Hull, Iowa — This is National School Choice Week in the U.S. And Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a proclamation making it School Choice Week in Iowa as well.
Brian VerWulf, who’s the Head of School at Western Christian High School in Hull tells us why he thinks parents should consider Western for their high school student or high-school-student-to-be.
(as said) “I think the goal of most schools is to inspire lifelong learning and to make good citizens, but at Western, we aim to not only inspire lifelong learning but to teach our students how to consider living from a Biblical worldview. And we do this by teaching how our faith is woven into every area of learning and how everything that we do is an act of worshipping God.”
VerWulf tells us that while they do instruct their students about the Bible and explain church doctrine, they don’t instruct students in what they should believe about issues such as baptism, communion, lodge membership, and the role of LBGT individuals and women in the church, and other issues that have historically divided churches, so those of many denominations may find Western a good fit.
(as said) “We do go in-depth about the way that reformed denominations respond to a variety of modern issues… some that you’ve mentioned… we do this, however, not only by providing what we believe to be the truth from a Biblical perspective, but also by presenting a variety of responses and worldviews from a diverse array of belief systems. So ultimately our goal is to create a safe place for students to ask good questions.”
He says they want their students to be able to wrestle with issues in that safe space.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has been promoting the establishment of state funding for students in struggling public schools who wish to attend a private school. VerWulf tells us how they feel about that.
(as said) “We see this as a really great opportunity for families to choose the school… regardless of cost… that they believe is best for their kids. We do believe that this will create a stronger community of schools, whether it be public, private, or otherwise. So one thing that that positions us well here to do at Western is to make sure we’re working hard to create a sense of belonging for every single learner. We do believe that diversity will make this place stronger and we want to include everybody to be a part of Christ-centered education.”
The governor’s plan to provide five-thousand-dollar state scholarships to cover private school or homeschooling expenses is being debated in the Iowa Senate this week.
