More and more, parents are opting America’s children out of public school.
The share of children ages 5 to 17 enrolled in public schools fell by almost 4 percentage points from 2012 to 2022, an NBC News analysis of Census Bureau data found, even as the overall population grew.
NBC News’ analysis found:
- 87.0% of children were enrolled in public school in 2022, compared to 90.7% in 2012.
- In Kentucky, the share of school-age children in public schools decreased by almost 8 percentage points.
- In South Carolina, the share of children enrolled in public schools decreased by 7.4 percentage points.
- In Alaska, enrollment decreased by nearly 7 percentage points.
During the same period, the share of 5 to 17 year-olds enrolled in private schools increased by 2 percentage points, the Census Bureau data showed. Charter schools saw a similar increase, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a nonprofit group dedicated to…
