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A new Gallop study found that just 32% of Americans are satisfied with kindergarten-12 education. Furthermore, K-12 schools rated worst on teaching critical thinking skills, and a record-low 66% of K-12 parents are satisfied with their children’s education. It’s no wonder then, that homeschooling increased by a whopping 200% in New York City, and the situation suggests that’s just the beginning as parents across the nation remove their kids from traditional schools.
Homeschooling – The New One-Room Schoolhouse
New Yorkers have a lot of struggles on their hands, to be sure. There’s crime, homelessness, illegal immigrants, and a Democratic Socialist mayor of the Big Apple who wants to give free handouts to anyone thrusting out an eager hand. One thing they may not have accounted for is just how many parents are dissatisfied with the education system to the point that children are being yanked out of public schools and into homeschooling.
According to the most recent 2025-2026 figures from the Information and Reporting Services analyzed by the New York Post, New York State has 53,905 children being homeschooled. That number has more than tripled since 2009-10. “In New York City, those figures are also rising – with more than 14,000 children being homeschooled at last count,” the outlet reported.
“For the past few decades, New York’s schools have been in a death spiral of worsening performance and exploding costs,” Zilvinas Silenas, president of the Empire Center for Public Policy think tank, told The Post. “New York’s taxpayers spend $37,000 — the most in the world to educate one kid — yet we lose in reading and mathematics to Mississippi, the poorest state. It might not be that all parents that homeschool think homeschooling is the best thing in the world. It could also be that anything – even homeschooling – is better than New York’s government system.”
Around the Nation, the Trend Continues
New York isn’t the only state or city experiencing the pain of homeschooling. The most recent National Center for Education Statistics estimate puts the homeschool rate at 3.4% of school-age children in 2023, up from 2.8% in 2019.
Florida has one of the largest officially recorded homeschool populations in the country with 152,871 students in 2024-25. In the past five years, the number of kids being homeschooled in the Sunshine State increased by 9,440 students, or 6.6%.
North Carolina also has a high rate of homeschooled kids with 165,243 students, representing around 9.5% of school-age children. Georgia has approximately 89,510 homeschooled students representing about 4.71% of school-age children, while Virginia has 62,763 students, or about 4.48% of learning kids. Arkansas has 35,419 homeschooled kids to represent 6.79% of school-age students.
Speaking of the Natural State, Generation Liberty author James Fite and his family homestead and participate in homeschooling. When asked why he decided to homeschool their four children, he answered:
“We chose to homeschool for numerous reasons, but the biggest was to be able to customize our children's educations to their own needs and our family values rather than leave them at the whim of the one-size-fits-none public education system. We would have chosen this path for no other reason than this and to protect the kids from a progressive institution that seems to be more hostile toward Christianity and devoted to the LGBTQ and DEI agendas each year. As the cherry on top, since I work remotely, homeschooling allows us to live the lives of digital nomads, traveling around the country (and occasionally out of country) to our hearts' desire (up to the limit my wallet allows, of course). And it's all educational. We've had homeschool field trips and lesson days to the shores of the Gulf, Atlantic, and Pacific, to the Grand Canyon and mountains both Smoky and Rocky, and many points in between.”
Not Much of a Political Divide
Democrats and Republicans don’t seem to agree on much these days, but when it comes to children’s education, they aren’t that distant. According to the Gallop poll, 35% of Democrats, 32% of independents, and 25% of Republicans are completely or somewhat satisfied with K-12 education. “Although Democrats have often expressed higher satisfaction than Republicans with K-12 education dating back to 1999,” Gallop explained, “Democrats are largely driving the recent drops in satisfaction. Since 2024, satisfaction among Democrats has fallen by 19 points, including by seven points over the past year, while independents’ satisfaction is down 10 points and Republicans’ is down six points.”
With these kinds of numbers, especially from the Democrats, it’s not hard to understand why homeschooling is becoming more popular.
4 Questions
The story, in brief
How much has homeschooling increased in New York City?
Homeschooling in New York City increased by 200%, according to the report. The article also says more than 14,000 children were being homeschooled there at last count. Statewide, New York had 53,905 homeschooled children in the most recent 2025-2026 figures.
Why are more parents choosing homeschooling over K-12 schools?
The article points to broad dissatisfaction with K-12 education as a major reason. A Gallop study found only 32% of Americans are satisfied with kindergarten through 12th grade education, and a record-low 66% of K-12 parents are satisfied with their children’s education. Schools also rated worst on teaching critical thinking skills.
Which states have some of the largest homeschool populations?
Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Arkansas are listed among states with large homeschool populations. Florida had 152,871 homeschooled students in 2024-25, while North Carolina had 165,243. Georgia had about 89,510, Virginia had 62,763, and Arkansas had 35,419 homeschooled students.
How divided are Democrats and Republicans on K-12 education satisfaction?
The article says the political divide is smaller than many might expect on this issue. According to Gallop, 35% of Democrats, 32% of independents, and 25% of Republicans are completely or somewhat satisfied with K-12 education. It also says Democrats have largely driven the recent drops in satisfaction.
