As K-12 enrollment shifts, families lead education´s evolution

(NewsUSA) - What would you do if you felt your child´s school wasn't helping them reach their full potential? For a growing number of parents, the answer is to look for alternatives. According to a recent survey, six out of ten parents considered switching their child’s school during the last year, reflecting the shifting expectations families have for education today.

As families move to new areas, their priorities for education often change. Smaller counties with fewer than 30,000 people have gained population, while more families are leaving the nation’s largest urban counties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. These shifts are reshaping communities, and how parents think about their children’s education.

Public school enrollment has declined by 2.5% since 2019, with the largest decreases occurring in pre-K through 8th grade, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. These declines coincide with a rise in interest in other educational options, including public charter, magnet, private, online learning, homeschooling and microschooling. Parents are taking an active role in finding environments that meet their children’s unique needs, whether that means staying in the public school system or looking beyond it.

This decline is also tied to larger demographic trends. Birth rates in the United States have been falling for over a decade, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting a 2% drop in births from 2022 to 2023. Lower birth rates mean fewer children entering school each year. Combined with population shifts, these trends are reshaping how and where families access education.

Younger parents, Black and Hispanic families, and military households are among those most likely to explore alternatives. For many, it’s not about dissatisfaction, it’s about seeking the best possible fit for their children’s needs, interests, and learning styles.

Traditional public schools serve millions of families, but declining enrollment reflects the growing need for more adaptable education options. Hawaii, for example, has seen a 6.5% drop in enrollment since 2019, while North Dakota has experienced a 2.5% increase. At the same time, charter school enrollment nationwide grew by more than 80,000 students last year, and homeschooling remains one of the fastest-growing education models. These trends reflect families’ increasing awareness of the variety of options available to them.

This January, National School Choice Week (Jan. 26 to Feb. 1) will provide families with an opportunity to explore these options. With over 27,000 events planned nationwide, parents can learn about public, charter, private, online, and homeschooling models to determine what works best for their children.

As interest, and enrollment, in different types of schools continues to change, states are responding by creating policies that empower parents to make choices between many different school types. That means more solutions, and more hope, for families who want to help their child succeed.

Shelby Doyle is the vice president of public awareness at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that hosts National School Choice Week each January and maintains the nation’s largest online portfolio of English- and Spanish-language school navigation resources. She lives in Nashville, TN with her family.