Since 2019 1.4 Million Students Have Left the Public Fool System, Causing Closings Throughout US

From [HERE] Government schools in America “have lost more than a million students since the start of the pandemic,” reports the Wall Street Journal, leading to school closures “across the country.” The article goes on to document dozens of those closings and lists “a rise in home schooling” as one of the causes for the drop in enrollment. In total government schools lost “1.4 million students from the fall of 2019 to the fall of 2020.”

3.7 million homeschooled children

Homeschooling numbers have swelled to 3.7 million children as government schools lose students, according to WhatToBecome in an article entitled, “Homeschooling Statistics You Shouldn’t Ignore".

Why?

Project Forever Free suggests COVID measures and frustration with poor education may be responsible for the move away from government schooling.

Maybe it’s the continued disruptions to learning in public schools — from poorly-devised remote classes to indoor mask mandates — that have forced many parents to search for schools teaching in person or meeting away from COVID risks. 

Or perhaps these pandemic problems were just an occasion for parents to act on frustrations they’ve had for years. Many public schools have been consistently incompetent when it comes to meeting children’s educational needs.

WhatToBecome also points to educational success as one of the reasons for the growing popularity of homeschooling.

15% to 30% higher scores on achievement tests [including] 72 points more (out of 1600) than the national average on the SAT. 

Higher scores are not the top reason parents choose to homeschool, though. Safety is. 

80% of parents choose to educate their children at home because of safety concerns…Parents in the States are becoming more worried about their children’s safety at school, primarily because of drugs, bullying, and negative peer pressure.[MORE]