Homeschooling skyrockets in Montana while public school enrollment declines

Homeschooling is gaining more popularity in Montana, even as public school enrollment falls.  

According to data released by the Montana Office of Public Instruction, K-12 public school enrollment fell by 1.3% – almost 2,000 students – during the 2023-24 school year. Most of the losses were in elementary grades.  

However, homeschooling had a 9.3% boost from the prior year.  

“This data reflects families that are moving out of state and parents that desire more engagement in their children’s education through homeschooling,” said Superintendent Elise Arntzen. “Montana schools must prioritize student learning in their budgets as this decrease leads to fewer state dollars.”  

Arntzen also speculated the pandemic may have changed many parents’ perspectives on education.  

“[The pandemic] opened up innovation and an opportunity for parents to really see their child and recognize which system might be best for them,” she told local media. 

Students will likely continue leaving traditional public schools as the state prepares to launch its first-ever charter schools as well as a school choice program for special-needs students.  

Montana isn’t the only state where homeschooling has increased since 2020. A Washington Post article in 2023 labeled homeschooling “America’s fastest-growing form of education.” It noted a 51% increase in the number of homeschool students nationwide over the prior six years, compared to a 7% increase in private schooling and a 4% decrease in public schooling.  

In California, homeschooling rose 78% between 2017 and 2022, and North Carolina recorded a 115% increase between 2012 and 2022.