U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

35–769 PDF WASHINGTON : 2019

S. Hrg. 116–27 

THE OPPORTUNITY TO SOAR: 15 YEARS OF 

SCHOOL CHOICE IN D.C. 

FIELD HEARING 

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON 

HOMELAND SECURITY AND 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

FEBRUARY 26, 2019 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov 

Printed for the use of the 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

( 
(II) 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman 

ROB PORTMAN, Ohio 

RAND PAUL, Kentucky 

JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma 

MITT ROMNEY, Utah 

RICK SCOTT, Florida 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 

JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri 

GARY C. PETERS, Michigan 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire 

KAMALA D. HARRIS, California 

KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona 

JACKY ROSEN, Nevada 

GABRIELLE D’ADAMO SINGER, Staff Director 

PATRICK J. BAILEY, Chief Counsel for Governmental Affairs 

COURTNEY J. ALLEN, Deputy Chief Counsel for Governmental Affairs 

DANIEL J. SPINO, Professional Staff Member 

DAVID M. WEINBERG, Minority Staff Director 

ASHLEY E. POLING, Minority Director of Governmental Affairs and Senior Counsel 

JACKSON G. VOSS, Minority Professional Staff Member 

LAURA W. KILBRIDE, Chief Clerk 

THOMAS J. SPINO, Hearing Clerk 
(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Opening statements: Page 

Senator Johnson ............................................................................................... 1 

Prepared statements: 

Senator Johnson ............................................................................................... 25 

Senator Lankford .............................................................................................. 27 

WITNESSES 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019 

Hon. Tim Scott, A United States Senator from the State of South Carolina ..... 2 

K. Marguerite Conley, Former Executive Director, Consortium of Catholic 

Academies, D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program ......................................... 12 

Yisehak Abraham, Alumnus, D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program ............... 14 

Gerald Smith, Principal, St. Thomas More Catholic School ................................ 15 

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF WITNESSES

Abraham, Yisehak: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 14 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 31 

Conley, K. Marguerite: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 12 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 29 

Scott, Hon. Tim: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 2 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 28 

Smith, Gerald: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 15 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 33 

(1) 

1The prepared statement of Senator Johnson appears in the Appendix on page 25. 

THE OPPORTUNITY TO SOAR: 15 YEARS OF 

SCHOOL CHOICE IN D.C. 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019 

U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY

AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 3:30 p.m., at St. 

Thomas More Catholic School, 4265 4th Street S.E., Washington, 

DC, Hon. Ron Johnson presiding. 

Present: Senator Johnson. 

Ms. GONZALES. Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome. My name is 

Rosio Gonzales. I am the President of the Consortium of Catholic 

Academies, and I want to extend a very warm welcome to Senator 

Ron Johnson, who is up here, and Senator Tim Scott. I also want 

to give a warm welcome to our parents, our students, our guests, 

and our entire St. Thomas More community. 

The Consortium is educating over 840 children this year across 

our four schools, and our families represent the communities where 

our schools reside in. Our students flourish academically and are 

accepted to some of the most competitive schools in the district. 

The reauthorization of the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act makes it possible for our students to dream and 

to succeed in high school and beyond, so we are just really grateful 

to be here tonight to bring importance to this reauthorization act. 

I also just want to thank our principal, Gerald Smith, our pastor, 

Father Moore. I am sure they are here. I also thank the Senators 

and the leadership that has helped make this event possible, and 

just a warm welcome to all of you as well. Thank you. 

[Applause.] 

OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN JOHNSON 

Chairman JOHNSON. This hearing will come to order. I want to 

thank Mrs. Gonzales for her opening remarks. I also want to express my gratitude to the staff and the principal of St. Thomas 

More Catholic Academy, Father Moore. 

That is very appropriate. Not a coincidence, probably. 

But I mainly want to thank the audience for attending. 

I also, as a little special shout-out to Catholic education. I am 

Missouri Synod Lutheran, and I ask that my opening comment be 

entered into the record.1 I will not bore you with reading that. But 
2 

1The prepared statement of Senator Scott appears in the Appendix on page 28. 

just my own personal experience in Catholic education, we sent out 

all of our children through the Catholic school system in Oshkosh, 

Wisconsin. And my second-oldest daughter, for kind of social reasons, decided to leave the Catholic school system, I think in 10th 

or 11th grade, to go to Oshkosh North Public School. 

And the assistant president at the time was a wonderful man 

who really brought total quality management to education through 

Fox Valley Technical College, and was really serving with gratis, 

I mean not being paid as the president of the Catholic school system in Oshkosh, making sure it could survive. 

And so he called me in, as part of that total quality management 

system, as a father whose daughter left the system, just an exit 

interview. What happened? And one thing led to the next. He 

asked me to be on the President’s Advisory Council. I am an accountant by training. I started looking at the numbers. I started 

understanding, really, the challenge of keeping a private-sector alternative open, a Catholic school system, one that teaches the value 

of acknowledgement of a Creator, of morals and of values. I was 

all in, and did everything I possibly could. 

The reason I mention that is in that time period I came to understand how crucial a private-sector system is to education, having 

that choice available to students and their parents. I came to understand how important it was that families were involved in education. I came to understand the service and sacrifice of every administrator, every principal, every priest, every parent, every 

teacher involved in that system. 

Let us face it. Those of you who are working in the Catholic 

school system, or in many private systems, you are doing it as an 

act of service. You are not getting paid what you can be paid in 

the private sector. You are doing it because you truly believe in the 

mission of these schools. 

So again, I want to thank all of you for attending, but I really 

want to thank all of you that are involved in this system, throughout D.C., really throughout America, for your active service and 

sacrifice in making sure that our young people have this opportunity of being educated in a system that understands that there 

is a Creator, that there is a higher calling, a higher purpose in life, 

and how that is so important in terms of shaping young people’s 

lives and preparing them for the future. 

So again, with that, I want to really thank my Senate colleague, 

Senator Tim Scott, who has been just an unwavering supporter of 

school choice and for these systems, and with that I will ask you 

to testify. 

TESTIMONY OF THE HONORABLE TIM SCOTT,1 A UNITED 

STATES SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA 

Senator SCOTT. Thank you, and thank you, Mr. Chairman. Certainly thank you and to your Ranking Member Peters who is absent today. Thank you both for your leadership on such an important topic and thank you for your commitment to the country. 

Let me say first, to the St. Thomas More Academy students, 

being blessed with a healthy, positive, powerful quality education 
3 

is critical in the life that we are going to live. The fact of the matter is if you think about the difference between those who have and 

those who have not, so often one of the pillars is family formation. 

I came from a single-parent household and I will tell you, sometimes it is very difficult to overcome some challenges that you face 

growing up. 

But one of the things that helps you get there is a quality education, which is the second pillar of what helps our country and our 

students succeed at the highest level possible. I have sat in some 

of your seats before and I will say, without any question, that the 

future is incredibly bright. 

And as I had a chance to look through the success of the D.C. 

Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), there is no doubt that if 

you look at just simply 2016, when 98 percent of the students enrolled at a D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program graduated, and 

86 percent of those students went on to a 2-year or a 4-year educational opportunity. Those numbers are significant, especially 

when you think about the fact that so many kids in the area graduate outside of the program around 50 percent of the time, which 

is just measurable progress in exceptional time. 

So I am excited about the lives that you will lead. I am excited 

about your leadership. I have a tremendous faith and confidence 

that the best is yet to come for our country, because you all are 

enrolled in a program that will make sure that you are equipped 

for the challenges that you face, both spiritual challenges as well 

as physical, financial, emotional, and educational challenges. 

When I think about the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program 

and the impact that it has had here, I think about the fact that 

there are so many parents who already have school choice. It is 

called a good income. If you have a good income you have the privilege of school choice. You can choose the neighborhood you want to 

live in, or you can choose the private school to send your kids to. 

The folks who do not have school choice, the folks who are not 

empowered by school choice are those folks like my mother, who 

worked for a little bit above minimum wage as a nurse’s aide, who 

simply did not have the choice, the resources, the flexibility, the 

margin for her children to participate in quality education. 

And so from my perspective, as a sitting United States Senator, 

if I have an opportunity to fight for our young folks who are 

trapped in situations where the school options are limited, I want 

to be the guy at the front of that parade. I want to be the person 

championing those kids who have high potential but too often are 

overlooked because they simply do not have the resources to get 

there. 

And that is one reason why I am so thankful that the parents 

of the kids who go to this school are blessed with that option. The 

students at this school are blessed with high-quality education. I 

think to myself that if we could have the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship model all across the country, can you imagine what an amazing day it would be, that every single ZIP code in America would 

have quality choice in education? That would be fantastic. 

You see, I am convinced that Americans, and especially our students, we do not lack talent. We do not lack potential. We too often 

lack access to the right choices. And we have heard it 100 times, 
4 

or maybe we have heard it 1,000 times, that when the parents 

have a choice, the kids have a chance. I am completely convinced 

that the best and brightest days are ahead of us. 

The mission to educate kids in a high-quality school is neither 

a Republican or Democrat issue. I am thankful that a Democrat 

from California, Senator Feinstein, is the lead sponsor on the Opportunity Scholarship Program, and has been for most of the last 

15 years. This is an issue that we do not paint on the right or to 

the left. We paint this as a truly American issue, and I am thankful for her leadership. I am glad that last month she reintroduced 

legislation to move it forward, and I am thankful that you have a 

Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

Committee (HSGAC), who champions this cause and who understands and appreciates the importance of having quality education 

in every single ZIP code, which will make America stronger and 

more competitive in a global market, that without it we will not be 

able to compete. 

And so my hope is that we can move this bipartisan legislation 

to the finish line to ensure families can continue to benefit from the 

Opportunity Scholarship Program for years to come. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Well, thanks, Senator Scott. Do you have a 

couple of minutes just to kind of have a little bit of a dialogue here? 

Senator SCOTT. Certainly. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Because I think it is extremely important 

that you point out the fact that we have bipartisan support. 

Senator SCOTT. Yes. 

Chairman JOHNSON. And there has always been opposition to 

school choice. I personally do not understand it. Obviously, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we had Polly Williams and some real champions of this, and we have a very robust school choice program for 

people that do not have the means—— 

Senator SCOTT. Absolutely. 

Chairman JOHNSON [continuing]. To give their students, and parents the freedom to choose what is appropriate for them. 

But Senator Feinstein has been a champion. Senator Cory Booker, I believe, is going—— 

Senator SCOTT. Very much so. 

Chairman JOHNSON. So I have watched ‘‘Waiting for Superman.’’ 

By the way, if you have not watched that, in the audience, or anybody possibly looking at this on video, watch the documentary, 

‘‘Waiting for Superman.’’ It is actually hard to watch, but you start 

understanding how important this is to families and students, in 

terms of how they view their ability to have a good future. 

Because you have been involved in this issue for quite some time. 

Can you explain the opposition to it, because I really have a hard 

time understanding it. 

Senator SCOTT. I cannot adequately explain the opposition to 

school choice. I can only say that at times it appears to me that 

the opposition is either based on ignorance, which is just not being 

educated on the actual facts on the ground, or the focus is not on 

the students and their achievement. Any time you have a system 

that is designed not for students but as an educational system you 
5 

probably should take a step back and take a second look to figure 

out where the focus actually is. 

I will say that when you look at the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship, specifically what you find is that three out of four parents are 

really excited about the success of the program. So, differently, the 

people who are most concerned about the education of the child is 

the parent, and the parent has the highest level of satisfaction in 

the education apparatus in this area. Those students whose parents have the highest satisfaction rates are in the D.C. Opportunity 

Scholarship Program. 

When you compare the outcomes of the students when they leave 

high school, one of the things that you realize very quickly is it is 

hard to oppose knowing that just 2 years ago, or last year, 98 percent of the kids graduated from Opportunity Scholarship programs, 

where only 50 to 58 percent—I forgot the specific number; it was 

in the 50s—graduated from those schools not enrolled in a D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which baffles the mind why anyone 

would be in opposition to improving the graduation rates, improving those folks who go on to college, improving what their incomes 

are like. 

So for me, as a kid who was raised in poverty, and one who, unlike Ron John, I am not sure you guys understand this but Ron 

John, or Chairman Johnson, graduated cum laude. I graduated 

‘‘thank you’’ laude. [Laughter.] 

I just got out. You know what I am saying? Not everybody can 

be Ron Johnson. I made him possible. I was at the bottom half of 

the class. And frankly, as a kid who went to four different elementary schools, by the fourth grade—because when you are poor you 

move around a lot—for those folks to look into my mom’s eyes and 

say that she does not deserve the same options that a wealthier 

person has, it is just downright wrong. I cannot understand the opposition. 

Chairman JOHNSON. That is the theme of ‘‘Waiting for Superman,’’ where you have these families waiting to get the Golden 

Ticket, waiting to win that lottery, because those that won felt that 

their children had a future. 

Senator SCOTT. Absolutely. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Those that lost were devastated because 

they thought, ‘‘My child does not have a future.’’ So again, I do not 

understand the opposition. 

The cost of educating a child in D.C., the operational cost, not with Catholics, is about $19,000 per student. 

Senator SCOTT. Yes. 

Chairman JOHNSON. There are about 1,645 students that will 

take advantage of the Opportunity Scholarship Program. Again, 

those are 1,645 people the district does not have to educate. They 

are saving more than $30 million, and they are getting $20 million 

in return as part of the SOAR, because it is $60 million divided by 

3. 

Senator SCOTT. Yes. 

Chairman JOHNSON. So this program makes all kinds of sense, 

but the main reason is so that there is not one parent that has to 

go to their child and say, we cannot send you to a school who, first 

of all, values parental input. I mean, it is just so key. I mean, I 
6 

know it is true in Oshkosh Catholic school system so I am sure it 

here with St. Thomas More Academy as well. Parents are welcomed. They are encouraged to participate in their child’s education, which is so important for the outcome, and I am sure that 

was the case with you growing up as well. 

Senator SCOTT. Absolutely. The numbers that I find to be the 

most important numbers that are stunning is that when a child becomes disengaged along the way from an educational perspective, 

as I flunked out of high school as a freshman and had to go to summer school and catch up with my class and then graduate on time, 

and thank God for a small football scholarship that probably got 

me in as much as my SAT scores, and was able to go on and then 

finish on time in college as well. 

For the kid who gets disillusioned like so many of my friends, 

who drop out because they just were not having a quality experience, their income as a high school dropout is around $19,000. 

So if you graduate from high school, though, your income goes 

from $19,000 to $29,000, a 50 percent increase. If you go on to 

graduate from college it goes to $58,000. If you get an advanced degree you get closer to a six-figure income. 

So the fact of the matter, the numbers that matter to me most 

is not what we save as a government. It does not matter to me. If 

we are spending the money properly for education we cannot spend 

enough to do it right, and frankly, you can actually, according to 

the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Model, you can spend less money 

and get a better return for the students so that their incomes grow, 

and if their incomes grow revenues to the government grows, revenues to community grows, revenue to the church—if you believe in 

Malachi 3:10, that grows as well. 

Everything is better off if you focus on the number for the kids 

who graduate versus the ones who do not and the ones who go on 

to get a 4-year education, versus the ones who do not, versus the 

ones who go on to get a graduate degree versus the ones who do 

not. So the most powerful numbers that will equip these young students for the better future are the numbers that are most important. 

And the last number I will tell you—and it is where I am from, 

in South Carolina, Charleston County—60 percent of African American males do not graduate from high school. So just take that 

number and play it out over a lifetime. What does that mean from 

educational achievement, income achievement, family formation, 

poverty rates, governmental assistance? 

We can solve so many problems if we remember that education 

is about a student. It is not about a teacher first. It is about a student first. We want to have the best teachers, the best administration, but all those other parts are only to make sure that the primary responsibility and objective of making sure that the student 

is best prepared and best served. 

Everything else does not matter until we realize that the focus 

is the student, and then we hire the best teachers, and we get the 

best administrators, and we get the best program. But the focus, 

the MVP of the league, is someone who shows up for class and does 

well, because the system is built for that child. 
7 

Chairman JOHNSON. You can see the passion that Senator Scott 

has for this issue, which is why he is such a fabulous advocate. 

Now my staff will be kicking me in the knees, and probably 

yours too. I do not know what your time schedule is. If you have 

time I would love to have, if anybody has any questions for Senator 

Scott before he does have to leave. Do you have time? 

Senator SCOTT. I will take a question or two if you have them. 

But if I do not like your questions I just will not answer them, so 

it is great. [Laughter.] 

Just joking, kind of. 

Chairman JOHNSON. We do not want to put too much pressure 

on you. 

Senator SCOTT. Any questions for me of the students over here? 

Chairman JOHNSON. Right over here. 

Does she want to go to the microphone? 

Senator SCOTT. I will repeat the question. 

Chairman JOHNSON. OK. 

Mr. ADDISON. How you doing? 

Chairman JOHNSON. Just tell us your name and then give us 

your question. 

Mr. ALLEN. Hi, Senators. 

Senator SCOTT. Hi, sir. 

Mr. ALLEN. My name is Rob Allen. 

Senator SCOTT. Rob? 

Mr. ALLEN. Rob Allen. My question is, what would it take to 

spread this program throughout the United States, and what would 

be like the ramifications if it did pass in both the Senate and the 

House? 

Senator SCOTT. Yes, sir. Thankfully we are at a Catholic school 

so we all believe in prayer. That is probably a good place to start 

prayer, Rob. 

The second thing I would tell you is that we would have to have 

an honest conversation about building educational systems for students, and for no other purpose but for students. If we could have 

that conversation and if we were able to measure the student performance in schools, in programs like the OSP, or Milwaukee 

where Chairman Johnson is from, the State of Wisconsin, in many 

ways they burst the school choice programs. 

If we were able to see that come to fruition it would take a serious conversation and debate around how we are going to educate 

the next leaders of this country. If we did that, I think we would 

have more support, but it is hard to have that conversation in a 

polarized world called politics. That is why it is so important for 

parents to engage in the conversation, for students to engage in the 

conversation, because frankly, if you have the right skill set and 

you have the tools brought to you, I believe that you will do far better than I ever dreamed of doing in my life, because the world is 

getting better, not worse, if you see it right. The world is getting 

worse, not better, if you do not. 

I think we have to have that debate. It is one of the reasons why 

I am engaged in the school choice conversation. I do not care if the 

definition of school choice or high-quality schools is a public school, 

a private school, a home school, a virtual school. It does not matter 

to me at all. What I want are educated kids, because you deserve 
8 

the chance to prove your mettle. You deserve the chance to prove 

to me and to the world that you can compete. And that is what we 

are seeing, whether at a Success Academy in New York, which are 

public charter schools, or the Aviation High School in Michigan, or 

school systems throughout this country that are focusing on the development of a child to be the most successful leader they can be. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Anyone else? Right here. 

Senator SCOTT. Yes, ma’am. 

Ms. WASHINGTON. OK. Hi. My name is Rita Washington. I am 

from Archbishop Carroll High School. I have two questions. My 

first question to you was why you think that people would somewhat like disagree with this, even though you were saying that it 

is beneficial to all of us, like the government and the kids, and yet 

we all have a good benefit from this. So why do you think people 

would disagree with this, or have a reason to disagree? 

Senator SCOTT. And your second question? 

Ms. WASHINGTON. Oh, and my second question is, so you were 

saying that it would help kids when it comes to like college and 

things like that, but how would you encourage kids that start to 

see college as just another thing, it is nothing special. Because a 

lot of kids like do not have as much interest in college because they 

see it as like, oh, it is just something I am going to do so I can 

have a better job. So how would you encourage students to continue through and actually do good at school so they can have the 

same benefits? 

Senator SCOTT. That is a great question, Ms. Washington. Let me 

start with your second question and then I will go back to your 

first question. 

The second question, how do we convince kids to go into college, 

is an important aspect, an important part of the journey. I will say 

two things, and I mean it as I will say it, though it may not sound 

like I am answering your question directly. 

I think continuing your education is imperative to be a healthy 

citizen. So I call it being a life-long learner. I do not think that college is for every student, however. I think every student should 

have the choice, because the quality of education that they receive 

from kindergarten to 12th grade is such a powerful tool so that 

they choose whether or not they want to go to a 4-year college, a 

2-year college, or to an apprenticeship program. 

As an example, in my home State of South Carolina, we have 

folks who are a part of apprenticeship programs and they decided 

to take the route into industry, but they were able to go through 

a 12-week program to become a welder, and they ended up with an 

income of around $80,000 at 19 or 20 years old. Because there are 

some professions—there is dignity in all work. So some professions 

have a backlog of work. So you can start making a lot of money 

very quickly without having to go to college. So that is one point. 

So you do not have to go to college to be successful as a person. 

For the vast majority of the jobs of our future you are going to 

have to be a life-long learner, and one of the questions we are asking ourselves, what is the return on college education? Well, the average person, after 4 years in college, graduates with a debt of 

around $30,000, because if you grow up in a family like me, my 

parents cannot help me at all. My mother could not help me at all 
9 

so I had a small football scholarship that did not pay for everything 

else. I had student loans that paid for everything else. I should 

have just played better football, but I did the best I could with the 

skills I had. It just was not good enough, right? 

So the kids like me that graduate from college today have a $29,000 or $30,000 debt, but that $30,000 debt is what causes them 

to earn more than a million more dollars over their lifetime. If you 

give me $30,000 and 4 years of your life, I give $1 million back. 

That is a pretty good exchange, from my perspective. 

So what we have to understand is that the lifetime income of 

someone who finishes 4 years of college is infinitely more than the 

person who does not. So that is one real good reason to go. 

The second reason is that you are probably more familiar with 

this. How old are you? 

Ms. WASHINGTON. Seventeen. 

Senator SCOTT. OK. So you are 17 years old. Are you a junior or 

senior in high school? 

Ms. WASHINGTON. Senior. 

Senator SCOTT. Good. OK. So have you ever heard—and sometimes I talk real fast, so if I need to slow down so you can understand my next comment you let me know, OK? 

Have you ever heard of an iPhone? [Laughter.] 

You have? OK. How about the Internet? How about the possibility of vehicles that drive themselves, autonomous vehicles? How 

about vehicles and/or medical equipment that will diagnose the 

problems within the system that someone will have to come along 

and just fix the system, basically through technology? 

The vast majority of the disruption that is coming toward our 

economy in the decade or two will be the automation. So the technology economy, or the gig economy, is going to cause a disruption 

for folks who are working in high-tech manufacturing jobs, which 

my State has a lot of those jobs. 

So if you want to be in the know for the next wave of opportunities, technology is at the forefront. The place that you get the best 

shot at a technical education, built around technology—I am sorry, 

I speak with my hands. I apologize—is at college. 

So my nephew, who is—I call him the heir to the Scott throne— 

it is a very small throne but he gets it all since I do not have any 

kids, and I helped raise him since he was 8 years old so I take a 

lot of credit for his success even though I did not do anything for 

it other than just pay for it. 

He went to Georgia Tech, which is a good college for engineering. 

And he majored in biomedical engineering, graduated and went to 

work for a Big 8 firm, real good job. He got bored and went back 

to Duke to get his master’s in engineering and management. Tried, 

well, that one did not work. I do not think he really wants to work, 

actually. He just wants to stay in school. 

So now he is in medical school at Emory. He is a third year, just 

finishing up, and he is going to be a doctor who helps patients who 

have probably traumatic brain injuries and other issues. It is 

where he wants to focus his time. Well, his return on investment, 

though I was able to help some part of his education, he will have 

probably under six figures for his loans and he will make probably 

a lot of money, which means to me more than I am making, which 
10 

is not hard to do. But he will make $200,000, $300,000, $400,000, 

or $500,000. 

But his primary objective is to change lives of people who are severely injured. His dad is a military guy and worked in medicine. 

So he is going to have the equipment here to help change lives out 

there. So while the income is better for him, what really drives him 

is his mission. His mission is to change lives through the use of 

technology and medicine, bring them together. 

So since he knows what his mission is he is able to accomplish 

that mission through education. So that, to me, is why college is 

critically important for most students, because of the disruption 

that is coming in our economy. 

To your first question, Ms. Washington, why people disagree, if 

I were to be objective and not cynical I would say that some people 

believe that by having a conversation about school choice we are 

talking about depriving other students in other places from public 

education. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is this country spends about $700 billion on an education system that has been dropping, versus our competition 

worldwide, and we spend as much money per capita or per student 

as most any other education system, yet our results are getting 

worse and worse and worse. If I was in a competition, and I am 

seeing $700 billion for something that is becoming mediocre, I 

would want to take a looking and say will competition make it better? I think the answer is yes. 

I am a product of a public school. I want to protect as many public schools as possible, as long as they are taking care of the kids, 

and if they are not, I want someone else to introduce a program 

that takes care of those kids. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Well, Senator Scott, you have been very 

generous with your time. 

Senator SCOTT. Was there one parent that had a question for me 

back there? 

Ms. THOMPSON. Good afternoon, Senator Scott. 

Senator SCOTT. Hey, ma’am. 

Ms. THOMPSON. I just want to say thank you. I am a product of 

OSP. I have been with OSP for the last 12 years. I have two sons 

that are going to prominent high schools, Gonzaga College High 

School. He is graduating this year. 

Senator SCOTT. That is excellent. 

[Applause.] 

Ms. THOMPSON. I live in Ward 8, and unfortunately we would not 

have had that opportunity that came from here. There were educators here. And they would not have that opportunity if it was not 

for OSP. 

Senator SCOTT. Amen. 

Ms. THOMPSON. So I have two more kids here in which OSP is 

very important to me. So as a parent, what do we do to ensure and 

make sure that nothing jeopardizes this program? 

Senator SCOTT. Thank you, ma’am, a, for your energy, and you 

are a far better advocate than I could ever be because you are living the dream. You are watching your kids grow up. I always tell 

people I am living my momma’s American dream. She sacrificed so 

I could be here and you have done the same thing so that your kids 
11 

can achieve beyond many of your friends’ wildest imaginations 

probably. At least I know that was true with my momma. 

I would just say that to the extent that you can take the margin 

in your schedule, no matter if you are 12 hours or 8 hours, and 

make sure that you galvanize other parents who are part of the 

success story of OSP, you will be doing every student in the room 

a great service, by pledging a part of your time to make a difference in the ears of policymakers, in Congress and in D.C. 

I will frankly tell you that it was refreshing to hear the number 

of elected officials in D.C. who were supportive of D.C. Opportunity 

Scholarships. So there are folks you can rally around, and then 

there are other folks that you can probably help educate on the importance of it. And you are the shining example that we need to 

see more of, less of us old dudes and more of you young ladies coming out there and being our champions. I have never referred to 

myself as old, and I will never do it again, so I apologize. 

Chairman JOHNSON. You can refer to me as old. I am an old 

dude. 

Senator SCOTT. So seriously, getting a group of moms like-minded like you are, and talking about the story of your kids and what 

they are doing with their lives, and how they are changing the 

community, and what it means for this Nation long-term, it is the 

most powerful, untold story in America. So please do it. 

Ms. THOMPSON. Thank you. 

[Applause.] 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thanks, Senator Scott. We appreciate your 

passion and your advocacy. In our hearts you will always be magna 

cum laude, OK? 

Senator SCOTT. Thank you, sir. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Why do not our next witnesses come on up. 

And as they are coming up, just let me tell you, we will give the 

audience an opportunity to ask questions and make comments. I 

mean, we want to hear from you. We appreciate the three questions we got. They are excellent. We need this dialogue. And like 

Senator Scott was saying, the most important thing you can do is 

advocate. Make sure that your elected officials realize how important this is to you and your family. Your voices are going to be incredibly powerful, which is why we are having this hearing here at 

this school. 

I will tell my staff, I am not swearing witnesses in because I do 

not think that we need to here. It does not have to be that formal. 

I really want to welcome to our stage here three extraordinary 

individuals who have really worked tirelessly for the success of this 

program. And we will just do it in order here and I will introduce 

people right before they speak. 

So we will start with Marguerite Conley. Ms. Conley is the Chair 

of the Board of Directors for Georgetown Visitation Preparatory 

School and has three decades of experience in Catholic education 

as a teacher and administrator. Ms. Conley served for 8 years as 

the Executive Director of the Consortium of Catholic Academies, 

providing management and operational oversight for four inner-city 

elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Washington. 

Prior to leading the Consortium, Ms. Conley was the principal at 

Enunciation School in Washington, D.C. for 11 years. In 2006, Ms. 
12 

1The prepared statement of Ms. Conley appears in the Appendix on page 29. 

Conley received the Washington Post Distinguished Educational 

Leadership Award. Ms. Conley received both a master’s degree in 

education administration and a bachelor’s degree in English from 

the Catholic University of America. 

Ms. Conley, please. 

TESTIMONY OF MARGUERITE CONLEY,1 FORMER EXECUTIVE 

DIRECTOR, CONSORTIUM OF CATHOLIC ACADEMIES 

Ms. CONLEY. Thank you. Thank you and good afternoon. Senator 

Johnson, thank you for your leadership and support on this issue. 

Every parent and guardian wants his or her child to have a 

bright and successful future, often one better than he or she had. 

For many parents and guardians in DC this means higher-quality 

educational opportunities outside of their neighborhood schools 

that allow for exposure to values, cultural experiences, and activities enriching the overall education of their children. This is evident in the competitive lottery for choice public and charter schools 

in DC. 

For 15 years, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program has assisted parents and guardians in accessing an additional educational 

option for their children. Since its inception in 2004, the program 

has awarded 10,701 scholarships to students in grades K through 

12 from low-income families to access private and parochial schools 

of their choice. The average annual income of families is below 

$24,000 and 50 percent receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 

Program (SNAP). Ninety-five percent of the students are African 

American or Hispanic, and 66 percent reside in Wards, 4, 7, and 

8. 

The private and parochial schools participating in the program 

provide for the academic, social-emotional and financial needs of 

OSP students. School leaders have provided additional support for 

students performing below grade level; worked to expand Title I 

services; provided teachers with additional professional development; incorporated social-emotional learning strategies in the classroom; enhanced counseling services for both students and parents; 

and coordinated with local community resources to obtain extra resources to help address needs beyond the classroom. 

School administrators have also sought alternative funding to 

provide tuition assistance to cover the gap between tuition and the 

OSP scholarship, as well as subsidize the cost of additional school 

fees, materials, field trips, and school events so that students can 

participate fully in their school experience. 

Recognizing the impact a successful transition to a new school 

has, school administrators have created programs to assist students and their families with acclimating to a new school culture. 

These include, but are not limited to, academic summer boot 

camps, new parent and student orientations, and new parent buddies. Required parental engagement, attendance at meetings, and 

volunteering also help new parents and guardians become active 

members of the school community and empowers them to become 

advocates for their children. 
13 

Parental involvement is essential for student success and for creating a personal investment in the school. Classroom teachers, 

counselors, support staff and principals work collaboratively with 

parents and guardians throughout the year forming partnerships 

that encourage open communication nurturing student success. 

Over the last 15 years, the Opportunity Scholarship Program has 

improved in meeting the needs of the students and their families 

due to the collaborative efforts of the administrators of the program 

and school leaders. When the program first started, scholarship 

award notifications were outside of the private/parochial school application window. Even though some schools accepted OSP students at the last minute—sometimes even when school was even in 

session—the rush to place students did not always yield the best 

fit. 

Now under the direction of Serving Our Children, the timely notification of scholarship awards and school fairs within the private 

and parochial school application cycle allow school leaders to properly assess and plan for the needs of incoming students and their 

families. Better initial placements and less school transfers provide 

a more sound and consistent academic experience for students. In 

addition, the ongoing need for supplemental academic supports for 

students below grade level has led to the tutoring program established by Serving Our Children. 

The current administrator also implemented an absolute sibling 

preference during the awarding process, allowing all eligible children in a family to receive scholarships. This alleviates the strain 

on parents or guardians of juggling multiple schools or being forced 

to remain enrolled at their current neighborhood school. Having all 

children at one school provides a consistent educational experience 

for the entire family and promotes commitment in and to the 

school of choice. 

The overall success of the program is evident in the 24,351 applications received since 2004, the 94 percent parent satisfaction rate 

with their child’s academic progress and current school, and the 86 

percent high school senior acceptance rate to 2-or 4-year colleges or 

universities. The reauthorization of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program empowers parents to exercise their right to choose 

the best school for their child, no matter their income and allows 

children to have a brighter future. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you, Ms. Conley. 

Our next witness is Yisehak Abraham. Mr. Abraham attended 

Rock Creek International School and Archbishop Carroll High 

School through the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. Mr. 

Abraham went on to graduate from Columbia University with a 

bachelor’s degree in economics and now works as a research associate at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC, focusing on financial markets. Mr. Abraham. 
14 

1The prepared statement of Mr. Abraham appears in the Appendix on page 31. 

TESTIMONY OF YISEHAK ABRAHAM,1 ALUMNUS, D.C. 

OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 

Mr. ABRAHAM. Thank you, Senator. Good afternoon Chairman 

Johnson, Senator Scott, and other guests. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss my experience with the 

Opportunity Scholarship Program. It is truly an honor to sit before 

you representing all Opportunity Scholarship recipients and to advocate on their behalf. 

The D.C. OSP was created in 2004 with bipartisan support in response to the growing need for access to quality educational options 

for D.C. families. It is the first Federal Government initiative to 

provide scholarships for grades K through 12 for low-income children to attend a private school. The program began as part of a 

city-wide effort to improve all of the district’s educational sectors— 

public, public charter and non-public—in an effort to expand quality educational experiences for district families. 

It was subsequently reauthorized twice, and thanks to your leadership and efforts hopefully will be reauthorized again. Why should 

it be reauthorized? Let us take a look at the impact it has had 

since inception. 

Over 24,351 D.C. children have applied to the OSP since the program was created. Over 10,700 students have been awarded an 

OSP scholarship. 1,653 OSP students were enrolled in participating 

schools just last year. Half of OSP students received SNAP and/or 

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits in the 

last school year. 

$23,285 was the average annual household income for families 

using the scholarship in 2018. Sixty-six percent of OSP students 

enrolled reside in Ward 4, 7, and 8. More than 98 percent of OSP 

students graduate, and 86 percent of those students enrolled in a 

college. 

So who has this program served? It has served me and thousands like me, students and families who were looking for a choice 

that was either a better or maybe even the best fit for their educational future, a choice that would not be available to them were 

it not for the existence of OSP. 

OSP has had a tremendous, positive impact on my life. From kindergarten through the fourth grade I attended a D.C. public school. 

However, by the fourth grade I felt that something was not quite 

right, that the school I attended was not necessarily the best fit for 

me. 

In the fifth grade, I had the privilege of being awarded a scholarship to attend a private school through the OSP. My family chose 

to send me to Rock Creek International School located in DuPont 

Circle. The transition to Rock Creek felt magical, to say the least. 

The school had laptops for each student to take home, language 

classes, spectacular teachers who cared just as much about how I 

learned, as opposed to just what I learned, and more. 

I wrote my first extended research essay, which was over 10 

pages long, on the ancient Olympic Games. The following summer 

I even went to Greece through the school. I continued with the OSP 

and attended Archbishop Carroll High School, an excellent college- 
15 

1The prepared statement of Mr. Smith appears in the Appendix on page 33. 

preparatory Catholic school in DC. I graduated from Carroll in 

2012, and from Columbia University in 2016, with a bachelor in 

Economics. 

Currently I am a Research Associate at the American Enterprise 

Institute where I focus primarily on financial markets. In the future, I hope to continue to utilize economics to analyze policies that 

will better benefit the public and our Nation. 

OSP allowed me and my family a choice, a choice that would not 

have been if the OSP program had not existed. Can someone here 

tell me my choices should have been limited because I came from 

a different part of DC? Should any child be told that their choices 

have to be limited if a program that works and can have a tremendous and positive impact on their lives exists? 

Senator Johnson, Members of Congress, please reauthorize the 

OSP program and keep this critical program available for years to 

come. Thank you. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you, Mr. Abraham. 

Our final witness is also our host. Gerald Smith, Jr., is the Principal of St. Thomas More Catholic Academy. Before being named 

principal, Mr. Smith taught for 5 years here at St. Thomas More 

and for 2 years at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, 

Maryland. 

Mr. Smith received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Xavier 

University of Louisiana and a master’s degree in interdisciplinary 

health sciences form Drexel University. Principal Smith. 

TESTIMONY OF FATHER GERALD SMITH,1 PRINCIPAL, ST. 

THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC SCHOOL 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you, Senator Johnson. 

American educator and social activist, Geoffrey Canada, once 

asked a simple question—What would it take, in a society where 

a class of people in America are often forgotten and the game is 

fixed against them, what would it take to get them out of poverty? 

The answer is simple. Education. But simply placing scholars 

within a classroom is not enough. Providing true and sound partnerships between the community, the parents, and institutions’ 

educators, and most importantly, the scholars in which the school 

serves, is vital to the success of the developing whole individuals, 

willing and ready to make the world more just and humane. 

School choice is an important component in allowing parents and 

their scholars to find places that fit the needs of their unique academic profile. More importantly, the chance to choose a school rooted in mission and its religious core provides the opportunity for developing young men and women who are dedicated to growing in 

virtue. 

Catholic schools like St. Thomas More Catholic Academy and 

others within the Consortium of Catholic Academies, as well as 

many private and charter institutions give rise to increasing the 

chances of transforming every aspect of a young man or young 

woman’s life. 

The support of reauthorizing the SOAR Act gives hope to a world 

where brilliant minds are only one component to making the world 
16 

better. The SOAR Act gives the choice to parents to find a school 

that is ready to lead, teach, and inspire, through the gospels, reflecting love daily. Academic programs supported by the SOAR Act 

transform men and women with not only brilliant minds, but more 

importantly, men and women with fully sanctified hearts guided by 

virtue. 

[Applause.] 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you, Principal Smith. 

So I have a few questions for the witnesses but then after— 

again, I really want to encourage questions from the audience, and 

comments. I mean, we kind of want to hear your stories as well, 

until we run out of time and get the boot. 

Let me start with you, Ms. Conley. You have been involved in 

this program for quite some time and in education. What would 

you say is the single most important aspect or attribute of the Opportunity Scholarship Program? 

Ms. CONLEY. Wow. There are so many. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Well, name a few then. I do not want to 

limit you to just one. I like prioritizing things, but—— 

Ms. CONLEY. I think, first and foremost, choice. Every one—every 

parent and guardian has that right and that privilege to educate 

the child which they see fit. And we also know not every school is 

for every child. And so a parent should have access, no matter the 

income, to any school of their choice. 

I think the other piece is it is important keeping the family together, which I saw at the very beginning of the program, where 

funding was families were coming in together, we kept the consistency of their education, and then where we are now, moving back 

and saying absolutely sibling preference, so that all children are in 

one school. 

Chairman JOHNSON. So let me quick follow up on that aspect of 

your testimony, because, first of all, I was very pleased to read the 

fact that—it almost seemed to me, maybe early on—I do not want 

to use the word ‘‘sabotage,’’ but, I mean, the fact that the awards 

were occurring at a time when it was almost impossible for the 

school system to plan, but that has improved. Plus we are keeping 

students together. 

So what happened there? I mean, was there an acknowledgement 

that there was a real problem and there was real cooperation to 

improving the program? 

Ms. CONLEY. I think the ongoing push was principals working directly with the administrators, throughout the different years, of 

saying the importance of the timeliness. And some of it came with 

reauthorization and appropriations, of how do we know, up front, 

that money will be awarded and the program will be funded? 

I think in the years that we were on the fence of will this be reauthorized, people hesitated, things did not move forward. The fact 

that we know it was reauthorized, we know the money was there, 

and this administrator making it an absolute preference and realizing we want students to be in the best place initially. We do not 

want transferring. We do not want this scramble. No parent should 

be scrambling. They should be sitting down and having the conversation with the school of their choice. 
17 

And also what we see it the better initial fit. Students are in 

where they belong and where they should be. Some people may say 

it is cherry-picking. It is not. It is knowing up front what are you 

coming in with? Where are you? Meeting the student and the family where they are and then going forward, not just taking off the 

top. And I think that was the perception in the very beginning. 

Chairman JOHNSON. I think keeping families together is so important. I mean, we were always comforted. We hated to see my 

daughter go to North because the rest of the kids were going to 

Lourdes, first of all, just for convenience in terms of transportation 

but also, siblings look after each other. So again, that was a really 

positive result that I am glad is happening. 

Mr. Abraham, I want to ask you a what-if. Obviously you are an 

exceptional young man. I think you would have succeeded just 

about in any environment. But, you know, what if? What if you did 

not have that opportunity in the fifth grade? Do you think you 

would have pursued the same career path? I mean, do you think 

you would have been a little bit more limited? I mean, just, the 

what-if question. 

Mr. ABRAHAM. It is hard to speak on what if. I guess, the best 

answer I can give you is I know having through the path that I 

went through, and, having started at the public school that I did, 

I guess I knew what I would have missed out on. I would have not 

been on an accelerated track that would have pushed me. I would 

not have been pushed beyond my bounds in a way that made me 

see that more was possible, both in my education and in the capacities that I could gain. 

Chairman JOHNSON. So you are pretty thoroughly convinced that 

having this opportunity, this choice to go to a school that suited 

your abilities better, you end up—the result was better performance and—I mean—— 

Mr. ABRAHAM. Yes. Actually, in the original draft of my speech 

I kept saying who are we but the product of all the choices we have 

made from all the options we were given. And, to me the fact that 

I had a scholarship and was able to choose any school that I wanted to, it motivated me to take advantage of the schools that I ended 

up going to, because I knew I had the choice and I knew exactly 

what I was going to those schools to obtain. 

Chairman JOHNSON. OK. I mean, again, that is exactly what the 

parents in ‘‘Waiting for Superman’’ realized too, is that choice 

opened up doors that if they did not have those doors would close 

and they really thought their futures would be limited. 

So I want to ask Principal Smith a question here. If you have a 

question why do not you start lining up in as quiet way as possible 

so we can kind of move this along as efficiently as possible. 

But, Principal Smith, I cannot tell you how many times, working 

with Lourdes High School in Oshkosh, the Catholic school system 

there, I used to just be involved and just think to myself, this is 

a really special place. OK? Just a couple of hours here now, in St. 

Thomas More Academy, I get the same feeling. 

Can you describe that? Can you say, from your standpoint, what 

makes this system, this school such a special place? 

Mr. SMITH. So it is a gamut of things. I think, one, the scholars 

make this place what it is. It is home. It is home for many of us. 
18 

For some of us, we come from broken families. For some of us, we 

come from circumstances that are out of our control, and this is a 

place where we can be consistently and honestly ourselves and be 

loved and educated and get the same love that Christ gives us each 

and every day. 

I had the opportunity to be an educator here, left, learned a lot 

of amazing things and came back, and I get to work with some of 

the best educators within the Consortium, and the best principals 

as well, led by someone really great, with a mission, and we are 

all mission oriented with this ultimate goal of making sure that our 

scholars have what it takes to be successful in life. 

Chairman JOHNSON. So would you call it a pretty nurturing environment? 

Mr. SMITH. Oh, it is very loving. This is a family. And it is very 

funny because we never leave. We come right back. When we graduate from 12th grade we come back. We graduate from college, we 

come back. We had some kids that become educators here at the 

school. So it is an amazing place that just goes full circle in developing virtue. 

Chairman JOHNSON. I am going to ask you a combination of the 

questions I asked Ms. Conley and Mr. Abraham. What aspect of 

this program is the most important? And you see students all the 

time. Kind of the what-if question of those students as well. 

Mr. SMITH. I think, as Ms. Conley talked about it, it is choice. 

The what-if, I mean, there are endless possibilities of what could 

happen to our scholars if they did not have the opportunity to 

choose a school that fit their academic profile, if they could not 

choose a place that would love them unconditionally for who they 

were, and guide them to become wholesome young men and 

women. This is a place where they get the science, they get the 

math, they get the reading. They get all those things that they 

could get in a public school. But here, within, with the SOAR Act 

and with the OSP scholarship, they get their hearts formed. They 

become saints, and that is what our ultimate goal is as human 

beings. We go to college but ultimately we go to heaven. 

[Applause.] 

Chairman JOHNSON. Well again, thank you for your involvement. 

Now I will ask for questions or comments from the audience. 

Anybody? I am a U.S. Senator. I can talk for a long time, but you 

really do not want to listen to me. 

Mr. CAMPBELL. Hello. 

Chairman JOHNSON. State your name. 

Mr. CAMPBELL. My name is Keron Campbell. I am a senior at 

Archbishop Carroll High School. I do not have a question. I have 

a comment. 

Coming from a public school all throughout K through 8, where 

I was dealing with a lot of kids and the classroom sizes were sometimes humongous—like when I first came to Carroll—I came to 

Carroll my 10th grade, so I did not go to Carroll all 4 years. I came 

from a very large high school in P.G. County which is called 

Charles Herbert Flowers High School. It had 2,300 kids. The average class size was 40 kids, and that was not me. Sometimes my 

teachers did not even know my name. That is how big the school 

was. 
19 

And so coming to Carroll and really getting that intimate setting 

with my teachers and getting the opportunity—and I do not think 

I would have gotten the opportunity without OSP, to be honest 

with you. I think I would have been at another public school with 

a large setting of kids and I would have never, like, got that attention I really needed at the time. 

And so at Carroll I feel that every day, I would not have gotten 

that if I had not had OSP. That loving setting and a Catholic 

school setting where you can foster kids and be better and really 

grow them as a person. And I think I never would have gotten that 

if it was not for OSP. 

So that is all I have to say. Thank you. 

[Applause.] 

Chairman JOHNSON. I appreciate that. 

By the way, let me point out a few numbers here. As said earlier, 

the average cost, operational cost of educating somebody in the district is $19,000. If you tack in the capital costs, the maintenance 

and building cost, it is about $29,000. 

The cost of the scholarships is somewhere between $8,000 and I 

think $12,000. Is it $13,000? So if you really do the math on that, 

$30 million is what the district saves, and they are getting $20 million out of the deal, so it is pretty good. 

But the reason I am pointing that out is tuition—and I do not 

know what tuition is here. I know in the Catholic school system in 

Oshkosh it was a lot cheaper than that per-student cost, and yet 

the class size was smaller. So you have to scratch your head. What 

is the public system doing but what a good deal these voucher system schools really are. So got to make that a counting point. 

Any other questions or comments? 

Ms. WILSON. I have a comment. I want to say thank you, because 

I was at OSP too. When I went to a public school I was very down 

in reading until I got an OSP scholarship, and now my reading got 

actually better. So thank you. 

Chairman JOHNSON. So what is your name and what school do 

you go to? 

Ms. WILSON. Yenaya, and I attend St. Thomas More. 

Chairman JOHNSON. And you are in what grade? 

Ms. WILSON. Sixth. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Well, you are a very articulate little sixthgrader, so thank you for those comments. 

Ms. WILSON. Thank you. 

[Applause.] 

Mr. MASSEY. Good evening, Senator. 

Chairman JOHNSON. What is your name and your school? 

Mr. MASSEY. My name is Micah Massey. I am in eighth grade 

and I go to St. Thomas More Catholic Academy. 

I would like to add on to Mr. Smith’s speech. From a student 

standpoint about this is a home, he is correct. This is a home 

where you can express yourself in the right way, be your true and 

authentic self. That is what Mr. Smith always tells me. This is a 

loving and caring school. We accept anyone. And that is what I 

would like to say. 

[Applause.] 

Chairman JOHNSON. Well, thank you. 
20 

So again, why would anybody be opposed? Why would anybody 

deny somebody an opportunity to experience something like this? 

Sir. 

Mr. CARTER. How you doing, Senator Johnson. My name is Derrick Carter and I have actually two sons that are in the OSP program. One attends this school and I have one that is graduating 

from Archbishop Carroll this year. 

First and foremost, I would like to say thank you to Mr. Smith, 

because not only is he the principal of this school but he is like a 

father figure when things are not going right here. So me, as a parent, had it not been for this program, I do not know what I would 

have done, because as a parent I always want to have a choice of 

where I can send my kids to get their education from. 

So me, as a parent, I am real thankful that this program is 

around. I have advocated for it because I have been on Capitol Hill 

at these congressional meetings, so I am one of those parents that 

you might see on Capitol Hill one day, because I do support this 

program. That is how much passion I have about this program. 

So we just want to say, as parents, that we are going to work 

and make sure that we keep this program around, so that—and 

these are his words—our scholars can continue to have success in 

life, whatever they decide to do. 

Thank you. 

[Applause.] 

Chairman JOHNSON. Well, thank you, Mr. Carter. Thanks for 

those comments. And again, thank you for expressing your appreciation to the principal, and by extension, everybody who works in 

this very special place. I mean, it is a an act of service and sacrifice, so thank you for expressing that. 

Next. Your name and your school. 

Ms. ADAMS. Hi. My name is Mackenzie Adams and I attend St. 

Thomas More Catholic Academy. And my question today is what 

do you think the world would be like, well, Washington, DC would 

be like without this program? 

Chairman JOHNSON. Anybody want to answer that? 

Mr. SMITH. I think we would have a world where—I think if the 

scholars did not have the opportunity to be partners in their education we would have robots. We would have a world that feels like 

this is the one way that we go, these are the one things that we 

do. Here, with this scholarship, you have the opportunity for your 

world to be broadened, for doors to be opened, for you to see things 

that you never could imagine. I think this is what this scholarship 

provides you, insight to things that are bigger than Washington, 

DC, bigger than your neighborhood, bigger than your back yard. 

So if you never had that opportunity you would be very closeminded, I think. Your eyes would be closed to all of the wonders 

that the world has to offer. 

Chairman JOHNSON. But let me chime in, and if you are thinking 

of your own response, what made this Nation great is the vision 

of our Founding Fathers to protect the God-given rights—and 

again, God-given rights—of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The reason we are able to pursue happiness is because we are 

free people, and as a result of free people we have the opportunity 

to aspire, to dream, to hope. And without an Opportunity Scholar-
21 

ship Program the families who are taking advantage of this, they 

have some of that hope, some of that freedom, some of that aspiration taken away from them. 

I keep pointing out no government agency would have created 

this. This was created by the mind of a true visionary and genius. 

I mean, you can go through and all products and services that create this private sector. Those are done through the minds—first of 

all, the God-given minds—but the creativity and the aspirations of 

individuals. And without these types of scholarship programs there 

would just be 1,645 students that do not have quite as much hope. 

They may not aspire. They may not go on to graduate, whatever, 

cum laude, or a graduate program, and they may never invent this 

for the benefit of all of us. 

So again, you can never tell, but it is individuals, operating with 

that freedom and hope and ability to aspire and create and innovate, that we would lose without programs like this. 

Mr. ABRAHAM. I mean, just to add on, I really liked, what Senator Scott said while he was up here. When parents have a choice, 

students have a chance. I think both parents and students benefit 

equally. I know that my parents were happy to see me just being 

thrilled to go to the new school that we all of a sudden had a choice 

to be able to go to. 

To say like what a world without OSP looks like is a world where 

maybe parents are sending their kids to a school where every day 

they are like I know it is not necessarily the best fit for them but 

I hope that the best will happen. In the case with OSP, you can 

see in the parents’ expressions that they know that their child is 

at the right place. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Any other questions or comments? 

Ms. MACLEAY. Thank you for your time today. My name is Ashley MacLeay. I am here with Independent Women’s Forum, and I 

am the at-large representative to the D.C. State Board of Education. 

Thank you for your comments, and we have heard lots of benefits 

today from Senator Scott as well as yourself. Do you have any comments or response to those naysayers, those in Congress or the 

D.C. Council or the Washington Teachers Union (WTU), who may 

not support this program under the guise of accountability? 

Chairman JOHNSON. Principal Smith, I have a response as well, 

but go ahead. 

Mr. SMITH. You can go first. 

Chairman JOHNSON. With freedom comes responsibility, and so 

it is really the responsibility of each parent to make the evaluation. 

Is this a school that is going to suit my children’s needs? I mean, 

is it accredited? Is the principal a loving, caring human being? Are 

the teachers? Are the administrator? 

So you can either put your faith in government to make that 

choice for you—again, one of the questions I ask crowds all the 

time is, show of hands—how many people think the Federal Government is efficient and effective? Nobody raises their hand. They 

just laugh, OK. How many think it is pretty broken and dysfunctional? OK. So let us not have the Federal Government make that 

choice, or even the local district government. Why not let parents 

make that choice. I think they care about their children more than 
22 

anybody else does. So I am happy to put that decision factor, that 

evaluation of is this an accredited school to my standards, I would 

rather give that choice to the parent than I would to any form of 

government, quite honestly. 

Principal Smith, do you want to chime in on that as well? 

Mr. SMITH. I am a product of public schools. My educators were 

great. They were fantastic. They pushed me beyond measure. But 

I do not remember my parents being as involved. They could not 

be. There were things that we did within the public school sector, 

as public science students that my parents were not truly invested. 

The parents that I see coming here every single day have a say. 

They come in and they fight for the education that each one of 

their scholars deserves. I think that a naysayer that says that this 

program is not needed is disregarding every parent and the role 

that they play in the education as a first teacher, as a first educator for the scholars that we teach. I think that we have to give the 

opportunity for our parents to make that choice to be the number 

one educator, to give them what they need. Because when they 

graduate from St. Thomas More and they graduate from any of 

these Catholic schools or any of these private schools that the 

SOAR Act supports, their parents will always be their educator, 

and we need them to be a part of it. 

Ms. MACLEAY. Thank you very much. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you. 

Ms. HARRIS. All right. My name is Dia Harris and I am from 

Archbishop Carroll High School. My question is, if somebody did 

not know what the OSP program, like how would you explain that 

to them? 

Chairman JOHNSON. Yisehak, you actually participated. Why do 

not you answer the question? 

Mr. ABRAHAM. Sure. Go Carroll. Go Lions. 

So your question is how would I describe what OSP is to somebody who has never heard of it. It is like a Golden Ticket, if I had 

to exaggerate. 

Again, if you are going to a school where you know, it is not the 

right fit for you, and, the only reason why you cannot go to another 

school is because of circumstance, because of the area of the city 

you live in, or, how much money your parents have it is almost a 

huge equalizer. It grants people opportunities and, gives you a fair 

shot at success. 

Ms. HARRIS. Thank you. 

Chairman JOHNSON. You mentioned the word opportunity. We 

are all created equal. We do try and guarantee equal opportunity. 

You cannot guarantee equal outcomes but equal opportunity. So I 

like that answer. It is the Golden Ticket, is opportunity that helps 

ensure that. 

Get up on your tippy-toes. 

Mr. BONDS. I am Calique Bonds and I am in the sixth grade at 

St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, and this is for Principal Gerald Smith. I want to say thank you for leading us St. Thomas More 

scholars. And I want to ask a question. What led you to your career 

right now? 

Mr. SMITH. I am getting grilled today. 
23 

It is a very funny story. I was brought here by God, and as cliche ́

as that may sound. I graduated from Drexel University College of 

Medicine. I came here and taught at a summer program and was 

only going to teach for the summer. I was given the opportunity to 

teach, fell in love with teaching, and was inspired by the minds of 

each and every one of the scholars that sit here and those that are 

going on my first. The second class that I ever taught is graduating 

this year. And I remember the conversations that we had of the 

success that lied right beyond these doors, for each and every one 

of them. I get to see them. Hopefully I will get invitations to see 

them walk across the graduation stage and become a part of society, to change it, to make it more just, to make it more humane. 

So what has led me here? God led me here. I did not listen a lot, 

but when I started to listen, here we are. I have the opportunity 

to now be a face and an advocate for a scholarship that is going 

to give you guys the opportunity to change your lives to. 

Chairman JOHNSON. So Mr. Smith, real quick in preparation for 

this hearing I read a piece that Principal Smith wrote, and I was 

struck by the humility of one of the opening lines in there, when 

you talked about you were—I do not know the exact word but 

scared when you got this opportunity. Just talk a little bit about 

the—kind of the enormity of the responsibility when you first were 

given the opportunity to become principal of this school, what your 

reaction was to it. 

Mr. SMITH. So I called my teachers educators because Senator 

Scott talked about it. We are life-long learners and educators are 

life-long learners. And I love to educate. I am at my best self when 

I am in the classroom, on a board, educating my scholars. 

And I got the call from Father Moore to say, ‘‘We want to make 

you principal.’’ And it sounds great in the first moment, but then 

I hung up and I was like, oh, principal. So it was scary in the sense 

of what does that look like? How do you become the head educator? 

How do you become the head role model? How do you become the 

model of Jesus Christ in everything that you do? And that was the 

challenge. 

And so for me it was only scary at the beginning because after 

that it became a lot of prayer, a lot of discernment, a lot of opportunities to have conversations with Christ, to really focus on what 

the ultimate goal of Catholic education was. What is the ultimate 

goal for scholars that have chosen to be here, that could go anywhere for free, but will work beyond measure through this scholarship, through the opportunity, to become great? 

So I had to get rid of the fear and become very humble and understand my role as a leader within this part. 

Chairman JOHNSON. I hope you do not mind me asking that 

question but I think it is very important for your scholars that are 

sitting here to understand that the head guy, your principal, experienced that level of fear with a new challenge. That is not unusual. That is going to happen throughout your life. Life is not 

easy, and I think being led by someone with that kind of humility—and, quite honestly, that level of fear, understanding that the 

gravity of the responsibility he is taking on being your principal is, 

I think, pretty interesting, if nothing else. But again, thank you for 

your service. 
24 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Any other questions or comments? Ma’am, 

do you have a question or comment or are you leaving? OK. 

Mr. SMITH. No, she is coming up. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Are you coming up? OK, good. I was not 

sure. 

Ms. STEWART. Good afternoon, everyone. I am an old parent to 

OSP. When I first heard about OSP my son was graduating from 

elementary school, and I had gone through the process only to be 

hurt because the program had went away. Congress had took the 

money away. And so I was left scrambling, trying to find a junior 

high school as well as a high school for my son. 

Needless to say, I did well. He is 23 years old, living in California. He is a Marine. But his senior year I received a letter saying that the money had come back and the OSP program had started up again. And now I have this 3-year-old daughter who could 

partake in the scholarship. And so once again I went through the 

process, and Katlynn was granted the OSP scholarship money. And 

so now I was left with trying to find a school, which St. Thomas 

More was our selection. 

And since then she has blossomed. Katlynn has advanced from 

second grade to fourth grade. She loves her school. She loves her 

principal. She loves her teachers. I love the staff. It just works for 

us. So thank you to the program and certainly thank you to St. 

Thomas More family. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you for your comment. 

[Applause.] 

That comment does remind me. There was somebody in the audience that was going to ask a question. Can I prompt that person? 

Maybe she has already left. Because I would rather not make the 

point myself. 

Well, she must have gone. 

The point that was raised was why only reauthorize this for just 

5 years. Why not do it permanently? I would love to do that. I have 

already asked my staff have we already drafted the bill? I mean, 

we have, with a 5-year authorization. But when you see the strong 

bipartisan support, when you see the support from the D.C. City 

Council, this may be an opportunity. 

I would encourage all of you, so that we do not have that issue 

of funding potentially going away. Opposition may be raising its 

ugly head again. There is no reason, from my standpoint, not to reauthorize this thing permanently, and I would love to do that, but 

we are going to need your help and we are going to need your 

voices to make that advocacy. 

Oh, they just called votes which means I have to leave. 

But again, I want to thank everybody—our host, our witnesses, 

the audience participants, again, the school administrators, Father 

Moore, Mr. Smith, all of you that are involved in this very special 

place. Thank you very much. God bless you. 

And with that the hearing is adjourned. 

[Applause.] 

[Whereupon, at 4:56 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.] 
(25) 

A P P E N D I X 
26 

I look forward to hearing today from Senator Tim Scott, and from two other witnesses, 

Marguerite Conley, former executive director of the Consortium of Catholic Academies, Yisehak 

Abraham, a young man who attended school through the program, and St. Thomas More 

Catholic Academy Principal, Gerald Smith. I would also like to hear from members of the 

audience and will welcome your questions and comments. 
27 

Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs 

The Opportunity to SOAR: 15 Years of School Choice in D.C. 

Senator James Lankford (OK) 

Statement for the Record 

February 26, 2019 

Thank you Chairman Johnson for your leadership on this issue and your support for school 

choice. All children, regardless of income or socioeconomic status, should have access to 

quality education. 

The Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) is a key part of a three-pronged approach to 

improve education in the District of Columbia. While we could look at the program itself, it is 

important to view this as one part in the overhaul for the D.C. education system. Under 

the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act, equal funds must be appropriated for 

public schools, public charter schools and opportunity scholarships. OSP scholarships allow lowincome families the opportunity to send their children to a participating D.C private school of 

their choice. This gives families the ability to choose the best fit for their child whether it be 

public, public charter or private school, a decision often taken for granted by those more affluent. 

For school year 2018-2019, OSP received 3,294 applications and only 1,645 students were 

awarded a scholarship. Each year more students apply and only a few new spots open. In school 

year 2018-2019 there were 1,333 new applicants and only 316 new students were given 

scholarships. Currently, 91% of student's awarded scholarships are African-American or 

Hispanic, 43% of the students receive SNAP and/or TANF benefits and the average annual 

income for participating families is under $24,000 per year. The highest demand for students is 

greatest where public schools are not high performing and families can't afford private school or 

are unable to move where the public schools are better. 

Last year as chair of Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee on 

Appropriations, we increased the DC opportunity scholarship fund by $17.5 million for Fiscal 

Year 2019. Support and allocation for these opportunity scholarship vouchers is paired with extra 

funding for both the city's public charters and traditional schools, which both also received an 

increase to $17.5 million in extra federal funding. We increased this funding to provide each 

child the opportunity to succeed in the classroom that fits their needs. 

Along with increased funding we also directed that more of the funding to go toward actual 

scholarships. In fiscal year 2018, $2 million was allocated to the Department of Education (DoE) 

to perform a study to evaluate the value of OSP. In Fiscal Year 2019, the Appropriations 

Committee reduced the funding for more studies and instead allocated more money for student 

scholarships. 

As someone who personally benefited from school choice, I know firsthand how important this 

opportunity is for families as they seek to make the best educational decisions for their children. 

I am proud to support the Committee today in this effort and to have worked to further this issue 

in the appropriations process. 
28 

Senator Tim Scott- Opportunity to SOAR- Testimony 

To Chairman Johnson and the rest of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak here 

today about this important program and about expanding educational options so that our young 

people can access the opportunities they deserve. 

I also want to thank you and the rest of the Committee for choosing to hold this hearing here at a 

school, where we can see firsthand the impact that programs like the Opportunity Scholarship are 

having on students and parents. St. Thomas More Academy is exactly the kind of model we need 

to be holding up as we discuss these issues. Unfortunately, on Capitol Hill, these discussions 

sometimes take a turn away from the families--the parents and students--actually affected by 

these policies. 

The reality is, if you have a high-paying job, you already have school choice-it's called a good 

income. With a high income, you can choose your neighborhood, or choose to send your child to 

a private school. 

The problem is, many parents don't have that luxury. These parents want their kids to achieve as 

much as any other parent. But they lack the income to support the best options for their kids. 

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program ensures that your zip code doesn't determine your 

child's educational future. It provides families with options. 

This mission-which is to educate kids in a high-quality school-is neither Republican nor 

Democratic. It's both. I thank Senator Feinstein, who joined us in introducing the SOAR 

Reauthorization Act last month-in an effort to continue helping high-potential kids to realize 

their dreams. 

My hope is that we can move this bipartisan bill across the finish line, and to ensure that families 

can continue to benefit from the Opportunity Scholarship Program for years to come. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
29 

Statement of K. Marguerite Conley 

HSGAC Hearing February 26, 2019 

Every parent and guardian wants his or her child to have a bright and successful future -often 

one better than he or she had. For many parents and guardians in DC this means higher quality 

educational opportunities outside of their neighborhood schools that allow for exposure to 

values, cultural experiences, and activities enriching the overall education of their children. This 

is evident in the competitive lottery for choice public and charter schools in DC. 

For fifteen years, the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program has assisted parents/guardians in 

accessing an additional educational option for their children. Since its inception in 2004, the 

program has awarded I 0, 70 I scholarships to students in grades K through 12 from low-income 

families to access private and parochial schools of their choice. The average annual income of 

families is below $24,000 and 50% receive SNAP and/or T ANF benefits. 95% of the students 

are African- American or Hispanic and 66% reside in Wards, 4, 7, and 8. 

The private and parochial schools participating in the program provide for the academic, 

social/emotional and financial needs ofOSP students. School leaders have provided additional 

support for students performing below grade level; worked to expand Title I services; provided 

teachers with additional professional development; incorporated social emotional learning 

strategies in the classroom; enhanced counseling services for both students and parents; and 

coordinated with the local community to obtain resources to help address needs beyond the 

classroom. School administrators have also sought alternative funding to provide tuition 

assistance to cover the gap between tuition and the OSP scholarship as well as subsidize the cost 

of additional school fees, materials, field trips, and school events so that students can participate 

fully in their school experience. 

Recognizing the impact a successful transition to a new school has, school administrators have 

created programs to assist students and their families with acclimating to a new school culture. 

These include, but are not limited to, academic summer boot camps, new parent and student 

orientations, and new parent buddies. Required parental engagement, attendance at meetings, and 

volunteering also help new parents/guardians become active members of the school community 

and empowers them to become advocates for their children. Parental involvement is essential for 

student success and for creating a personal investment in the school. Classroom teachers, 

counselors, support staff and principals work collaboratively with parents/guardians throughout 

the year forming partnerships that encourage open communication nurturing student success. 

Over the last fifteen years the Opportunity Scholarship Program has improved in meeting the 

needs of the students and their families due the collaborative efforts of the administrators of the 

program and school leaders. When the program first started, scholarship award notifications were 

outside of the private/parochial school application window. Even though some schools accepted 

OSP students at the last minute- sometimes even when school was already in session -the rush 

to place students did not always yield the best fit. Now under the direction of Serving Our 

Children, the timely notification of scholarship awards and school fairs within the private and 

parochial school application cycle allow school leaders to properly assess and plan for the needs 

of incoming students and their families. Better initial school placements and less school transfers 
30 

provide a more sound and consistent academic experience for students. In addition, the ongoing 

need for supplemental academic supports for students below grade level has led to the tutoring 

program established by Serving Our Children. 

The current administrator also implemented an absolute sibling preference during the awarding 

process allowing all eligible children in a family to receive scholarships. This alleviates the strain 

on parents/guardians of juggling multiple schools or being forced to remain enrolled at their 

current neighborhood school. Having all children at one school provides a consistent educational 

experience for the entire family and promotes commitment in and to the school of choice. 

The overall success of the program is evident in the 24,351 applications received since 2004; the 

94% parent satisfaction rate with their child's academic progress and current school; and the 

86% high school senior acceptance rate to 2 or 4 year colleges or universities. The 

reauthorization of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program empowers parents to exercise their 

right to choose the best school for their child no matter their income and allows children to have 

a brighter future. 
31 

Testimony ofYisehak Abraham 

HSGAC Hearing- February 26, 2019 

Good afternoon Chairman Johnson, Senator Scott and other guests. Thank you for the opportunity 

to appear before you today to discuss my experience with the Opportunity Scholarship Program 

(OSP). It is truly an honor and awesome responsibility to sit before you representing all past, 

present and future Opportunity Scholarship recipients and to advocate on their behalf. 

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) was created in 2004 with bi-partisan support 

in response to the growing need for access to quality educational options for D.C. families. It is 

the first federal government initiative to provide scholarships for grades K -12 for low-income 

children to attend a private school. The program began as part of a city-wide effort to improve all 

of the District's educational sectors- public, public charter and non-public- in an effort to 

expand quality educational experiences for District families. 

It was subsequently reauthorized twice and thanks to your leadership and efforts hopefully will 

be reauthorized again. Why should it be reauthorized? Let's take a look at the impact it's had 

since inception. 

Over 24,351 D.C. children have applied to the OSP since the program was created. 

Over 10,701 students have been awarded an OSP scholarship 

1,653 OSP students enrolled in participating schools last school year 

50% ofOSP students received SNAP and/orTANF benefits last school year 

$23,285 was the average annual household income for families using the scholarship in 

2018. 

66% ofOSP students enrolled reside in Ward 4, 7, and 8 

More than 98% ofOSP students graduate, and 86% of those students enrolled in a 

college. 

So, who is this program serving or who has it served? Me and thousands like me. Students and 

families who were looking for a choice that was a better or the best fit for their educational future. 

A choice that would not be available to them were it not for the existence of the OSP. 

OSP has had a tremendous, positive impact on my life. From kindergarten through the fourth 

grade, I attended a D.C. public school. However, by the fourth grade, I felt that something was 

not right; that the school I attended was not necessarily the best fit for me. 

In the fifth grade, I had the privilege of being awarded a scholarship to attend a private school 

through the OSP. My family chose to send me to Rock Creek International School located in 

DuPont Circle. The transition to Rock Creek felt magical, to say the least. The school had laptops 

for each student to take home, language classes, spectacular teachers who cared just as much about 

how I learned, as opposed to just what I learned, and more. 

I wrote my first extended research essay, which was over ten pages long on the ancient Olympic 

Games. The following summer I even went to Greece through the school. I continued with the 

OSP and attended Archbishop Carroll High School, a college-preparatory Catholic school. I 

graduated from Carroll in 2012 and from Columbia University in 2016 with a B.A. in Economics. 
32 

Currently I am a Research Associate at the American Enterprise Institute where I focus primarily 

on financial markets. In the future, I hope to continue to utilize economics to analyze policies to 

benefit the public. 

The OSP program allowed me and my family a choice. A choice, a future, if you will that would 

not have been if the OSP program had not existed. Can someone here tell me my choices should 

have been limited because I came from a different part of DC? Should any child be told that their 

choices have to be limited if we have a program that works and can have a tremendous and positive 

impact on their lives? 

Senator Johnson, all members of Congress, please reauthorize the OSP program and keep this 

critical program available for years to come. Thank you. 
33 

Æ 

ST. THOMAS MORE 

CATHOLIC ACADEMY 

STM Congressional Hearing Opening Statement - Gerald Smith 

Geoffery Canada once asked a simple question, What would it Take? In a society where a class of 

people in America are often forgotten and the game is fixed against them, what would it take to get 

them out of poverty? The answer is simple: education. But simply placing scholars within a 

classroom is not enough. Providing true and sound partnerships between the community, the 

parents, an institution's educators and most importantly the scholars in which school's serve is vital 

to the success of developing whole individuals willing and ready to make the world more just and 

humane. School Choice is an important component in allowing parents and their scholars to find 

places that fit the needs of their unique academic profile. More importantly, the chance to choose a 

school rooted in mission and its religious core provides the opportunity for developing young men 

and women who are dedicated to growing in virtue. Catholic Schools like St. 1homas More 

Catholic Academy and others within the Consortium of Catholic Academics as well as many private 

institutions gives rise to increasing chances of transforming every aspect of a young man or young 

woman's life. The support of the SOAR grant gives hope to a world where brilliant minds are only 

one component to making the world better. The SOAR grant gives the choice to parents to find 

schools ready to lead, teach, and inspire, through the gospel reflecting love daily. Programs 

supported by the SOAR grant transforms men and women with not only brilliant minds, but more 

importantly men and women with full sanctified hearts guided by virtue.