In a recent article, The Associated Press reported an increase in church-operated schools as a result of more and more states enacting tuition programs that allow parents to get taxpayer-funded vouchers to send their children to private schools. One of those states is Florida, where in late March Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation allowing that for all K-12 students in the state.
This fall, Faith Family Community Church of the Nazarene in Winter Garden, Florida, launched a school currently in its first semester with around 40 students enrolled in grades K-4. According to lead pastor Melvin Adams, the church's leadership has plans to expand Winter Garden Christian Academy in the future. "Still, people are trying to find schools that meet their kids' needs," he tells AFN.
"In Florida, we have a voucher system that basically awards parents who apply a certain amount of money that goes towards their tuition to a private school, to charter schools, etcetera," he explains, recalling that former Gov. Jeb Bush instituted a school-choice voucher system while in office (1999-2007).
"And it was kind of a leader nation [in doing that]," Adams shares. "It's gotten to the point now where two years ago they passed a new bill that basically expanded the voucher system, not just to low-income families but also to any family in Florida that wanted to apply."
The pastor argues Florida's is definitely one of the most expansive school-choice voucher systems in the country right now. "A couple of years ago during COVID [when] everybody became a homeschool parent for three months, I think people just realized, 'Man, I'm not sure I want my kids in the public-school system.'
"Not that there aren't good teachers, good administrators in the public schools," he clarifies, "but the system itself was failing the kids. And that's with Florida having one of the highest-rated public-school systems in the country."
Florida's voucher system, he continues, has enabled parents who may not be able to afford to put their children in a private school to put them in a place where they feel their educational needs will be best met.
"I think we've got to get back to where the parents are the ones who are the primary driving force behind their [children's] education," says the pastor. "It can't be a public-school system where the government is the driving force behind education – it's got to be the parents."
Adams considers that a "God-given responsibility" for parents.
"And that's one of the things that our school really tries to do: our goal is to be there to partner with parents," he says. "We're trying to give their kids a biblical worldview – and the voucher system is just one of those things that enables us to do that a little bit easier."
He acknowledges the common argument against vouchers from those who say it is taxpayers that are funding religions schools under such a program. "[But] the issue is this," Adams responds. "I have, for years, been a taxpayer who's had to fund a public-school system that teaches a worldview that does not align with my worldview."
And yes, while he recognizes that all Florida residents pay into this voucher system through taxes, he points out the state's voucher system gives power to parents to choose where their children's education will occur.
At his church's school, he told AP: "We're making disciples and we're doing it not just on Sundays, but we're doing it all week long. I feel like we do have a leg up here in Florida."
Adams acts as administrator of Winter Garden Christian Academy, which serves the Winter Garden, Ocoee, and Orlando area.
