Home-school enrollment has risen by nearly 30% nationwide since the 2019 school year. As more families opt into this education option, their reasons are diverse and span the political spectrum.

First becoming popular in the 1960s and ’70s as a counterculture movement against public education, home schooling quickly developed into an evangelical movement in the ’80s. Today, as parents seek education alternatives that put their children in a tailored learning environment, many are once again pursuing home education.

Since the start of the pandemic, home-school enrollment among black families quintupled, rising from 3.3% to 16%.

Similar increases happened among Hispanic families, with an increase from 3.5% in 2016 to 8.9% as of 2022.

What is drawing families of diverse backgrounds to home school? Below, we list three factors that play a part in the switch.

Mental Health

Mental health concerns and loneliness in students grew during the pandemic. Many parents began pulling their children out of public schools and started home schooling.

Citing factors such as bullying, racism and loneliness, many parents see home schooling as a better way to help their child develop in a safe environment.

In 2021, Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio saw a 14% increase in psychiatric visits for suicidal thoughts and other mental health scares.

Tailored Education

Pamela Smith, a mother of five, said that as the debate around critical race theory has continued, many black families have opted to home-school to ensure that their children receive a more real, less “whitewashed” history of slavery and the treatment of black people in America.

Others, like Sherri Mehta, have opted to home-school due to a “cultural gap” in their child’s school. In a predominantly white school district, Mehta wanted her children to grow up with a sense of black cultural identity.

According to a report in 2015, nearly 35% of black families wanted to home-school so they could share specific values, while 28% cited customizing their child’s education.

Special Education

Christine Fairbanks, Sutherland Institute’s education policy fellow, recently wrote a piece highlighting a family that opted to home-school their son who struggled with dyslexia, so he could have more direct attention in his studies. After he struggled for years in reading classes, the family acknowledged that “the school system is not set up to teach someone who has dyslexia.” In making the change to home schooling, their son finally saw a breakthrough in his learning and was able to overcome many of his challenges.

Conclusion

As home-schooling rates increase, the movement is nuanced and diverse, as it was in the 1970s and 1980s. As parents seek the option that suits their children and family the best, the home-schooling movement is becoming less ideological. As parents with children in the public school system research their options, for many families home schooling presents a uniquely tailored, hands-on approach.

For a more in-depth perspective on this article, read our Insights piece here.