Brandi Llamas had a choice to make for her five children that would have a profound effect on their future.
Communities across Michigan are losing students to School of Choice districts. More than 100,000 K-12 students in Michigan choose to attend schools outside of their home district, according to 2019 Washington Post article.
Llamas, like many parents across Michigan, was looking for the district that would best fit the needs of her five children — ages 11, 10, 9, 2 and 2.
“We took into consideration the school location in proximity to our resources,” said Llamas, whose children attend West Ottawa despite living out of district.“We also wanted a school that offered a variety of programs and facilities — schools that offered a variety but also maintained the buildings and stayed up to date on technology.
Similar to how college football programs reel in top recruits, schools that upgrade and maintain facilities have an advantage in attracting students and families.