A LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER JAZLYN
I have sat down several times to write this out, but I keep returning to a place where my thoughts are so jumbled I cannot get my words out on paper. My sweet Jazlyn. I am heartbroken and left without words. You see, it took us months to convince you that school would be something magical..a safe place, where you could learn. A place that you would feel comfortable. I know that you were scared and don’t handle change well. You have just started your educational journey, Kindergarten. You have done so well with this new journey, but I’m afraid that we have to rip you away from the very start of your schooling foundation. The classroom you’re now comfortable in, the new friends you’ve made…and your teacher you’ll have to say goodbye to, because the grant you received is being ripped away without warning. I feel like as a parent, I have failed you.
So you see, sweet Jazlyn, Mommy has failed you, because you have to say goodbye to the only classroom you’ve known, the teacher that build your trust and the school you feel safe in….because I laid trust in our governing state of South Carolina, that I pay taxes in, to continue to fulfill the promise of your awarded grant.
APPEAL FOR THE ABRUPT REVOCATION OF EDUCATION GRANT
I am writing to express my profound disappointment and heartbreak over the recent decision to revoke the education grant that was awarded to my daughter, Jazlyn, for her kindergarten year at Calvary Christian Bible School. This decision has left our family in a state of financial uncertainty and emotional distress, and I respectfully ask you to reconsider the immediate impact this is having on families like ours.
Jazlyn just began her educational journey. She has always been a child who struggles with change and thrives in smaller, familiar settings. After months of encouraging her, we were finally able to convince her that school would be a magical and safe place where she could feel comfortable to learn and grow. With that, we enrolled her at Calvary Christian Bible School, a place where our family feels aligned both spiritually and academically.
The joy we felt when we received the grant award for Jazlyn was indescribable. After years of struggling to pay for private education for our eldest daughter, we saw this grant as a divine blessing, especially given the financial strain we’ve endured due to health issues and the economy. We had made significant sacrifices to keep our daughter in the school, and the grant seemed like the answer to our prayers.
Now, with the revocation of the grant, we face the daunting prospect of uprooting Jazlyn from the only classroom and teacher she knows, just weeks into her kindergarten experience. I can only imagine the confusion and fear this will cause her as we navigate this unforeseen change. Public school is not a viable option for Jazlyn due to her unique needs, and had we known the grant would be revoked, we would have pursued a homeschool co-op to provide her with the individualized attention she requires. However, we were not given the time or opportunity to prepare for this sudden change.
The recent court ruling, which struck down the Education Savings Trust Fund program, has left us and many other families in an incredibly difficult position. We understand the legal complexities surrounding the decision, but it feels deeply unjust that families who were already awarded funding are now left in limbo. We pay taxes that support a public education system we do not use, and we receive no assistance through other public benefits, such as free meals or summer EBT cards. We’ve always managed on our own, but this sudden loss of support has left us without options.
I urge you to consider the immediate impact this decision has on families like mine. We trusted in the promise of this grant and planned our children’s education around it. It seems unreasonable to pull already awarded funds in the middle of the school year, especially without giving families the time to make alternative arrangements.
Please reconsider the timeline for the grant’s revocation or offer some form of transitional assistance for families who, like ours, had already counted on this support for their children’s education.
Families across South Carolina are in the same situation as Jazlyn’s mother Sarah. The Supreme Court decision to overturn the Education Scholarship Trust Fund program weeks into the school year has left families in limbo, unsure whether they can afford for their child to finish the school year.
Palmetto Promise Institute is committed to sharing the stories of ESTF families, showing the human impact of the Supreme Court’s decision, and calling for emergency action to help these families.
To share your ESTF story, please reach out to info@scschoolchoice.com.
