What the New Homeschool Demographic Means for School Choice

By Mia Tiwana

The homeschool landscape is changing. Our approach to school funding should, too.

A recent Washington Post study found that homeschooling is booming in popularity. In districts with available data, the homeschool population has grown on average 51% since the 2017-2018 school year.

Homeschooled students do not come from one ideological, racial, political, or religious background. The reasons families choose homeschooling are also diverse. Homeschoolers come from liberal districts and conservative districts alike, with diverse cultural makeups, pointing to the benefits of homeschooling and other non-traditional education settings for children from all walks of life.

As education options expand, states should let education funding follow the students so they can learn in the environments that best meet their needs. In 2023, school choice programs don’t serve one interest group. They serve everyone. States that are enacting school choice laws are helping families find the right fit for their children to succeed, whether that’s through public, charter, magnet, private, online, or home education. All children should have the opportunity to learn in the schools that are best for them.

Mia Tiwana is a Policy Analyst at Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization.

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