Teresa Marchant Why this Topic is Important Parents who homeschool are not public education’s enemies. However, there needs to be an open discussion of its impact on schools. The loss of enrollment means failing state and federal dollars for schools. Those funds are essential to run programs, pay for staffing, and other general operating costs.
Local Example of Impact Reaching out to our County Superintendent, I found out that the homeschool enrollment doubled last year. This is having an impact on local school budgets. However, the numbers for this year were unavailable. After interviewing a few parents, I discovered that some local school districts might see students returning.
School Choice Enrollment Parent Insight Those interviewed were concerned about Covid, masks, and all the requirements made by their local school districts. As parents, they wanted to control those factors. However, they also had other friends who already homeschooled their children, creating a network for families. This Co-op helped take the burden off them while still providing an education for their child. For the first year, it seemed like a good fit for their families.
Curriculum and Outside Resources Having the support of others, they purchased a curriculum that would work for their family. However, one family decided that a mixture of several types of curriculum would be better. They now realize that homeschooling is not cheap. Outside resources helped fill the holes in their curriculum, including the local library, a dyslexia program offered by a local church, and homeschooling websites or groups.
Moving Forward Two of the three families decided not to continue homeschooling and felt that about half of their co-op was also sending their children back to school this year as well. They learned it is hard being the parent and the teacher to their children. On the other hand, one family decided to continue homeschooling this school year again. They felt this was still the best way to meet the needs of their children but will evaluate the situation as their children get older.
Working Together Students can participate in extracurricular activities, use resources, and attend specific classes at public schools as homeschoolers. If they attend part of the day, schools would still receive funding for their attendance. Homeschooling doesn’t need to be an “either-or” situation. For example, school library resources can be used by homeschool families. Another option would be to work with the local school district to provide remote learning options, a virtual public school. This allows school districts to receive whole enrollment dollars while the parents work alongside their children at home.
We will most likely see numbers fluctuate regarding homeschooling over the next few years. Whatever the parents ultimately decide will impact budgets. However, it is vital to understand both sides so districts can provide the best possible education with resources that will improve their students’ learning.
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