National School Choice Week begins today in Utah and across the country. There are 118 events planned in the Beehive State to raise awareness about K-12 school choice, and 16,140 events nationwide.

The events in Utah, 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 Gary Herbert, the mayor of Uintah, and county leaders from Cache and Wasatch counties have issued official proclamations recognizing January 24-30, 2016 as “School Choice Week.”

“Utah offers a wide variety of K-12 education choices for children and families,” said Andrew R. Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. “National School Choice Week will shine a positive spotlight on these options so that more parents can learn about the opportunities available to their kids.”

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 UTAH FAMILIES

  • According to National School Choice Week’s organizers, families in Utah can use the Week to look for K-12 schools for the 2016-2017 school year. Parents in the Beehive 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 open enrollment policies that allow parents to select the best traditional public school, regardless of where the school is located. The state also has a program allowing qualifying children, in some cases, to receive scholarships to attend private schools.

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.