K-12 public enrollment falls across Iowa while ‘nonpublic’ numbers continue to rise

Iowa’s certified K-12 enrollment has fallen this year, the state’s education department confirmed recently – downplaying the decline as “a long-standing national trend driven by lower birth rates and fewer students progressing from grade to grade.” 

Total enrollment numbers dwindled from 520,021 last year to 515,221 this year, with public school district and public charter school enrollment marking a 1.53% decrease. 

At the same time, the department noted certified enrollment at “Iowa accredited nonpublic schools” had increased from 39,356 last year to 41,892 this year – “representing just over 8% of total 2025 certified enrollment.” 

“While the vast majority of Iowa families chose to send their child to their high-quality neighborhood public school in 2025, more than one out of six students selected other school choice options available through open enrollment to a public school outside a family’s resident district, innovative public charter schools and accredited nonpublic schools,” the department said in a release. 

‘We see kids thriving’ 

These numbers do not reflect families who choose “independent private instruction,” which includes homeschooling without state assistance or involvement, The Gazette reports. 

“The Iowa Department of Education only has information about students who participate in home school assistance programs or are involved with a district in some capacity, spokesperson Shaela Meister said in an email to The Gazette,” the news outlet noted. 

“Per Iowa Code, there is no reporting requirement for students in independent private instruction, Meister said.” 

Nevertheless, even families choosing state-sponsored “homeschool assistance programs” or maintaining involvement “with a school district in some capacity” continue to increase, according to journalists. 

“There are 1,630 more students enrolled in homeschool assistance programs than a decade ago, for a total of about 8,500 students in the programs last year, according to data provided by the Iowa Department of Education.” 

One of these programs, the Mid-Prairie Homeschool Assistance Program, serves 667 students and has marked year-over-year enrollment growth. 

“There’s a misconception that homeschooling is done exclusively at home,” said Rachel Kerns, the program’s director. “Homeschoolers are out in the community, working jobs, helping at their churches, volunteering, taking classes at the public school, taking enrichment classes … We see kids thriving.” 

Another program, the Marion Homeschool Assistance Program, is one of the largest statewide with 1,223 students participating this year, The Gazette reported. 

“The Marion Independent School District — which provides the program — has a total enrollment of 2,525, making the homeschool assistance program almost 50 percent of the district’s total enrollment.” 

One of the moms using the program, Andrea Reinert, told journalists she “relies on the support of her church, which has a large homeschooling community.” 

“We’ve hatched eggs at home and watched ducklings. We’ve watched the life cycle of a Monarch butterfly and released them in our own garden,” she said. “There’s a lot of monotony (in homeschooling), but there are moments that are irreplaceable. It’s a privilege to watch them learn and participate in the learning.”