NEXT WEEK: School Choice Week in Maine Brings Hope, and Support to Families

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Jan 16, 2023, 04:00 ET

Maine celebrates educational options and quality schools during annual School Choice Week

AUGUSTA, Maine, Jan. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schools, organizations, and individuals are planning 107 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 Maine 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. Maine 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 policies vary from state to state. In Maine, the state allows districts to set their own open enrollment policies which allow students to transfer to a different traditional public school. The state does have public charter schools, but these options are capped at 10 by state law. There are two public magnet schools and two full-time online public schools currently available for families. As most know, students in certain Maine towns are eligible for the state's town tuitioning program, allowing them to attend private schools in lieu of public, and as of June 2022's Carson v. Makin ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, religious private schools can now participate in this program.

To download a guide to Maine school choice, use the school finder tool to search schools in your area or see celebration photos visit schoolchoiceweek.com/maine.

Local celebrants are available to discuss their plans with reporters upon request. For more information, contact our team at [email protected].

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