Homeschooling numbers in New York continue skyrocketing years after COVID-19 pandemic 

The Empire State may soon be known for a different kind of empire – a growing domain of homeschoolers.

“According to a study by the Empire Center, in 2018, 37% of New Yorkers were homeschooled,” writes Gray Media’s WBNG.com, noting it then jumped to 44% in 2019 and 77% in 2020.

“The most significant jump since 2003 was in 2021 – when students started returning to school, there was a 173% increase of New Yorkers being homeschooled.”

Today New York is experiencing the second-highest rate of homeschool growth nationwide, and the state’s educational leaders expect the trend to continue. 

“I think there were a lot of people that were like, ‘You know what? I can do this,’” said Jennifer Synder, co-president of Homeschool New York. “‘I like having my kids at home. I like the creativity that goes into formulating an education that’s suited for my child and individualized.’” 

One family’s experience 

Jessica Yuricek had been working as a nurse until she decided to homeschool full time during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“At that time, we had the New York State travel ban in effect,” she said. “And so, we could not honestly sign that bi-weekly affidavit that they wanted us to sign. At that point, as a family, we decided we were going to try this homeschooling thing.” 

Her biggest question at the time involved socialization for her children. 

“I was very concerned that if we just hold in and shut down that we wouldn’t have that exposure and it was challenging in those COVID months where so much of everything was shut down, and we struggled some then, just like everybody else,” she explained. 

However, her son Joshua is now involved in extracurricular activities such as volleyball. 

“Two of my friends are playing that too, so I see them at least three days a week, if not four or five,” he told WBNG.com in a news video. “I really like (homeschooling), and you also get a lot of free time. You don’t really get that in public school.” 

Kimberly Kopko, director of the Parenting Project at Cornell University, also noted the changing nature of modern social interactions. 

“Fewer can be better because we’re in an age where we have a lot of people that we touch and that we know, but we only really have a very close circle that we are engaged with,” she explained. “There may be more opportunities, but that also doesn’t mean that those interactions are as significant as in smaller groups.”