When We Wondered

In the spring of 2020, I remember wondering, along with many Christian school leaders, whether our schools would make it to the other side. Classrooms emptied overnight. Budgets tightened. Families faced uncertainty on many fronts. Quietly, many of us asked a hard question: How will Christian education stay alive?

God answered that question in a way only He could. Christian education did not shrink. It stepped into a season of remarkable growth. Parents who watched their children learn at the kitchen table saw, perhaps for the first time, what their children were learning and who was shaping them. Many began to sense the eternal value of an education rooted in Christ. At the same time, Florida expanded its scholarship programs, and the doors to Christian schools opened wider than many of us had imagined.

We went into the pandemic asking how Christian education would survive. We came out of it watching God open doors.

Before the Dust Could Settle

Now, before the dust has even settled on that season, God is doing it again.

On July 4, 2025, the federal government created the Education Freedom Tax Credit. Florida opted in early this year. On October 1, the U.S. Treasury and the IRS released the long-awaited rules that explain how the program will work when it launches on January 1, 2027.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

My father, a retired Christian school leader of 48 years, said it this way, ‘This is something only God could have orchestrated.’ I am grateful, and I hope you are too. In more than 25 years of school leadership, I have seen few opportunities for Christian education as promising as this one. I want our IRCS family to understand it clearly.

Your Money Is Already Spoken For

Here is the heart of it. If you pay federal income tax, a portion of your money is already spoken for. The only question is where it goes.

Beginning January 1, 2027, you can give up to $1,700 to an approved Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). Married couples filing jointly can give up to $3,400. In return, you receive a federal tax credit for the full amount of your gift. This is not a deduction that saves you a percentage of your gift. It reduces the tax you owe, dollar for dollar.

This is not a new cost. It is a new choice.

Consider a taxpayer who owes $4,800 in federal income tax. Without a gift, the full $4,800 goes to the IRS. With a $1,700 gift to an SGO, $3,100 goes to the IRS, and $1,700 goes to scholarships. The taxpayer pays $4,800 either way. Only the destination changes.

Jesus told us to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21, ESV). We will still render to Caesar. This credit simply lets us decide whether a portion of what we already owe stays in Washington or supports a child’s learning in a classroom centered on Christ.

Two Paths for the Same Dollars

Think of your $1,700 as having two possible paths. On the first path, it goes to the U.S. Treasury and is allocated to general federal spending. On the second path, it goes to a scholarship-granting organization that awards scholarships that families can use for Christian education, including at IRCS. Same dollars. A different destination.

That second path does two good things for our school community.

It makes Christian education more accessible. Families who earn up to 300 percent of their area’s median income can qualify for these scholarships. Treasury estimates that about 96 percent of children in participating states will be eligible. Many middle-income families in Pinellas County who have considered IRCS and felt priced out may now find the door open. Scholarships can cover tuition, tutoring, special needs services, books, supplies, and technology.

It accelerates our mission. As scholarship dollars grow, more families who share our values can choose IRCS. That growth strengthens our academics, arts, athletics, and spiritual life, and it moves us faster toward our mission: “Preparing students to pursue the call of God on their lives in any industry or ministry with sound minds, servants’ hearts, and skilled hands.”

For transformation to happen, the door has to be open. This credit widens the door.

What This Is and What It Is Not

I want to be clear and careful with you, because your trust matters more to me than any campaign.

• Your gift goes to an approved SGO, not directly to IRCS. IRCS is in conversation with trusted partners, including Step Up For Students and the ACSI Children’s Tuition Fund. We will share our decision on the partnership and simple instructions this fall.

• You cannot direct a gift to a particular student, including your own child.

• The credit requires federal tax liability. If you owe less than $1,700, you can pay less, or pay the full amount and carry the unused credit forward for up to 5 years. If you owe no federal income tax, a regular gift to IRCS may fit you better.

• This adds to your giving. It does not replace it. Please continue to honor your tithe to your local church and your support of the Eagle Fund.

• This is an invitation, not an obligation. Your giving is your decision, and it stays private.

• This is not tax advice. Please talk with a tax professional about your situation.

Ways You Might Give

• One gift in January. Owe $4,800? Give $1,700 and owe $3,100. Your net cost is zero.

• About $142 a month. Small, steady gifts reach $1,700 by December 31.

• A gift that fits a smaller tax bill. Owe $900? Give $900, or give $1,700 and carry $800 forward.

One practical tip: ask your tax advisor about adjusting your paycheck withholding so the savings return to you through each paycheck rather than waiting for a refund.

What Happens Next

• Now: Talk with your tax advisor. Ask whether you expect to owe at least $1,700 in federal income tax.

• This fall: Watch for IRCS guidance on our SGO partner and next steps, along with a Q&A session with a tax professional. The public comment period on the federal rules closes December 1.

• January 1, 2027: Gifts begin to count.

• December 31, 2027: Last day for 2027 gifts.

• Early 2028: Claim the credit on your 2027 tax return.

• Fall 2028: Funding is released to benefit students

A Grateful Invitation

Six years ago, we wondered whether Christian education would survive. Today, we are talking about how to make it accessible to more families than we once thought possible. That is the faithfulness of God.

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” Proverbs 3:27 (ESV)

In 2027, it may be in your power to do real good at no added cost to you. Pray about it. Talk with your tax advisor. Watch for our next steps this fall.

Your dollars are already spoken for. Now you get to decide what they will say.

God bless & Go Eagles