Private and home school enrollments in North Carolina have seen a consistent rise year-over-year, according to new reports from the state government.
For the 2023-2024 academic year, K-12 private school enrollment reached 131,230 students, while homeschool students numbered 157,642. This reflects a 3.2% increase in private school enrollment and a 3% increase in homeschool enrollment from the previous year.
The state’s private schools are divided into independent and religious categories, with nearly even gender distribution among students.
Dr. Robert Luebke, director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation, noted that the rise in private and homeschool enrollments confirms that parents want educational options for their children.
Wake County leads in private school enrollment with 22,413 students, while Mecklenburg County follows closely with 20,965 students. Additionally, some counties reported zero private school students.
On the homeschool front, Mecklenburg County has the highest number of home-educated students with 7,316 homeschools.
Despite traditional public schools enrolling around 1.35 million students in North Carolina, enrollment has slightly declined post-pandemic. Meanwhile, public charter schools, private schools, and homeschools continue to rise in popularity.
The Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides vouchers for families to choose a private school education, is expected to contribute to the growth of private schools in the state.
Lawmakers considered a budget adjustment to increase funding in the Opportunity Scholarship program reserve to $585 million for the 2025-2026 school year, but an agreement was not reached before legislators left Raleigh.
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