My son, Jax, is in fifth grade. He went to public school for K through fourth grade. His experience with public school was marked by struggle—he was constantly in trouble and behind academically because ‘he won’t stop talking.’ At every single parent-teacher conference, the concerned teacher would recommend that I see a specialist to get him on medication so he could sit still and focus.
Last year a new hybrid school opened in our area. It focused on smaller class sizes, more individualized learning, and a shorter schedule. I took the leap and applied hoping that a change in my son’s learning environment would help him thrive. He got in! But the tuition wasn’t cheap. I applied for the Utah Fits All Scholarship in hopes to help ease the financial burden a bit, but he did not receive it.
Despite not receiving the scholarship, we still chose to send our son to this new school. As we approach the end of the school year, I am grateful we took the leap of faith! He is thriving in his school work and no longer behind. In fact, he’s ahead and doing sixth grade level math. The small class size and more individualized attention is exactly what he needed. The flexibility in his learning environment allows him to be who he is. This year has been incredible for him.
We plan for Jax to continue attending this school, and I’ve applied for the UFA scholarship once again. I know many families in the same situation—whose children aren’t thriving, but who feel stuck because they can’t afford to leave. The UFA scholarship could help so many students, like my son, who need a different learning environment and education model. Having options for your child without the burden of financial stress would be life-changing for so many families like ours.
