According to the U.S. Census Bureau, homeschooling has undergone a surge in Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In particular, the Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, taken between the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years, showed an increase of 7.8 percent from the spring of 2020 to the fall of 2020.
A report from Education Daily Wire explains the study also demonstrated that homeschooling will likely grow further; nine percent of parents who were not currently homeschooling expressed interest in doing so when the opportunity arrived. With large swaths of people either afraid for their children’s safety or tired of strict COVID restrictions raging through Texas public schools, it is likely these numbers will continue upward.
This is not the only survey showing the rise of homeschooling. A poll released by Real Clear Opinions found that 40 percent of registered voters are likely to enroll their children in either homeschooling or virtual learning.
These new numbers are in line with other reports showing mass withdrawals from the Texas public school system. According to the Texas Home School Coalition, withdrawals increased by 1,700 percent in July, 400 percent in August, and another 400 percent in September 2020. These reflect nationwide polling, according to a Gallup poll that showed those homeschooling doubled, going from 5 to 10 percent.
Studies done by the THSC have shown that homeschooling can benefit some Texas students, showing increase in academic excellence and independent growth. Regarding the Texas government’s budget, the exodus from its public schools could be a major money saver, freeing an estimated $7 billion if around 670,000 Texas children are homeschooled, according to Gallup.
