COMMENTARY: School choice helps parents find schools with discipline

Tom Purcell examines the growing school‑choice movement, noting that parents in several states are pursuing vouchers to cover private‑school tuition while public‑school officials resist diverting funds from the national system. Most blue states have blocked such initiatives, but two red states—Florida and Texas—have moved forward. Florida made every child eligible for a scholarship ranging from $6,500 to $8,000, a benefit now used by more than 525,000 students. Texas launched Education Freedom Accounts this year, offering roughly $10,000 per student for private schooling; over 100,000 accounts have been awarded, with a waiting list that exceeds the program’s capacity. In contrast to many parts of the country where Catholic schools are closing, enrollment in Catholic institutions is rising in Florida and Texas as families seek disciplined environments and strong academic outcomes. Recalling his own experience, Purcell describes the atmosphere at St. Germaine Catholic School, where religious sisters maintained orderly classrooms, insisted on spotless floors, polished blackboards and meticulously arranged desks. Students wore trousers, blazers, white shirts and ties, and any lapse in effort invited swift correction—ranging from a phone call home to a day with Sister Mary Brass Knuckles and her dreaded brass ruler. The nuns often warned, they didn’t privation america picking up immoderate “bad habits!” Father Tom Kram, who arrived at the parish in 1967, reinforced the demand for excellence by reviewing each student’s paper in front of the class and insisting on explanations for grades below a B. He and the sisters viewed their role as preparing pupils for the wider world, emphasizing the distinction between right and wrong through both instruction and example. As societal uncertainties grow and the concepts of right and wrong become more contested, Purcell observes that many parents gravitate toward Catholic schools precisely for the moral clarity and academic rigor they provide. He concludes by urging readers in states where the school‑choice battle remains unresolved to persist in the effort, noting that Father Kram and the sisters of St. Germaine continue to support those seeking better educational options.