Governor Rauner proclaims “School Choice Week in Illinois;” the Prairie State plays key role in National School Choice Week

National School Choice Week begins today in Illinois and across the country. There are 918 events planned in the Prairie State to raise awareness about K-12 school choice, and 16,140 events nationwide.

The events in Illinois, which are independently planned and independently funded, include everything from information sessions and open houses at schools to rallies, policy discussions, and movie screenings organized by community groups.

Governor Bruce Rauner, the mayors of Arlington Heights, Bloomington, Bolingbrook, Elgin, Joliet, and Palatine, and county leaders from Peoria and Will counties have issued official proclamations recognizing January 24-30, 2016 as “School Choice Week.”

“School Choice Week provides families in Illinois with the opportunity to research and evaluate the K-12 school choices available for their children in time for the 2016-2017 school year,” said Andrew R. Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. “The Week also raises awareness of the importance of providing every child with effective education options.”

With a goal of raising public awareness of effective education options for children, National School Choice Week will be the largest celebration of education options in US history.

SCHOOL CHOICE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR ILLINOIS FAMILIES

  • According to National School Choice Week’s organizers, families in Illinois can use the Week to look for K-12 schools for the 2016-2017 school year. Parents in the Prairie State can choose from the following education options for their children: traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, online academies, private schools, and homeschooling. The state also has a program allowing parents to deduct private school tuition from their state income taxes.

ABOUT NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK

National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort spotlighting effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online learning, and homeschooling. The Week runs from January 24-30, 2016. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com.

National School Choice WeekShelby Tankersley, 202-480-2927 ext. 820External Relations and Communications Managershelby@schoolchoiceweek.com