Parents deciding to homeschool their children has become more popular over the last few years. A new report from the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy’s Homeschool Research Lab analyzed 21 states over the 2023-2024 school year on the increase of students being homeschooled.
The data revealed that homeschooling was on the rise in 19 out of 21 states analyzed. Parents have listed several reasons why they choose to leave traditional public school and opt for homeschooling.
The biggest one was from COVID-19 safety protocols, teaching critical race theory, gender-neutral classes being taught to elementary students, and the lack of discipline in the public schools.
Another source of blame was the teacher unions, which also supported school lockdowns, mask mandates, and refusals to return to the classroom unless certain demands were met.
From the 2021-2022 school year, the Florida Department of Education reported just over 152,000 students were homeschooled in Florida, a 69% increase from 2017-2018.
The homeschooling population in the state has grown around 70 times faster than the state’s public school enrollment since 2017.
Tampa Bay in Hillsborough County saw the biggest jump in homeschooled students, around 11,000.
Another reason why families are choosing homeschools is from the states’ Personalized Education Program (PEP) where vouchers are allowed to cover the cost on education-related programs. Curriculum purchases, standardized test fees, tuition for private tutoring, laptops, and virtual learning programs approved by the state.
The amount parents can use with the vouchers ranges from $7,000 to $9,000. Some of the costs depend on the county where you reside.
The bottom line of the John Hopkins education report is that homeschooling is the new trend and the alternative to traditional public schools.
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