NEXT WEEK: Bring on the Yellow Scarves, School Choice Week is Back in West Virginia

As School Disruptions Continue, Families Call Attention to Educational Flexibility, Opportunity During Twelfth Annual Public Awareness Week

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National School Choice Week

Jan 20, 2022, 07:30 ET

CHARLESTON, W.Va., Jan. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rebounding on 2021's school choice expansions, West Virginia families and educators have high hopes for the future of K-12 learning at more than 100 events during National School Choice Week 2022.

West Virginia schools, organizations, and individuals are planning 153 celebrations for the Week, which will feature more than 26,000 activities nationwide. Among the notable celebrations in West Virginia will be a school choice fair in Wheeling on Saturday, Jan. 22 and a capitol rally for students and educators on Thursday, Jan. 27.

Across the country, more than two dozen U.S. landmarks and notable buildings will light up in special colors to mark the Week.

The Week's celebrations focus on community building, sharing student and teacher successes, and raising awareness about how to put kids first when it comes to education. The goal? Supporting families and highlighting schools so more kids can find learning fits where they thrive.

"Just four short years ago, West Virginia offered fewer school choice options for families than almost any other state," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "Fast-forward to 2022, and the Mountain State is now poised to offer public charter schools and education savings accounts for private education to families. If West Virginia continues this trajectory of rapidly expanding school choice, it could be on its way to becoming a national leader."

Here in West Virginia, there are a variety of educational options to attend including: traditional public schools with open enrollment at the discretion of each district, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling. Operational charter schools are on the horizon for the state, and starting in 2022, West Virginia students currently enrolled in public school or about to enter kindergarten may be eligible for the Hope Scholarship, which allows families to use their education tax dollars for private school tuition, tutoring, or other educational expenses.

Across the state, communities are celebrating School Choice Week by formally proclaiming it, including the cities of Hamlin and Star City and the counties of Raleigh and Hancock.

To download a guide to West Virginia school choice, use the school finder tool to search schools in your area, or see celebration photos and proclamation updates, visit schoolchoiceweek.com/west-virginia.

Local celebrants are available to discuss their plans with reporters upon request. For more information, preview a sampling of West Virginia events at schoolchoiceweek.com/west-virginia.

National School Choice Week shines a spotlight on effective K-12 education options for children, focusing equally on traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home education options. Every January, participants plan tens of thousands of celebrations –– such as school fairs and open houses–– to raise awareness about school choice across all 50 states. School Choice Week also develops resources and guides to K-12 education for families. As a not-for-profit effort, the Week is nonpolitical and nonpartisan and does not advocate for legislation. For more information visit schoolchoiceweek.com.

SOURCE National School Choice Week