Families that could afford alternatives fled public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, seeking reliable in-person instruction and greater academic rigor – and many have not returned, even years later, according to a recent report.
“The families of the highest-performing K-12 students, and those with access to greater resources, increasingly disaffiliate from traditional public schools,” writes Kevin Mahnken for The 74.
The report, based on an article from the Education Next journal, suggests several factors for the enrollment decline: delayed in-person instruction, increased concerns over public education and constraints on advanced coursework access.
