What: Sunday kicks off the annual National School Choice Week across America! All week long, the Pelican Institute will join others in Louisiana, and across the country, in celebrating the many types of schools and educational programs that exist for our kids. National School Choice Week highlights the importance of giving all parents the ability to select a school that fits their child’s individual needs — a place where they can learn and thrive.

The goal of National School Choice Week is to “help families discover the traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, and home education options available for their children.”

When: January 22-28

Where: All around the country, essential landmarks will be lit up to celebrate the event. In Louisiana, every night, both the State Capitol and the Louisiana Superdome will be lit with yellow and red lights to highlight National School Choice Week.

The Superdome being lit up showcases the fact that New Orleans is the only city in the entire country that is a 100 percent public school choice district! Here are some other figures about school choice in Louisiana:

  • Louisiana has 340 state-approved private schools, 150 public charter schools, and approximately 1,380 traditional public schools.
  • Nearly 18,000 Louisiana students are homeschooled.
  • Nearly 22,000 Louisiana students are enrolled in small, independent private schools that don’t seek state approval, many of which operate as home schools.

For more information, you can visit schoolchoiceweek.com or aschoolthatfits.com.