Here’s how a controversial ‘public Christian school’ got started in a blue state — and what happened next
Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name. A Colorado lawyer named Brad Miller sat in the formal courtroom of the U.S. Supreme Court with its marble columns, red velvet curtains, and mahogany furnishings. It was April 30, 2025, and he was a…
In April 2025, a Colorado lawyer named Brad Miller sat in the U.S. Supreme Court's formal courtroom, watching oral arguments in a case that could clear the way for religious charter schools across America. The high court ultimately deadlocked 4-4, leaving the ban on religious charter schools in place. However, Miller, representing a powerful conservative legal group called Alliance Defending Freedom, found a way to relitigate the same core question about public funding for religious schools, according to emails.
Less than three months after the Supreme Court ruling, Riverstone Academy, a public Christian school for kindergarten to fifth-grade students, opened its doors in a low-slung white cinderblock building in southern Colorado. Led by a young pastor named Quin Friberg, who once expressed regret about public education, Riverstone received hundreds of thousands in state funding to teach students using religious curriculum.
The school's establishment generated significant controversy, leading to three lawsuits, a $20,000 settlement, and the resignation of a local school board member. Riverstone also sparked heated debates about separation of church and state, school choice, and public transparency. Ultimately, the school closed after one year due to a state law cracking down on its authorizer.
Miller, who played a role in the school's creation, believes that education aligned with a family's values should not be left solely to those who can afford it. However, Riverstone's rapid rise and fall shed light on how a solidly blue state was caught off guard by a challenge to church-state separation, with vague laws and fear of lawsuits hindering the process.
The school's creation also demonstrated how a well-funded conservative legal organization could leverage loopholes in state laws to test the boundaries of public funding for religious schools. Riverstone's story highlights the complexities and challenges surrounding education policy in an increasingly polarized political climate.
Written by urgent.news from Chalkbeat's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
