tell them why you feel like you need to leave the public schools, and then let them know that you don't know how you are going to afford it. If you are comfortable, ask; if not, ask for advice particularly if they are good with money. They might have a great idea for you even if they are not able or willing to write a check. Make sure that this help is either very committed or that you put a time frame on it. Don't harm relationships for money. Remember, God will provide and bring help. Don't twist arms or don't (ever) take out loans from family members.
3. Ask the school for help.
Set a time to meet with the Head of School or Admissions Coordinator and be frank about your desires and your financial dilemma. Let them know your story and how you need help--especially if it is short term help. If you are comfortable, bring your budget form along and make your case. Leaders at Christian schools want to meet the needs of Christian families--particularly ones that have been called to leave public schools. Most of those leaders have had to face the same issues that you are facing right now.
These there steps can help you in your quest to find the right Christian school for your children. Be faithful and trust that God will open doors, make sacrifices possible, and even sometimes bring help from unexpected places.
