Catholic School, ESA Provide New Path for Student with Special Needs

May 15, 2025

ANKENY — When Crystal Irey and her husband began exploring a new school for their fifth-grade daughter, she wondered if a Catholic school could provide the special services her child needs.

Irey’s daughter has PANDAS/PANS—a rare neuropsychiatric condition triggered by infections such as strep throat—that requires constant monitoring and accommodations. She also has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to support her medical and academic development.

At St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic School in Ankeny, Irey found a collaborative team ready to support their daughter from day one.

"We were met with, 'What can we do? How can we help?' And that's never been the instance before,” Irey said.

The team at St. Luke was already familiar with the condition and quickly implemented a health notification process to help Irey monitor potential exposure to infections that could trigger her daughter’s symptoms.

St. Luke also worked closely with Abbie Grove Elementary, a public school that partners with private institutions to deliver IEP services. Irey said the coordination between the two schools has resulted in more consistent and personalized support than her daughter previously received.

"I also think there's a common misconception that if your child has an IEP, whether it's health or educational needs, that private schools aren't willing or won't accept them," she said. "We've been able to transition over to St. Luke's seamlessly. Honestly, I feel like our child's service package plan has improved … and I have no concerns about her educational rights being overlooked.”

That responsiveness and partnership were exactly what Irey was seeking—and she’s grateful for the financial assistance provided by Iowa’s Students First Education Savings Accounts (ESA).

"I was completely against the ESAs when they came out because I just felt like public money should be for public schools,” said Irey, who works in the public sector. “It helped me see the other side of things and how ESAs could be beneficial to not only our family but other families."

ESAs provide families with public funds to cover tuition at accredited private schools in Iowa. For Irey, it offered critical financial support during a time of transition. While she probably would’ve chosen St. Luke regardless – because her daughter’s well-being comes first – the ESA allowed her to do it without taking on additional financial stress.

"I honestly think that if they were to survey families who have made the decision to leave public schools and take advantage of ESAs, I don't think you're going to find that it's necessarily strictly a faith-based decision,” she said. "I think they'd find more families didn't take that decision very lightly, and something else had happened to help make that decision for them."

The move has had a measurable impact on their daughter’s confidence and academic engagement. Irey said her daughter feels safe, supported and empowered to speak to teachers, counselors, and administrators.

Though Irey isn’t Catholic, they’ve felt welcomed at St. Luke and appreciate the values-based environment.

"Having religion in school doesn't bother me in any way. I think it's great for them to learn about the faith,” she said. "I also think that it helps to create a cohesive environment … to not only be good Catholics or Christians but also to help set them up for success outside of school as well."

Looking back, Irey would’ve done one thing differently.

"Our only regret is not doing it sooner,” she said.