August has arrived and that means many families will begin their back-to-school shopping. Typically, this means buying the right folders, the best backpack, and the coolest clothes. But in many places, school shopping is taking on a whole new meaning.
For a growing number of families across the country, school shopping means having the freedom to choose one school over another. It means looking at different schools and selecting the one that is the best fit for the child.
kAmx?4C62D:?8=J[ 492CE6C D49@@=D[ G@F496C AC@8C2>D 2?5 EF:E:@? E2I 4C65:E D49@=2CD9:AD 2C6 >2<:?8 :E A@DD:3=6 7@C 72>:=:6D E@ 92G6 2 49@:46 :? H96C6 E@ D6?5 E96:C 49:=5C6? E@ D49@@=] }2E:@?H:56 :? a_``[ 23@FE a >:==:@? DEF56?ED 2EE6?565 2 D49@@= @7 49@:46 E9C@F89 2 ?2E:@?2=\ @C DE2E6\CF? AC@8C2>] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 r6?E6C 7@C t5F42E:@? #67@C>[ E96 ?F>36C @7 DEF56?ED 2EE6?5:?8 2 49@:46 D49@@= H2D FA >@C6 E92? c__[___ 7C@> E96 AC6G:@FD J62C] %96 =2C86 :?4C62D6 :? D49@@= 49@:46 AC@8C2>D =65 %96 (2== $EC66E y@FC?2= E@ 42== a_`` E96 “J62C @7 D49@@= 49@:46]” $E:==[ =6DD E92? c A6C46?E @7 2== DEF56?ED :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D H6C6 23=6 E@ FE:=:K6 2 D49@@= 49@:46 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm|:DD@FC:2?D 4FCC6?E=J 5@ ?@E 92G6 2446DD E@ AC:G2E6 D49@@=D G:2 2 G@F496C @C EF:E:@? E2I 4C65:E D49@=2CD9:A AC@8C2>j F?E:= C646?E=J[ 492CE6C D49@@=D H6C6 C6DEC:4E65 E@ $E] {@F:D 2?5 z2?D2D r:EJ] %9FD[ 49@:46 H2D =:>:E65 E@ 76H DEF56?ED[ H:E9 23@FE _]d A6C46?E 2EE6?5:?8 2 492CE6C D49@@=[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 52E2 7C@> E96 |:DD@FC: s6A2CE>6?E @7 t=6>6?E2CJ 2?5 $64@?52CJ t5F42E:@?]k^Am
kAm#:8@C@FD 6G2=F2E:@?D 92G6 7@F?5 A@D:E:G6 36?67:ED :? E6C>D @7 24256>:4 249:6G6>6?E 2?5 8C25F2E:@? C2E6D 7C@> 49@:46 D49@@=D] %96D6 AC@8C2>D 2=D@ 6?23=6 A2C6?ED E@ D9:7E 7C@> C64:A:6?ED @7 65F42E:@?2= D6CG:46D E@ 4@?DF>6CD @7 E9@D6 D6CG:46D 3642FD6 E96J 42? D9@A 7@C E96:C 49:=5’D D49@@= 2E 2 9@DE @7 65F42E:@?2= AC@G:56CD] q64@>:?8 2 C6DA@?D:3=6 D9@AA6C @7 D49@@=D >2J ?@E 36 2? 62DJ EC2?D:E:@? 7@C D@>6 72>:=:6D[ 2 724E 3C@F89E E@ =:89E H:E9 E96 4=@D:?8 @7 E96 x>28:?6 r92CE6C $49@@= ?6EH@C<] u@C D@>6[ E96 4=@D:?8 @7 E96 x>28:?6 D49@@=D 92D E2C?:D965 E96 C6AFE2E:@? @7 D49@@= 49@:46] x?5665[ E96 =@H A6C7@C>2?46 2?5 A@@C >2?286>6?E @7 E96 x>28:?6 D49@@=D H2D F?7@CEF?2E6[ 6DA64:2==J 3642FD6 >@C6 E92? `[___ DEF56?ED H:== 36 5:DA=2465 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 E96 4=@DFC6] xE :D >@C6 F?7@CEF?2E6[ 9@H6G6C[ E92E E9@FD2?5D @7 @E96C DEF56?ED 24C@DD E96 DE2E6 2C6 EC2AA65 H:E9@FE @AE:@?D :? 72:=:?8 D49@@=D E92E H:== ?6G6C 4=@D6]k^Am
kAm%96 72:=FC6 @7 x>28:?6 :D ?@E 2 72:=FC6 @7 D49@@= 49@:46] #2E96C[ H92E 92AA6?65 H:E9 x>28:?6 :==FDEC2E6D E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 >2<:?8 :?7@C>65 564:D:@?D] xE 4@F=5 62D:=J 36 2C8F65 E92E 7:?5:?8 E96 C:89E D49@@= :D 6G6CJ 3:E 2D 5:77:4F=E 2D 3FJ:?8 2 9@>6 @C 2 ?6H 42C] %96D6 EJA6D @7 564:D:@?D C6BF:C6 A=2??:?8 2?5 C6D62C49[ H96C6 4@?DF>6CD >FDE ;F586 36EH66? >2?J @AE:@?D] x? E96:C 492AE6C @7 %96 s6>2?5 $:56 @7 t5F42E:@?[ D49@@= 49@:46 6IA6CED %9@>2D $E6H2CE 2?5 !2EC:4< (@=7 ?@E6 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 36:?8 H:D6 4@?DF>6CD H96? 49@@D:?8 2 D49@@=] %9@F89 E96 EC2?D:E:@? >2J 36 5:77:4F=E 2E 7:CDE[ 6G6? E96 >@DE 5:D25G2?E2865 A2C6?ED 42? 252AE :?E@ D2GGJ D9@AA6CD] $E6H2CE 2?5 (@=7 ?@E6i “W%X96 25565 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ @7 49@@D:?8 2 49:=5’D D49@@= 7C@> 2>@?8 >2?J 5:DE:?4E @AE:@?D 2AA62CD E@ :?DA:C6 D@>6 A2C6?ED E@ 364@>6 >@C6 24E:G6 4@?DF>6CD 2?5 :?G@=G65 4:E:K6?D]”k^Am
kAm|:DD@FC:2?D D9@F=5 92G6 E96 23:=:EJ E@ 6?E6C E96 65F42E:@? >2C<6E E@ 49@@D6 E96 36DE D49@@= 7@C E96:C 49:=5 7C@> 2 ?F>36C @7 9:89\BF2=:EJ D49@@=D] pD }@36=\H:??:?8 64@?@>:DE |:=E@? uC:65>2? @?46 D2:5[ “(6 2==@H E96 >2C<6E[ 4@?DF>6C 49@:46 2?5 4@>A6E:E:@? E@ H@C< :? ?62C=J 6G6CJ :?5FDECJ 6I46AE E96 @?6 E92E >2EE6CD >@DEi 65F42E:@?]” x7 492CE6C D49@@=D H6C6 6IA2?565 E9C@F89@FE E96 DE2E6 2?5 DEF56?ED H6C6 23=6 E@ FD6 2 G@F496C E@ 2EE6?5 E96 AC:G2E6 D49@@= @7 E96:C 49@:46[ 72>:=:6D :? |:DD@FC: H@F=5 7:?2==J 36 23=6 E@ 6?E6C E96 >2C<6E E@ 5@ D@>6 C62= D49@@= D9@AA:?8]k^Am
kAmy2>6D '] $9F=D :D 2? 65F42E:@? A@=:4J 2?2=JDE 2E E96 $9@H\|6 x?DE:EFE6[ H9:49 AC@>@E6D >2C<6E D@=FE:@?D 7@C |:DD@FC: AF3=:4 A@=:4J]k^Am
kAm k^Am
kAmk6>my2>6D '] $9F=D :D H:E9 E96 $9@H\|6 x?DE:EFE6k^6>mk^Am





