For Denise Fair and her husband, raising six children has meant making hard choices and working long hours to give their kids the best start in life. Two of their kids are still in school at Lakeway Christian Academy, which has become more of a community than just a school for them. Denise had been searching and praying for a better education option for her kids, and when Lakeway opened its doors nearby, she felt hope. But the tuition cost seemed out of reach at first. A chance meeting with other parents, a school tour, and several years of faith and persistence led them to enroll their children.
The journey hasn’t been easy. Denise and her husband juggle several jobs to support their family. He works as a police officer and runs a fire extinguisher business. She is a 911 operator and also does bookkeeping on the side. Their choice to keep their kids in private school has meant real sacrifice. Sometimes, they weren’t sure if they could afford it from one year to the next. But the Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) changed everything. When Denise learned that both of her children received scholarships, she cried with relief.
The Education Freedom Scholarship has done more than lighten the financial burden—it’s given the Fair family room to breathe. Their children can now take part in sports, go on field trips, and try new activities that were once out of reach. The school’s close-knit community has given them peace of mind they didn’t have before. For Denise, these benefits go beyond academics—they’re about security, opportunity, and a sense of belonging.
Denise wants lawmakers to know how vital programs like EFS are. “We all pay taxes,” she says, “and parents should have some choice in what is being taught to their children.” She believes expanding the program is essential. This allows other families, especially those who thought private school was too financially out of reach, to feel the same freedom and relief that her family enjoys now. Above all, she is thankful. “When the scholarship came through, it took a huge weight off our shoulders,” she says. “This program has changed our lives.”
