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PROGRAM — Opportunity Scholarship Program

Our story is a little different as we have applied for Opportunity Scholarship funds and have been approved, but currently on a waiting list for more funding to become available. Our son started at Wilmington Christian Academy at 3 years old. We were looking for something more than just daycare and attended an Open House at WCA. The minute he set foot in that school he was so comfortable being there. It was like he was saying to us though his actions “this is my school, I belong here.” We loved it as well so we enrolled him.

Our plan was to stay through kindergarten and then attend public school. At the time the school we were districted for was not a good school, so we stayed at WCA. We eventually moved to an area where the schools we were districted for were much better. So, we took it year by year as to whether we were going to make the move to public school but couldn’t do it.

Our son flourished attending WCA! Not only was he receiving a top-notch education he was also receiving a Christian education which had become very important to our family, which we knew he would not get that in public school. But private school was very expensive and put a huge strain on our finances. Every year we’d say “okay we can’t do this anymore financially” but the thought of pulling him out of the only school he ever knew and continually thrived in, brought me to tears and I couldn’t pull him out.

Our son is a straight A student, he’s very smart. He’s played in the band, sings in the choir, won spelling bees at the state level, plays sports, he does all he possibly can. He LOVES his school and so do we. When I found out about the Opportunity Scholarship, I was so excited and then quickly disappointed. We met the financial requirements but the one thing we didn’t meet was him attending public school, which we just could not do. I even applied for the 2023-2024 school year hoping they’d make an exception.

Needless to say, when the requirements changed we were elated! I applied first thing in the morning on the first day you could register, later to become disappointed when we were waitlisted. We are still hopeful the legislature will come through and all the families that are on the waitlist will get the funds we’ve been so desperately waiting for to help cover the cost of tuition. We don’t have new cars, they are 20+ years old, nor do we live in a big fancy house or take extravagant vacations or even non-extravagant vacations, but the sacrifice is worth it for our son to have the education WE want him to have and that he thrives so well in. I’m not saying that he couldn’t in public school, but we absolutely love the administration, staff and teachers, as well as the opportunities provided to him to grow.

Families should have the right to choose because as parents it’s OUR choice. We all have different wants and needs for our kids, and we should have that option without having to go in debt like our family has. The tax money we pay every year should follow the child. I feel like I pay taxes towards education, but it does not benefit my son’s education. Essentially, we are paying double, taxes and tuition. One of the main reasons we chose WCA is because getting an excellent education was important but getting a Christian education was equally as important.

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