Marquette Academy opens its doors to prospective families Nov. 18, offering tuition giveaways and a path to an associate's degree — a sharp contrast to public school systems that can't even agree on whether to close for Veterans Day.
The Catholic K-12 school in Ottawa, Illinois, is holding a Freshman Open House for seventh- and eighth-grade students and their families, complete with an activity fair, meet-and-greets with coaches and teachers, and scholarship and financial aid information, according to Shaw Local Enewspapers. Families who RSVP by Nov. 17 get entered into a drawing for $100 off tuition or $100 in the school spirit shop. The school is also giving away a full-year and half-year tuition package.
The real draw: Marquette's partnership with Illinois Valley Community College lets students earn college credits while finishing high school, with the opportunity to graduate with an associate's degree. That's tangible value — not social engineering — and parents are paying attention.
Meanwhile, public schools can't manage basic priorities. In Florida, schools in 17 of 67 counties will stay open on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, according to the Gainesville Sun. That's down slightly from 19 counties last year. Veterans Day is both a federal and state holiday, but Florida leaves it to individual districts to decide whether to observe it.
The Florida House unanimously passed a bill — 107-0 — during the 2026 legislative session to require school districts to observe Veterans Day as a holiday, the Gainesville Sun reported. The companion Senate bill, SB 464, died in committee. A bipartisan House vote meant nothing because one chamber simply refused to act. That's the permanent political class at work: unanimous public support, zero follow-through.
The contrast writes itself. On one side, a Catholic school competing for families with real incentives — college credit, tuition relief, community. On the other, a public system that can't close its doors to honor the men and women who served this country, and a legislature that can't turn a unanimous vote into law.
Marquette Academy isn't waiting for a government fix. It's offering a product and letting parents decide. Families can RSVP at marquetteacademy.net or contact Admissions Director Nikki Speirer at [email protected] or 815-433-0125.
The question isn't whether school choice works — families are already making the choice. The question is how long public institutions will keep fumbling basic obligations before more parents walk out the door.
