BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — An education watchdog group is now calling on the state to take a closer look at student enrollment statewide.
After a new report, conducted by Education Trust New York showed elementary school enrollment in both traditional public and private schools fell over the last five years, while homeschooling and charter school enrollment increased in that time.
The 14-page study was released Thursday, explaining how the pandemic accelerated the decline in student enrollment.
The study states enrollment in public schools was already on a decline for the last ten years.
New York State lead the nation in enrollment loss between 2019-20 and 2021-22.
Eighty-eight percent of the state's districts experienced this.
One of the six findings were that Rochester and New York City experienced significant declines.
“It’s potentially just because folks just migrated from one space to another,” Education Trust New York executive director, Dia Bryant told Pheben Kassahun via Zoom.
Education Trust New York executive director Dia Bryant said this involved just 12-percent of districts.
"I think what's important to note is that these declines have been happening overtime and some of it is attributed to decreased birth rates. However, the shifts from one school type to another is a bit of a new phenomenon. During the pandemic, many of these students were in public schools or private schools. Those families have chosen something different,” Bryant said.
Aside from low birth rates, another reason for the extreme decline is parents choosing education alternatives outside of the public sector - whether it be private, charter or homeschooling where some programs have experienced enrollment or inquiries about enrollment double, since 2019.
Homeschool New York LEAH of WNY secretary, Dan DiFrancesco said, ”Since the first of the year, I've had 114 different contacts."
Dan DiFrancesco with Homeschool NY LEAH or Loving Education at Home" said the Christian homeschool support group serves 2,500 families and 10,000 students.
He said homeschool enticed parents before the pandemic.
DiFrancesco said, “So some people have a preceding against vaccinations. They didn't have an option. They pulled their kids out of school. That was a wave that even proceeded the pandemic."
Elijah and Zimriyah Moses have homeschooled their kids since 2005. Their daughter, who is now 17, is near the end of her high school career.
There was a period in time where the schools were uncertain about what they were going to do and indecisive and kind of moving a but in response to what they would happen,” The Moses explained. “She didn't skip a beat because we already were homeschooling."
