site.btaBulgaria Suspends Funding for Two Bulgarian Schools in Chicago

The Little Bulgarian School in Elk Grove Village and the Little Bulgaria Bulgarian Sunday School in Des Plaines, which are part of the Little Bulgarian School in Chicago organization, have been removed from the List of Bulgarian Sunday Schools Abroad for the 2025/2026 school year at the suggestion of the Consul General of Bulgaria in Chicago, Svetoslav Stankov. This was announced by the Ministry of Education and Science in response to BTA's inquiry about the suspended subsidies for Bulgarian schools in Chicago. 

The Consul General's proposal provides information and documents showing that the Little Bulgarian School in Chicago organization is effectively blocking the activities of control over the two Bulgarian Sunday schools, which the Consulate General carries out in accordance with a decree of the Bulgarian government.

The Consulate General is unable to exercise control over the schools, and it is subject to actions that undermine its prestige and authority. The decision to remove the two schools from the list is dictated by the need to protect the public interest and the public resources provided for their maintenance, the statement said. 

Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad are established and developed through the joint efforts of the Bulgarian State through the Ministry of Education and Science, foreign representations, and the local community. They receive financial support from the Bulgarian State for teaching Bulgarian language and literature, Bulgarian history and geography, as well as additional school activities to support the educational process, the Ministry of Education recalls.