School Choice Surges as Public School Enrollment Declines

Statewide, public school enrollment is declining.

More specifically, overall student enrollment is changing. In other words, parents are making different choices regarding where they send their children to school.

How has enrollment changed in your county? Check the interactive maps below:

The Decline of District Schools

Public school enrollment across Pennsylvania has declined 7.7 percent since 2000, representing 139,000 fewer students. Interestingly, district schools lost more than 289,000 students, while charter schools—also publicly funded—grew by 150,000.

Enrollment for nonpublic schools, homeschooling, and charter and cyber charter schools has all increased. Projections by the Pennsylvania Department of Education suggest that these trends will continue over the next decade, estimating public school enrollment will decline by another 73,000 students over the next four years alone. Over the same period, nonpublic enrollment is expected to rise by 140,000 students.

This is a statewide pattern. In 46 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, public school enrollment has declined. Meanwhile, nonpublic school enrollment is on the rise in 60 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Homeschool enrollment is up in 40 counties. Statewide, charter school enrollment is up by 150,000 students since 2000, and cyber charter enrollment has nearly doubled since the pandemic alone.

Not All Students Can Enroll Elsewhere

This issue boils down to access—more specifically, which students have it?

In Pennsylvania, the ability to access one’s first choice of schools is limited to families who can afford to move to a different zip code, homeschool, or pay out of pocket for tuition at a private school. The only tuition-free options for Pennsylvania families are their assigned district public school, charter, or cyber charter schools. More than 200,000 students attend one of the state’s lowest-performing public schools across 43 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

Pennsylvania’s tax-credit scholarship programs—the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs—are the only avenues for some families to access the school that best meets their child’s needs. EITC and OSTC scholarships, open to low-income families and/or those assigned to one of the state’s lowest-performing public schools, are changing the lives of students and families in 66 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.  

However, more than 80,000 applicants have been turned away. Most applicants end up on waiting lists because of arbitrary program caps.

If Given the Choice…

Pennsylvania students and families are eager for more educational opportunities. 

Recent polling asked voters to grade Pennsylvania’s K-12 schools. Nearly two-thirds gave Pennsylvania public schools a C-grade or below. Also, if money weren’t an issue, about seven in 10 said they would enroll in a private school; only 19 percent chose their neighborhood public school. 

School choice is in high demand, and Pennsylvania lawmakers must meet that demand.