Would you believe that American families want their school-age children spending time in an actual school? As enrollment data continue to trickle in, evidence continues to mount that families have abandoned public schools in large numbers, for the second academic year running.
What’s more, Covid lockdowns and restrictions, coupled with a newfound awareness by parents of woke indoctrination in many public schools, have families embracing private educational options.
Last June, the federal Department of Education released preliminary enrollment data for the 2020-21 school year. That initial report showed a drop in public school enrollment of 3.8 percent over the previous school year of 2019-20. Since there were approximately 51.1 million children attending public schools in 2019-20, that’s an enrollment loss of nearly 2 million in just that one school year.
All states reported enrollment declines, and enrollment among the youngest students—those in preschool and kindergarten—declined the most, at 22 percent and 9 percent, respectively. The final enrollment data for 2020-21 won’t get released until later this spring, but preliminary reports for the 2021-22 academic year show a decline in public school enrollment for the second straight year. Read more…