National poll finds 4 out of 10 families more likely to homeschool after lockdowns end

A recent RealClear Opinion Research survey shows respondents support educational choice and parents are considering different schooling options for their child after the lockdowns end.

The poll surveyed 2,122 registered voters across the country on the general concept of school choice, with 64 percent in support. When broken down by race and ethnicity, black respondents were the highest supporters at 67.6 percent. Federal Education Freedom Scholarships received 69 percent support overall, with black respondents again highly favoring this educational choice option at 74 percent.

The parents surveyed (626 respondents) were asked whether they were more or less likely to enroll their son or daughter in a homeschool, neighborhood homeschool co-op, or virtual school once the lockdowns are over.

Nearly 41 percent (40.8 percent) responded they were “more likely” to enroll their child in one of these options. When broken down by age, younger parents (ages 18 to 34) were more likely to consider a home education setting at 44.9 percent. Asian parents were more likely at 53.8 percent, followed by black parents at 50.4 percent.

Also noteworthy, respondents who identified as Democrat were slightly more likely to change education environments (45.7 percent) compared to Republican respondents (42.3 percent).

There is no doubt the coronavirus has impacted the education landscape and has disrupted what families previously viewed as their normal educational setting. John Schilling, president of the American Federation of Children, released a statement on the poll results urging policymakers to note that parents strongly desire the availability of other educational options.

“This is the time for leadership and for desperately needed bold reforms to be implemented across our K-12 education system. Millions of families are seeing the inadequacies of school districts that are too inflexible. We owe it to our nation’s families and students to give them more flexibility and additional educational options. Moreover, policymakers owe it to the taxpayers who are footing the $800 billion K-12 education bill to maximize their investment by ensuring every child has access to a quality education and outcomes are improved across the board.”

The Center’s Thinking Minnesota Poll has found support for educational freedom is high among Minnesotans. Seventy-five percent of respondents support allowing students in low-performing public school districts to attend a public or private school of their choice. Seventy-one percent support an exploratory small-scale pilot program that allows students in failing school districts to attend a public or private school of their choice.