Contact: Jeremy Newman, VP of Policy at THSC
Email: Jeremy.Newman@thsc.org
Phone: 214-707-8445
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Data Shows 50k TX Students Withdraw to Homeschool Each Year, 80k During Covid
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – New data collected from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and school districts around Texas shows that more than 50,000 students withdrew from public school to begin homeschooling each year in 2022 and 2023.
During the 2020-2021 school year, the number was more than 83,000.
The Texas Home School Coalition has previously reported on data obtained from the TEA showing 20,000-30,000 students withdrawing each year to homeschool in recent years, but due to limitations on the data collected by the TEA, reports were only available for students between grades 7-12.
New data obtained directly from school districts across Texas shows that, once students in grades PK-6 are included, the total number of students withdrawing to homeschool each year in Texas is estimated at more than 50,000, with 83,000 students withdrawing during the 2020-2021 school year.
Between 1997 and 2023, nearly 800,000 students withdrew from public school in Texas to begin homeschooling.
The data is viewable on THSC’s website.
While COVID produced a high water mark for the number of students withdrawing, even post-COVID withdrawals have remained approximately 50% higher than before, indicating that high homeschooling numbers are likely the new normal.
Critically, these numbers count only students who have withdrawn from public school to homeschool. After factoring in families who begin homeschooling without having previously been in public school, total new homeschool enrollment each year could be much higher.
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Jeremy Newman, THSC Deputy Director
Jeremy has served as the Policy Director for THSC since 2013. In 2022, he became THSC’s first Deputy Director. He teaches Lincoln-Douglas debate in the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA). He currently lives in Fort Worth with his wife, Addi, and two sons, Wyatt and Declan.
Contact: Jeremy Newman, VP of Policy at THSC
Email: Jeremy.Newman@thsc.org
Phone: 214-707-8445
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Data Shows 50k TX Students Withdraw to Homeschool Each Year, 80k During Covid
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – New data collected from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and school districts around Texas shows that more than 50,000 students withdrew from public school to begin homeschooling each year in 2022 and 2023.
During the 2020-2021 school year, the number was more than 83,000.
The Texas Home School Coalition has previously reported on data obtained from the TEA showing 20,000-30,000 students withdrawing each year to homeschool in recent years, but due to limitations on the data collected by the TEA, reports were only available for students between grades 7-12.
New data obtained directly from school districts across Texas shows that, once students in grades PK-6 are included, the total number of students withdrawing to homeschool each year in Texas is estimated at more than 50,000, with 83,000 students withdrawing during the 2020-2021 school year.
Between 1997 and 2023, nearly 800,000 students withdrew from public school in Texas to begin homeschooling.
The data is viewable on THSC’s website.
While COVID produced a high water mark for the number of students withdrawing, even post-COVID withdrawals have remained approximately 50% higher than before, indicating that high homeschooling numbers are likely the new normal.
Critically, these numbers count only students who have withdrawn from public school to homeschool. After factoring in families who begin homeschooling without having previously been in public school, total new homeschool enrollment each year could be much higher.
###
Jeremy Newman, THSC Deputy Director
Jeremy has served as the Policy Director for THSC since 2013. In 2022, he became THSC’s first Deputy Director. He teaches Lincoln-Douglas debate in the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA). He currently lives in Fort Worth with his wife, Addi, and two sons, Wyatt and Declan.
