Catholic Schools Join National School Choice Week, Celebrate Educational Options

They’re your tax dollars too, so it’s important Indiana families understand they have a choice when it comes to where they want their child to receive an education, according to Catholic Schools Superintendent Dr. Daryl Hagan.

National School Choice Week is Jan. 20-26. Founded in 2011, the week-long celebration raises awareness of K-12 education options for children and families, Hagan explained. Those options include sending their children to traditional public schools, public charter schools, virtual learning, homeschool or Catholic schools.

“They have that right to direct their tax dollars to the school of their choice,” Hagan said. “We, as the primary educators of our children, should have that fundamental right to use our tax dollars to go toward the education of our children.”

Through the Indiana School Choice Scholarship Program, commonly referred to as the voucher program, Hagan said Hoosier families are “blessed” to have School Choice. The voucher program provides scholarships to eligible Indiana students to offset tuition costs at participating schools. Both household income requirements and student eligibility requirements must be met to qualify for a voucher.

All 26 Diocese of Evansville Catholic schools participate in the voucher program. In the 2017-18 school year, Hagan said more than 2,100 students were part of the voucher program.

“Families have the right to apply to our schools and, when accepted, they can get tuition assistance if they meet those qualifications,” Hagan said. “It assists Indiana Hoosier families in helping them choose the best school that meets the needs for their child.”

National School Choice Week President Andrew Campanella said the program has grown immensely since it started in 2011. From 150 events in 2011 to 40,549 this year, Campanella said it has “quickly become the world’s largest education related public awareness effort.”

Following School Choice Week is another week-long celebration for Catholic schools: National Catholic Schools Week is Jan. 27 – Feb. 2. The Thursday of that week, Jan. 31, all 26 diocesan schools will host an Open House from 5-7 p.m. Hagan invites all prospective students and parents to visit their local Catholic school.

When parents consider education options and evaluate Catholic schools, Hagan advised they assess what they want for their children. Catholic schools in the Diocese of Evansville offer a holistic education, he explained.

“Simply put, we have two goals: college and heaven,” Hagan said. “It is cliché, but we educate the whole student, and the spiritual and faith-based component of that is critical. We feel that is what permeates all other parts of the education.”

To learn more about School Choice Week, visit schoolchoiceweek.com. For more information on the All-Diocesan Come and See Open Houses, visit your local Catholic school or evdiocomeandsee.org.