Siblings Natasha and Tony transferred to Community Prep two years, and one year ago, respectively, with the help of tuition assistance. Their mom, Chithy, is a Community Prep alumnus who fondly remembers her time there as “her best school years.” She likes the diversity of cultures at Community Prep and the opportunity for her children to participate in a wide range of activities that aren’t available to every inner-city student. Natasha’s favorite class is Algebra, and she thinks she wants to be a lawyer when she grows up. For high school, she applied to Moses Brown, Wheeler, Miss Porter’s, Westminster, and Classical – and recently made the decision to attend the last. Tony’s not sure what he wants to be when he grows up, but he says his school is fun and he likes computer class and playing soccer.
“Attending Community Prep has opened so many doors for Natasha and Tony. Parents need to know that these educational opportunities are out there and that, with tuition assistance, affordable school choice options do exist.”
Chithy Saing / Natasha & Tony’s Mother
Kayla’s parents didn’t need to be sold on the value of a Blessed Sacrament education, her dad attended the school as a child and wanted his daughter to experience the same safe, caring, and respectful learning environment. Kayla has attended the school since Kindergarten and her family really appreciates the devotion of the teachers and the close-knit families—many of whom have made similar sacrifices to send their children to the school. Kayla’s favorite classes are computers and art but she also likes learning about fractions (she thinks they’re “cool”). She wants to be a CSI investigator when she grows up.
“Without tuition assistance, it would be really tough for us to send Kayla to school here. It really helps a lot. This new tuition tax credit program is a great idea. It will give more families like ours the option to choose where to send their children.”
Elaine Folk / Kayla’s Mom
Samantha has been a student at Bishop McVinney since Pre-Kindergarten. As a 5th grader, Samantha’s favorite class at school is math, and she thinks she’d like to be a “kids’ doctor” when she grows up. Samantha’s mom attests that strong academics were a main reason the family decided to send Samantha to Bishop McVinney – and that it wouldn’t be possible for Samantha to go without a scholarship. She’s glad that the family was able to make the choice to send Samantha there. Looking ahead to potential options for high school, Mrs. Pierre said she realizes that a few of the parochial schools they are looking at might not be financially feasible. All she wants is to have the choice for what’s best for Samantha.
“There really aren’t many affordable school choice options in Rhode Island, especially in Providence. I would like to be able consider a number of schools for my daughter. An increase in scholarship funds available would really help a lot of families here in the state”.
Jolene Pierre / Samantha’s Mother
Barrington Christian Academy student Jeremiah (pictured with classmate Joshua, at right) loves so many things about his school, it’s hard for him to choose just one. He says he especially likes getting to know the new kids. He has a younger sister, LaTanya, who’s a first grader at BCA, and she loves the library. After a BCA alum convinced mom Caroline to look at the school, a visit and talk with the admissions coordinator convinced her it was the right choice for Jeremiah and LaTanya. As a parent, Caroline says her children’s love of math and reading is more than she could ask for, and BCA has provided a remarkable foundation for their educational future.
“There are absolutely not enough affordable school options in the state. I would not have been able to afford Barrington Christian Academy on my own. The new tuition tax credit can help families like ours consider schools that they might not have thought about until now. We couldn’t be happier with our BCA experience.”
Caroline
Hutchinson / Jeremiah’s Mom