Blue state strips homeschool subsidy for teaching Christian content

Parents who home-educate or send their children to Christian private schools are at serious risk if they become dependent on government funding

A Marine veteran and mother of five is suing an Oregon school district, alleging that officials denied reimbursement for an academic curriculum solely because the books reflected a Christian worldview.

Tessa Bulzan, who left a six-figure job after an incident at her children’s school conflicted with her moral and biblical beliefs, joined Hillsboro School District’s homeschool partnership program in July 2025, according to Fox News. She says the district initially approved her Christian curriculum as academically valid before denying reimbursement months later.

USPIE has warned parents that if they homeschool and take government money, they will not like the controls that come with it.

This story is an excellent example. Although the parents have not (yet) been told they cannot use curriculum with a Christian worldview, it appears they will not be reimbursed. Parents who home-educate or send their children to Christian private schools are at serious risk if they become dependent on government funding.

Bulzan said the family was encouraged to learn that the Christian curriculum they were already using, including Abeka and Classical Conversations, met the district’s academic requirements.

“Then in January, when we went to go reimburse or seek reimbursement for that curriculum, we were denied solely on its author's biblical world beliefs,” Bulzan said. The family had planned to use the money for extracurricular activities and additional curriculum.

Parents are right to get their kids out of the Godless government schools, but they risk getting ensnared by the shiny gold object of ‘free’ government money. Whoever pays the piper eventually wants to call the tune, especially government school employees, many of whom wield enormous power and like to use it.

USPIE has been warning parents for years that vouchers and other handouts come with strings attached. Our hearts go out to parents struggling economically to keep their children safe by removing them from government schools, but they also need to overcome the temptation to take subsidies that may put them in a place of dependency.

On a previous episode of USPIE’s podcast, “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few,” Few and guests April Few and Robert Bortins discussed the complexities of school choice and its impact on the education system. They argue that accepting public funding for private education can blur the lines, effectively making private institutions public. Their conversation highlights the importance of informing parents about public policies affecting their children’s schooling, especially those related to charter schools and government funding.

To hear more from Sheri Few, tune in to the latest episode of “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few” on Tuesday, October 13, where Few is joined by Connecticut homeschool advocate Diane Connors and attorney Deborah Stevenson. On this episode, Few, Connors and Stevenson discuss Connecticut’s new homeschool law, increased government oversight of home education and the implications for parental rights and due process. Listen to “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few” on YouTube, Facebook, Spotify and X.