Christian parents should be pleased to learn that a well-funded, hands-on organization called the Stanley M. Herzog Foundation is working to “catalyze effective and scalable programs across the nation” in support of Christian education. The organization’s website explains that its mission is accomplished “by providing programs such as online content, up-to-date news, training and events, grants, and hands-on organizational improvement initiatives.”

The Missouri-based organization was founded by successful businessman and philanthropist Stanley M. Herzog in 2019 with a goal of assisting K-12 parochial schools; Catholic, Lutheran, Evangelical, and also homeschool associations. The day-to-day operations of the Herzog Foundation Institute includes holding conferences and training sessions attended by school administrators from the various Christian denominations.

One of the foundation’s functions is to help qualified parties start their own schools or microschools using a program called the “SchoolBox.” One user described it as “a checklist” of all the steps necessary to open a new school, in the order they need to happen.

Herzog Foundation President Darrell Jones compares the program to “a blueprint or a road map that shows how to move from ‘I’d like a Christian school’ to actually launching a Christian school.” He explains that the foundation “convened experts from around the country who have launched multiple schools in different demographic areas with different business models,” resulting in a platform that individuals or groups can use to move from having a concept or a vision to opening a fully operational school.

Interested parties who visit the SchoolBox website will find that the foundation provides an “8-Step Guide to starting a school or co-op,” including training courses supervised by mentors who provide leadership throughout the process. Parents and leaders who sign up will also receive “proven examples of organizational policies and documents to model,” as well as referrals to resources that can help them achieve the next level in launching their school.

In addition to the SchoolBox program, the foundation offers leadership training events and conferences across the country that “address relevant topics within the Christian education sphere,” led by “national thought leaders and experts” in a variety of topics including “marketing, donor development, and culture building.” These events are tailored for Christian educators and leaders “with their unique needs in mind.”

Help with school choice programs

Herzog Foundation staff help familiarize school administrators with school choice/voucher programs in their states, which can help with private-school tuition.

For example, when Phyllis Schlafly Eagles Executive Director, Kurt Prenzler, attended a Herzog Foundation leadership seminar last month, he learned that Indiana’s “Choice Scholarship Program” offers K-12 students and their families significant assistance. A document titled Choice Scholarship Program Frequently Asked Questions provided by the state offers comprehensive information on the program, including that only accredited schools may participate.

Prenzler discovered that “people are moving from the South Suburbs of Chicago into northwest Indiana,” ostensibly to take advantage of the choice opportunity. He added: “I can only imagine that the voucher program is encouraging people from all over to move to Indiana.”

According to Chalkbeat, the Indiana program was expanded in 2023 to allow higher-income families to participate and eliminated “other need-based criteria.” The program allows approximately $6,100 to $7,400 annually per student, with exact amounts varying according to household income and other eligibility criteria.

While liberals collectively howl about the unfairness of school choice, a 2024 report cited by the Indiana Capital Chronicle showed that, if all the students participating in Indiana’s voucher program had attended public schools during the 2023-2024 school year, it would have cost the state an additional $77 million. The article explained: “That’s because vouchers are paid at a lower amount than public school funding.”

While it boasts one of the largest programs in the U.S., Indiana is fortunately not the only state offering parents a choice. As Prenzler discovered, Wisconsin also sponsors robust school choice. Local news source UpNorthNewsWI.com reported last year that “more than half of the private schools in Wisconsin now participate in School Choice Wisconsin.”

Opponents whine that “the system drains resources from Wisconsin’s already struggling public schools and uses taxpayer dollars to fund private school tuition for wealthy families at the expense of public-school students and educators.” But it’s well known that voucher programs initially targeted lower-income families and were only later expanded to include students in middle-class families. Some observers note that public-school advocates who level baseless accusations at choice programs virtually never acknowledge the elephant in the room, that if students were being taught basic skills rather than woke propaganda, there would be much less demand for vouchers.

Education Reporter has written extensively about school choice programs, which, according to EdChoice, an organization that tracks and reports on such programs, are available in one form or another in 35 states, plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. School choice options can vary widely, from vouchers to education savings accounts to private school choice programs such as those available in Indiana and Wisconsin. Many states offer multiple programs, and the fact that the Herzog Foundation assists Christian Schools and startups to navigate the maze is an important service.

In Missouri, the foundation helps administer the MOScholars Program, which awards scholarships “to Missouri students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and students living in low-income households.”

Casting aspersion

As may be imagined, an organization like Herzog, which champions and supports Christian education, is not without its critics. After the foundation opened its new headquarters and training center in Smithville, MO, a 2023 Kansas City Beacon headline stated: “How a Clay County charity spends millions to spread ‘Christ-centered’ education nationwide,” which for Christians was something to be applauded but appeared to serve as ammunition for critics.

The first sentence of the article cautioned: “The Stanley M. Herzog Charitable Foundation has awarded grants to schools that exclude LGBTQ students and families and paid for creationist science teacher training....” Yikes! Imagine teaching kids that they did not evolve from apes. But what might an organization espouse that champions Biblical truth and Christian moral teaching?

The Beacon further charges that the foundation’s efforts to expand government support for private education “drains money from public schools and inappropriately entangles the state with schools that reject students for reasons such as religion, LGBTQ identity, disability and academic performance.”

But Herzog Foundation Communications Director, Elizabeth Roberts, explained to Education Reporter that the organization’s Tomorrow Foundation “provides scholarships to students and families, which are a lifeline for those whose needs are best met by Christian schools or homeschooling.” She added: “The state has a vested interest in funding education so that the next generation is equipped to contribute to the economy, support their families, and strengthen their communities. Herzog is dedicated to ensuring that all families—regardless of background—have the opportunity to provide their children with a quality education.”

The Beacon article connected founder Stanley M. Herzog, who passed away in 2019 after launching the foundation, with financially supporting former governor-elect Eric Greitens, Republican politics, and other Republican politicians including Sen. Josh Hawley, as though to further poke Democrat readers.

More leadership and offerings

The Herzog Foundation’s chairman of the board is Todd Graves, an attorney who previously served as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. Financial expert and entrepreneur, John Elliott, is vice chairman. Elliott also serves as vice president of Inside Information Inc. a company he founded with his wife in 1995 that provides “nationwide marketing and research services to electric utilities.”

Other Herzog Foundation offerings include The Lion, an online news publication that provides articles and information on a variety of current topics, with an emphasis on education, an American Dream Speaker Series that hosts nationally recognized speakers, including former U.S. Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, and the HF Podcast Network, which features shows offering “original content focusing on personal growth, the education of children, and Christian values.” One of the 13 regular podcasts is that of Moms for America, a pro-parent organization that has previously been a topic in Education Reporter.

Many Christian parents hope the Herzog Foundation continues to grow in influence as well as expand the MOScholars program and the organization’s training programs. As the foundation posits on its website: “We are on a mission to advance Christian education with comprehensive programs designed to launch, promote, and strengthen Christian education settings across the nation.”

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