Tami and Mike of Iowa
Tami and Mike have had a very satisfying
experience with the STO and are grateful that
they could choose the school that best meets
their daughter, Breanna's needs.
Tami and Mike are the parents of two grown sons and a daughter in the 8th grade. Until recently the family lived in Kansas and experienced great frustration while dealing with the Kansas public school system. Tami and Mike disagreed with much of their children's curricula and were disappointed with what was occurring in the schools. At one point, one of their sons was brutally attacked during a high school shop class and suffered a traumatic brain injury. As a result, the children were homeschooled for several years.
In 2008, to be nearer to Tami's terminally ill mother, Tami and Mike moved their family to Iowa. They wanted their daughter, Breanna to attend a Christian school, but they felt it was a financial impossibility. Both parents were struggling to find secure employment after the move, and they knew they would not be able to afford a private education for Breanna.
Eventually, however, the pastor at Tami and Mike's church told them about the state’s School Tuition Organization (STO) program. The STO program provides tuition grants so that families can choose where their children attend school. Tami and Mike ended up applying for a grant through the Heart of Iowa School Tuition Organization. After an application process they found to be quick and easy, they were accepted into the program, and Breanna enrolled at Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy (now Waterloo Christian School).
Breanna was able to transition quickly from her home school setting and has continued to flourish academically and socially. She loves going to school, and Tami and Mike are very satisfied with the safe, loving environment at Walnut Ridge and the quality of education their daughter is receiving. They are pleased with the smaller class sizes and individual attention available at a private school, and they feel fortunate to have their daughter in an educational setting that fits the values and beliefs of their family.
Tami and Mike are very thankful for the STO. Without the grant they received, they would not have been able to send Breanna to Walnut Ridge. Overall, they have had a very satisfying experience with the STO and are grateful that they could choose the school that best meets their daughter's needs.
