In a recent state supreme court decision, the school choice program known as the Opportunity Scholarship Grant was ruled constitutional and permitted to resume in the state of North Carolina. Here at ACS we applaud that decision as it afforded not only the six children already enrolled here to continue their studies at our school, it also allowed fourteen more to enroll with still more anticipated. The OSG is a needs based scholarship providing up to $4200 per child for families who want to choose private education for their children. This is not only a privilege enjoyed by the residents of our great state, it is also a right they are entitled to as tax payers. By the way, this scholarship is money awarded to the FAMILY, not to the school and can be used for private education in a religious OR non-religious school.
It would be good to remind the readers that based on Deuteronomy 6 the education of children is the responsibility of the parents, not the county, state nor federal government. While our state needs a strong public education system, the right and responsibility for educating children rests solely on the shoulders of parents. Therefore, if they wish to choose alternatives to public education they have a right to use part of their own tax dollars to pay for that choice. While not everyone may agree with this position, the North Carolina General Assembly and the Supreme Court of this state DO agree and hence, the OSG will continue and be expanded to permit more families that option.
ACS enrolls 20 children on the OSG and ranks among the leading schools in the state in participation in the program. I am often asked how these children compare, academically, behaviorally and spiritually to those in our school who are NOT part of the OSG. I am not only happy to answer those questions but am happy to report the answers are quite encouraging. Nearly all the children coming to us by way of the OSG perform very favorably in the classroom and we see very few academic issues with any of them. Many students who come to us from any background will have learning gaps and things we need to strengthen and some of these kids are no different. But few of them have serious academic deficiencies. As far as their behavior is concerned, the OSG kids are some of our most well behaved and present us with very few disciplinary problems, very much on the same plane as all of our children. The idea that those who come to us on the OSG are just kids who struggled in the public schools and were prone to get in trouble and be a headache in the classroom simply does NOT apply to our students on the scholarship. Just like all kids, there will occasionally be a wrinkle we have to iron out, but across the board these are great kids from great families. They are here because their parents wanted more for them than the overcrowded and undermanned public school system could provide them. We have certain qualifications that determine our acceptance of all students who apply for enrollment at ACS. Among those are spiritual expectations and the kids here on the OSG meet all the same expectations any other child accepted in our school does. They have Christian background, learn the Word of God, go to chapel, manifest behavior that is becoming the spirit of Christ and are growing in their faith and preparing to impact the world for their Savior.
Alamance Christian School is grateful for our dedicated state leaders who support a parent's right to choose the educational environment they feel is best for their child. We hope that in the future we will see the number of OSG recipients in our school continue to grow as that will give us the wonderful blessing of impacting more young people for the glory of God and His kingdom..
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