School choice is the practice of allowing parents to choose from among a variety of schools.
Although the public education system is generally viewed by the public to include public schools, the Legislature has authorized other options as part of the public school system. Scholarship programs are authorized to assist students in pursuing post-secondary education and training opportunities. The idea behind school choice is that the competition for students among schools may increase the quality of educational services. Beginning with the 1997.1998 school year, each district school board may offer controlled open enrollment within the public schools. The districts are required to design a controlled open enrollment plan, but are not required to implement the plan.