The State Caseload Forecast Council recently reported that 46,000 students have pulled out of Washington public schools in the last few years.
So where did these children go? Last week Brandi Kruse interviewed me about the answer (podcast Undivided with Brandi Kruse, at time Stamp 11:00).
New reporting data shows that, while public schools are in decline, private school enrollment has jumped from 65,000 to 81,000 students since 2019. Homeschool enrollment has also increased, rising some 42% from 21,000 to 30,000 students.
This means at least 25,000 former public school students are now getting a private education. The move is remarkable because public school is supposedly “free” (actually your neighbors pay for it through taxes) yet many families are willing to shoulder the financial burden of finding a better alternative.
