site.btaAssociation of Bulgarian Folklore Ensembles Abroad Backs Two Chicago Schools Deprived of Bulgarian State Funding

The Association of Bulgarian Folklore Ensembles Abroad (ABFEA) has expressed support for two schools, part of the Little Bulgarian School in Chicago organization, following the withdrawal of their state subsidy and their removal from the list of Bulgarian Sunday schools.

On November 27, the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science confirmed to BTA that 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, had 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. The Consul General's proposal provides information and documents showing that the Little Bulgarian School in Chicago organization is effectively obstructing the oversight of the two Bulgarian Sunday schools that the Consulate General exercises under a Bulgarian government decree.

ABFEA said in a Facebook post: "For more than 15 years, the school has been educating children from the community and preserving the Bulgarian language, culture, traditions and values. We call for support for the petition and for transparency and fairness on the part of the Education Ministry. Bulgarian schools abroad are a national asset and must be protected."

The removal of the Little Bulgarian School in Chicago from the List of Bulgarian Sunday Schools Abroad has prompted a letter and a petition signed by more than 25 Bulgarian organizations from the US Midwest, BTA learned from Peter Georgiev, Chairman of the Board of Bugarica Center in Chicago, Illinois. The signatories to the petition firmly distance themselves from any attempts to use the name of Bulgarian Sunday schools for personal gain or political interests.

The letter, which was sent to Bulgarian institutions, issues a call to action: "We call for unity, respect and dialogue based on facts, documents and established procedures, without slander, without personal attacks and without pressure through public hysteria. We call on all Bulgarian organizations in Chicago to show unity, respect and trust in the institutions."