A Faith-Based Reason

When Hannah Turner’s soccer pals began wondering why she didn’t attend the nearby public school like they did, she began to question whether going to a private school was right for her.

Her friends didn’t get the school uniform she wears every day. But Hannah realized they didn’t understand something else: the importance of her being able to read from her bible and her text books. She’s a sixth-grader at Niwot’s Rocky Mountain Christian Academy, a private, nonsecular institution.

Students like her opt to attend private schools for reasons other than small class size and posh campuses—religion. Throughout Boulder County and the metro area, there are numerous options for those looking to mesh Jewish, Catholic, Christian and other values with their studies.

“I’m very passionate that all education comes first from a particular world view,” says Barb Bulthuis, Rocky Mountain Christian’s director of advancement. “Secular schools claim to be neutral towards religion, but they can’t be. They counter the Christian world view that I want my children to learn.”

It’s this perspective that makes the cost of Hannah’s Rocky Mountain tuition worth it for the Turners.

And when considering that perspective, the one that allows Hannah to learn the three Rs and a helping of her faith, the doubts raised by her soccer friends quickly faded.

Sure, Hannah loves her school because she gets to participate in “cool things” such as dissecting animals in science or playing the clarinet in band. But having the freedom to learn and talk about Christian values is even more important.

She has spent her entire school career in the private realm. Before Rocky Mountain, she attended Mt. Zion Lutheran School in Boulder. Her parents decided to move her when the school started faltering; combining grade levels to save money on teachers.

Hannah already had friends at Rocky Mountain, so the move, just after Christmas break of last year, made perfect sense.

“It’s a good environment, and I’m really happy here,” she says.