Can School Searching be Fun? Eighth Annual School Choice Expo Aims to Prove It Can Be

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Jan 15, 2024, 03:45 ET

OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A highly-anticipated school fair returns this year, offering parents a chance to choose a great school from an ever-expanding list of options in Oklahoma.

This year marks Oklahoma's eighth annual School Choice Expo. Planned for Saturday, Jan. 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Advance Center for Enterprise (415 NE 13th St.), the event will showcase Oklahoma's freshly expanded K-12 options. While parents gather school choice information, children can enjoy a photo booth, face painting, and lunch.

Hundreds of parents will step through the venue doors to explore learning resources in the Oklahoma City area. This year's fair will highlight a new opportunity for families, the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit. This program provides participating families a refundable tax credit of $5,000 to $7,500 per student for private school tuition expenses. Families can learn the ins and outs of how to apply and have their questions answered at the expo.

Additionally, booths showcasing public, private, online, and homeschool choices, as well as information about Oklahoma's Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship and the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship program will be available. Resources will be available in English and Spanish.

This expo will take place as National School Choice Week (Jan. 21-27, 2024) kicks off nationwide. The annual celebration of education features tens of thousands of school choice celebrations across all 50 states.

Oklahomans will celebrate the Week with more than 200 festivities, including another school expo in Tulsa on Thursday, January 25 from 4 pm to 7 pm, school assemblies and spirit weeks, and an official proclamation of "Oklahoma School Choice Week" by Gov. Kevin Stitt. Additionally, the SkyDance Bridge in Oklahoma City and the Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant will light up in shades of red and yellow to mark the Week.

"The School Choice Expo is a free event that's a one stop opportunity for parents to learn about and visit with many different school types and options. This event is designed for the convenience of parents. Families and kids can enjoy free food, giveaways and door prizes too," said Renee Porter, ChoiceMatter's founder.

The Oklahoma City School Choice Expo is planned by ChoiceMatters. ChoiceMatters provides Oklahoma parents free information, resources and support to help them navigate their child's pre-k through 12 education offerings. The organization's vision is that one day, every child will have access to a high-quality education that best fits their needs and allows them to reach their full potential regardless of where they live or their parent's income level.

Families can learn more and RSVP for the free event at oklahomacityschoolfair.com.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and homeschooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week