Pa. Board of Education rejects Christian schools…

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Monday, March 17, 2025

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The Pennsylvania Board of Education has unanimously rejected an application from the Association of Christian Schools International to be recognized as an official accreditation agency for private schools in the state, drawing accusations of religious discrimination.

The board made the decision at a public meeting Thursday, the day after a special committee opposed Colorado-based ACSI’s application, Lancaster Online reported.

The ACSI already accredits 2,200 private schools nationwide, including 116 in Pennsylvania. The association sought formal recognition under Pennsylvania’s Private Academic Schools Act to enhance its credibility and support its member schools.

The decision came amid arguments from Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocacy groups that the agency’s policies on “biblical sexuality” are discriminatory.

Randall Wenger of the Independence Law Center, who served as ACSI’s legal counsel, said the association had undergone a rigorous review process and was on track for approval until external pressures intervened.

Wenger described the board’s decision as “religious discrimination,” claiming that the organization was denied recognition solely because of its faith-based mission.

“Unfortunately, there are some groups that would want to derail ACSI’s application to be recognized as an accrediting agency, not because of the quality of the work that they do, or the completeness of the application, but solely because of its religious beliefs,” Wenger was quoted as saying.

In arguments opposing ACSI’s application, the liberal advocacy organization Education Law Center stated that ACSI’s policies on sexual orientation and gender identity were discriminatory and harmful to LGBT-identified students.

Specifically, the group referred to ACSI’s 2023 document, “Guiding Principles on Biblical Sexuality,” as evidence of the purportedly “discriminatory” practices, saying its approach was narrow, exclusionary and detrimental to students.

During Thursday’s meeting, board members did not explicitly mention the ACSI’s policies. Instead, State Sen. Lindsey Williams, a Pittsburgh Democrat and board member, gave three reasons for opposing the application.

Williams argued that there is legal uncertainty regarding whether the board can endorse accrediting organizations that indicate they will only accredit certain types of schools. She also stated that ACSI does not require state approval to endorse private schools. Further, she contended that ACSI’s application lacks details of how it would properly evaluate academic instruction and curriculum.

ACSI is exploring its options, which could include appealing the decision or reapplying at a later date. Wenger noted that the organization has been approved as an accrediting body in every other state where it has applied. ACSI representatives maintained that the application met all state requirements.

Republican state Rep. Bryan Cutler, the House Education Committee minority chairman, said the board’s decision shows how private schools “lose the freedom to be independent” when the state oversees the approval process for accreditors.

“The State Board of Education does not need to approve accreditation for ACSI, because it’s already permitted to function under current Pennsylvania law,” Cutler said in a statement. “The actions today at the state board meeting will not affect ACSI’s current ability to meet the objectives expressed in its application. I have been a longtime advocate for less government in our schools. I will continue to be a voice for educational freedom for Pennsylvania schools, students and families.”