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Home schooling increasing amid COVID-19 pandemic
FOX 26's Natalie Hee has more on the steep increase of parents home schooling their children.
HOUSTON - As many districts began the school year virtually, some parents say they’re considering home-schooling their kids for the foreseeable future.
According to the Texas Home School Coalition, there’s been a 400% increase in reported withdrawals from public schools in August of this year.
Most parents in Texas have already been homeschooling their kids for several months since schools shut down to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
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As a new school year begins virtually for many districts, some parents like Dr. Alauna Curry says she may continue home-schooling to protect her and her family.
"My intention is to homeschool them until it’s safe to return around other human beings on a regular basis. I scientifically estimate that being about 18 months away," Curry said.
Curry is a single, working mom with underlying health conditions.
For the last six months, she’s been home-schooling three elementary school-aged kids on top of running her small business.
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She admits she’s overwhelmed but says she doesn’t plan on sending her kids back to in-person learning anytime soon.
"I would consider withdrawing them and homeschooling them if I had the appropriate resources to make sure they were getting a healthy curriculum. If the kids get sick, they bring it home to adults. My kids are all over me. Every year, we all get sick with colds and some form of the flu," Curry said.
Curry's kids attend schools at Cy-Fair and Katy ISD.
Curry now joins a growing number of parents across the state who are leaning towards home-schooling as a permanent solution.
According to new data from the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC), the month of August this year saw a 400% increase from August 2019 in reported withdrawals from public schools.
"We saw a lot of parents who decided either for health reasons or some of the guidelines that were put in place that they would just rather have their children stay at home. In July, we actually saw a 1,500-time increase comparing this year’s numbers to 2019," said Stephen Howsley, a public policy analyst with the Texas Home School Coalition.
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Howsley says the steep upward trajectory began years ago. In 2015, cumulative withdrawals through THSC's website was a reported 293, compared to 2019’s roughly 3,500 and 2020’s more than 9,700.
Cumulative Total Withdrawals Through THSC Form:
2020 - 9,705
2019 - 3,476
2018 - 1,435
2017 - 1,425
2016 - 865
2015 - 293
Houston 2020 Monthly Total Withdrawals Through THSC Form:
August - 156
July - 44
June - 8
May - 5
April - 13
March - 16
February - 16
January - 37
"Even though we are the Texas Home School Coalition, we by no means are out to shut down the public schools or anything, we think that public schools are very necessary. Since the 90s and since homeschooling has become more mainstream, it really has continued an upward trajectory," Howsley said.
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Howsley did clarify that parents are not required by law to use THSC forms to withdraw kids from public school, so he actually predicts the withdrawal numbers are actually much higher than what’s reported in their data.