NEXT WEEK: West Virginia Families Seek to Boost Awareness of K-12 Options During School Choice Week

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Jan 16, 2023, 04:00 ET

Gov. Jim Justice Issued Proclamation Recognizing Jan. 22-28 as Alabama School Choice Week.

CHARLESTON, W.Va., Jan. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schools, organizations, and individuals are planning 113 celebrations of educational opportunity this month as traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning options, private schools, and home educators highlight their unique choices.

During the last two years, families and educators in West Virginia have faced the academic consequences of the pandemic. A survey this month by the National School Choice Awareness Foundation showed that 53.7 percent of parents have recently explored or are currently considering new options for their child's education. During School Choice Week 2023, parents can learn about school choice and attend local events as they consider their K-12 options for the next school year.

The Nation's Report Card (NAEP) released in 2022 underlined the need to invest in quality education options. West Virginia students experienced greater learning losses than the national average.

The Week will bring helpful and handy information that parents need in order to support their kids. The Week is the best time of the year for families to consider their education options for the next school year.

Across the country, parents can choose between traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, homeschooling, and newer options like learning pods or microschooling.

But education policy varies from state to state. 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, and charter schools, excitingly, West Virginia's first four charter schools will open for the 2022-2023 school year. Just this month, West Virginia families accepted to the Hope Scholarship Program received their first disbursements of funding to use for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses.

Across the state, events that are positive, supportive of a wide variety of school options, and family-friendly are planned, from in-school activities to large celebrations. Among the notable celebrations in West Virginia will be school fairs in Morgantown, Beckley, and Davis organized by the Cardinal Institute, WV FUE, and Love Your School West Virginia.

"The past five years West Virginia has added public charter schools and online public schools to the options from which parents can choose, alongside the Hope Scholarship program, putting private schools newly in reach for many families," said Andrew Campanella, president and CEO of the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. "More than in almost any other state,

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

Local celebrants are available to discuss their plans with reporters upon request.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, public charter, public 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