New data shows homeschool enrollment still increasing after pandemic

Homeschool enrollment continues to swell even four years after the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report reveals.

The study from the Homeschool Research Lab at Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy explains that “while the exact reason for this growth is unknown,” analysts can no longer attribute the trend to the pandemic.

“I think everybody knows that homeschooling went up during the pandemic. But people really thought that when schooling went back to normal, as the pandemic kind of waned, that everybody would go back to their normal way of educating,” says Angela Watson, who serves as director for the Homeschool Research Lab. 

“And so, every year, we keep thinking that the numbers are going to drop and the numbers are going to drop, and we keep not seeing that happening to the degree that we thought that it would in education circles.”  

The Johns Hopkins research is based on information from 21 states, as only 30 states currently collect and report data on homeschooling. Out of the 21 states that do, only New Hampshire and Vermont demonstrated a decrease in homeschool participation. 

Public schools in Texas have hemorrhaged upward of 50,000 students a year to homeschooling post-pandemic – and top homeschool advocates in the state have been quick to point out the education model’s growing momentum. 

“While COVID produced a high-water mark for the number of students withdrawing, even post-COVID withdrawals have remained approximately 50% higher than before, indicating that high homeschooling numbers are likely the new normal,” the Texas Home School Coalition shared in an August press release. 

“Critically, these numbers count only students who have withdrawn from public school to homeschool. After factoring in families who begin homeschooling without having previously been in public school, total new homeschool enrollment each year could be much higher.” 

While the threat of COVID-19 and school lockdowns are no longer in play, parents in states such as Virginia are now turning to homeschooling as a safer alternative to other anxieties of in-person education, such as school shootings and general violence in classrooms. 

“There are parents that are anxious and just want to find a way out,” shared Russell Wrightson, vice president of the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers. “So, if that’s what you need right now is safety, you can file your notice of intent, remove your child from public education, and then see how that works for your family.”