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on the number of homeschoolers in the United States, estimating, based on official state counts of homeschoolers, that "around 700,000 to 750,000" children were homeschooled in the 1995-1996 school year.
Copyright © 2013 Karl M. Bunday, all rights reserved.
Ms. Lines has now returned to the issue of the size of the homeschooling population in the United States.
She has put together a new working paper, "Homeschoolers: Estimating Numbers and Growth"
on the number of homeschoolers in the United States, estimating, based on official state counts of homeschoolers, that "around 700,000 to 750,000" children were homeschooled in the 1995-1996 school year.
Those states that do have official reporting of the number of homeschoolers show steady increases year by year. Increase in the overall number of homeschoolers year by year is certain, but some families give up homeschooling for a time or even permanently, while more and more start. (Reasons for giving up homeschooling range from economic pressures causing both parents to work outside the home, in part to pay taxes for the government-operated schools, and barriers to homeschooler participation in school programs such as sports teams or musical groups unless the children enroll in the government-operated school.) This phenomenon of "churn" in the homeschooled population means that the issue of homeschoolers reentering the government-operated school system is an one of growing importance for policy makers, who must decide grade placement for homeschoolers entering age-graded schools, allocate "credits" toward graduation, or otherwise apply the bureaucratic regulations of the classroom school system to children who formerly learned outside it.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1985-1986 572 N/A 1986-1987 818 43% 1987-1988 1,138 39% 1988-1989 1,400 23% 1989-1990 2,064 47% 1990-1991 2,736 33% 1991-1992 3,140 15% 1992-1993 4,025 28% 1993-1994 4,742 18% 1994-1995 5,193 10% 1995-1996 (no statistics gathered?) 1996-1997 (no statistics gathered?) 1997-1998 8,200 16% (annualized)These official figures (if the figures Deckard reports are indeed official figures, as seems likely) from the state of Arkansas suggest Arkansas's annual growth in homeschooling over the six years reported is 25 percent, with a slower growth rate in recent years. The Arkansas official figures also show that the homeschooling population of Arkansas is now approaching 2 percent of the enrollment in public K-12 schools.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1991-1992 3,339 N/A 1992-1993 4,390 31% 1993-1994 5,746 31% 1994-1995 6,656 16% 1995-1996 7,581 14% 1996-1997 8,503 12% 1997-1998 8,587 01% 1998-1999 8,827 03% 1999-2000 9,719 10%
These official figures from the state of Colorado suggest Colorado's annual growth in homeschooling over the eight years reported is 14 percent, with a slower growth rate in recent years. The Colorado official figures also show that the homeschooling population of Colorado is now well over 1 percent of the enrollment in public K-12 schools.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1988-1989 6,035 N/A 1989-1990 7,703 28% 1990-1991 9,992 30% 1991-1992 11,048 11% 1992-1993 14,208 29% 1993-1994 16,623 17% 1994-1995 19,392 17% 1995-1996 22,285 15% 1996-1997 25,930 16% 1997-1998 1998-1999 33,219 13% (annualized)
These official figures from the state of Florida suggest Florida's annual growth in homeschooling is 19 percent, with a slower growth rate in recent years. The Florida official figures also show that the homeschooling population of Florida is now more than 1 percent of the enrollment in public K-12 schools. Interestingly, a publication by Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), the February-March 1996 issue of the Home School Court Report, reported an estimate of the number of homeschoolers in Florida much higher than the official state figure. I think this is because some Florida homeschoolers choose to be regulated by the state's statute regulating private (classroom) schools, as many homeschoolers once had no choice but to do, and thus are not counted by the official process of counting homeschoolers in Florida. A newspaper article from the Daytona Beach, Florida News-Journal, "Home Schooling a Growing Trend," reports that about 40 percent of Florida homeschoolers register as private schools under different Florida statutes, meaning the figures above are a substantial undercount.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1988-1989 3,755 N/A 1989-1990 4,826 29% 1990-1991 5,581 16% 1991-1992 6,581 18% 1992-1993 8,299 26% 1993-1994 10,521 27% 1994-1995 12,600 20% 1995-1996 15,353 22% 1996-1997 17,481 14%These official figures from the state of Georgia suggest Georgia's annual growth in homeschooling is 21 percent. The Georgia official figures also show that the homeschooling population of Georgia is more than 1 percent of the enrollment in public K-12 schools.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1989-1990 1,148 N/A 1990-1991 1,462 27% 1991-1992 1,965 34% 1992-1993 2,533 29% 1993-1994 3,326 31% 1994-1995 4,880 47% 1995-1996 4,430 -09% 1996-1997 5,428 23%These official figures from the state of Indiana suggest Indiana's annual growth in homeschooling is 30 percent. The Indiana official figures also suggest that the homeschooling population of Indiana is less than 1 percent of the enrollment in public K-12 schools, but this is very likely an undercount, as the Indiana official documents show is possible.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1992-1993 3,072 N/A 1993-1994 3,993 30% 1994-1995 5,225 31% 1995-1996 6,206 19% 1996-1997 7,313 18%
The homeschooling population of Kentucky is now above 1 percent of the state's public school enrollment. These official figures suggest Kentucky's annual growth in homeschooling is 24 percent.
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school year official # HMSCed children increase 1981-1982 3 N/A 1982-1983 10 233% 1983-1984 23 130% 1984-1985 133 478% 1985-1986 217 63% 1986-1987 241 11% 1987-1988 415 72% 1988-1989 703 69% 1989-1990 1,162 65% 1990-1991 1,566 35% 1991-1992 1,965 25% 1992-1993 2,465 25% 1993-1994 2,904 19% 1994-1995 3,280 13% 1995-1996 3,340 (preliminary) 02%
The fourteen-year trend in Maine (based on the preliminary figures for the most recent year) is an annual rate of homeschooling growth of 65 percent, with a slower growth rate in recent years. The number of homeschooled children in Maine is more than 1 percent of the school-aged population of the state.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1991-1992 1,798 N/A 1992-1993 2,041 14% 1993-1994 3,142 54% 1994-1995 3,577 14% 1995-1996 4,403 23% 1996-1997 6,219 41%
The homeschooling population of those Maryland counties is now above 1 percent of the public school enrollment for the same counties. These official figures suggest the annual growth in homeschooling in those counties is 28 percent.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1990-1991 1,446 N/A 1991-1992 1,659 15% 1992-1993 1,957 18% 1993-1994 2,334 19% 1994-1995 2,910 25% 1995-1996 3,159 08% 1996-1997 3,323 05% 1997-1998 3,799 14%The number of homeschooled children in Montana exceeds 2 percent of its public K-12 enrollment. These official figures suggest the annual growth in homeschooling in Montana is 15 percent.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1985-1986 939 N/A 1986-1987 1,376 47% 1987-1988 1,637 19% 1988-1989 1,638 00% 1989-1990 1,907 16% 1990-1991 2,147 13% 1991-1992 2,604 21% 1992-1993 2,931 13% 1993-1994 3,323 13% 1994-1995 3,823 15% 1995-1996 4,137 08% 1996-1997 4,407 07%Nebraska has more than 1 percent of its schoolchildren in homeschooling. These official figures suggest the annual growth in homeschooling in Nebraska is 15 percent, with perhaps a slower growth rate in recent years.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1985-1986 262 N/A 1986-1987 365 39% 1987-1988 (not reported) 1988-1989 670 35% (annualized) 1989-1990 682 02% 1990-1991 792 16% 1991-1992 861 08% 1992-1993 1,028 19% 1993-1994 1,988 93% (Clark County) 671 N/A 1994-1995 2,438 23% 1995-1996 (Clark County) 1,466 48% (annualized) 1997-1998 4,000 18% (Clark County) 1,700 08% (annualized)These figures show that about homeschooled children number about 1 percent of public school enrollment in Clark County, above 1 percent statewide. These figures suggest the annual growth in homeschooling in Nevada is 26 percent, with uncertain growth trends in recent years both statewide and in Clark County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1988-1989 556 N/A 1989-1990 771 39% 1990-1991 790 02% 1991-1992 1,338 69% 1992-1993 1,661 24% 1993-1994 2,039 23% 1994-1995 2,604 28% 1995-1996 3,025 16% 1996-1997 (no statistics gathered) 1997-1998 3,333 05% (annualized)
These figures show that more than 1 percent of New Hampshire's school-age children are homeschooling. These official figures suggest the annual growth in homeschooling in New Hampshire is 22 percent, with a slower growth rate in recent years, and an unknown effect of changes in the reporting requirements in the most recent year or two.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1990-1991 4,989 (w/o N.Y.C.) N/A 1991-1992 6,299 (w/o N.Y.C.) 26% 1992-1993 8,248 30% 1993-1994 10,069 22% 1994-1995 11,473 14% 1995-1996 12,577 09% 1996-1997 12,996 (w/o N.Y.C.)These figures show that less than 1 percent of New York's school-age children are homeschooling, a proportion the union Web page described as
insignificant.This may be because the homeschooling regulations in New York state are some of the most restrictive in the United States, prompting even well-known homeschooling advocates to avoid the regulations by declining to register with the state at all. These official figures suggest the annual growth in homeschooling in New York (in regions outside New York City) is 17 percent.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1988-1989 3,716 N/A 1989-1990 4,578 23% 1990-1991 5,543 21% 1991-1992 6,370 15% 1992-1993 7,495 18% 1993-1994 8,857 18% 1994-1995 10,493 18% 1995-1996 10,764 03% 1996-1997 11,264 05% 1997-1998 11,682 04%These figures show that about 2 percent of Oregon's school-age children are homeschooled. These official figures suggest the annual growth in homeschooling in Oregon is 14 percent.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1988-1989 2,152 N/A 1989-1990 3,541 65% 1990-1991 4,844 37% 1991-1992 6,450 33% 1992-1993 8,468 31% 1993-1994 11,027 30% 1994-1995 13,385 21% 1995-1996 15,457 15% 1996-1997 17,861 16% 1997-1998 (no #) c. 19,700 10% 1998-1999 21,459 09% (annualized)These figures show that more than 1 percent of Pennsylvania's school-age children are homeschooling. These official figures suggest the annual growth in homeschooling in Pennsylvania is 23 percent, with perhaps a slower growth rate in recent years.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1997-1998 7,052 N/AThese official 1997-1998 figures show that about 1 percent of South Carolina's school-aged children are homeschooled. Depending on what school year Deckard's figure of 2,192 for "1995" applies to, the growth rate in recent years has been either 48 percent or 79 percent.
As my friend on MSN notes, "It is also interesting to look at the growth rate that we've seen over the last number of years. Obviously SETHSA has grown substantially since 1986 (360 families => 7,000 families)." That, according to my spreadsheet calculation, is an annual growth rate of 39 percent. In any event, it does appear that the Texas rate of growth in homeschooling is faster than Minnesota's annualized growth rate of 21 percent or Pennsylvania's of about 30 percent. My friend adds, "The growth has accelerated the last few years so the calculations are not exact. . . . Two years ago HSLDA estimated a 20% annual growth rate for the nation, others say they have easily seen a 40% growth rate in their area." As will be seen from the various state figures, a recent national growth rate estimate of about 15 percent (at a time when the number of school-age children in general is increasing) better fits the facts shown by official statistics.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1981-1982 92 N/A 1982-1983 121 32% 1983-1984 210 74% 1984-1985 176 -16% 1985-1986 185 05% 1986-1987 310 68% 1987-1988 372 20% 1988-1989 428 15% 1989-1990 540 26% 1990-1991 627 16% 1991-1992 818 30% 1992-1993 1,042 27% 1993-1994 1,199 15% 1994-1995 1,437 20% 1995-1996 1,527 06% 1996-1997 1,577 03% 1997-1998 1,638 (preliminary) 04%These figures show more than 1 percent of Vermont's school-aged children are homeschooled. These official figures suggest the annual growth rate in homeschooling in Vermont is 20 percent, with a slower growth rate in recent years.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1987-1988 4,045 N/A 1988-1989 4,696 16% 1989-1990 5,536 18% 1990-1991 7,046 27% 1991-1992 8,528 21% 1992-1993 10,727 26% 1993-1994 13,584 27% 1994-1995 15,918 17% 1995-1996 18,074 14% 1996-1997 19,923 10% 1997-1998 19,945 00%These figures show that about 2 percent of school-age children in Washington state are homeschooled. These official figures suggest the growth rate in homeschooling in Washington state is 17 percent, with a slower growth rate in recent years.
school year official # HMSCed children increase 1984-1985 1,126 N/A 1985-1986 1,941 72% 1986-1987 2,821 45% 1987-1988 3,624 28% 1988-1989 4,779 32% 1989-1990 5,869 23% 1990-1991 6,661 13% 1991-1992 7,805 17% 1992-1993 9,401 20% 1993-1994 11,483 22% 1994-1995 13,458 17% 1995-1996 15,632 16% 1996-1997 16,924 08% 1997-1998 18,712 11% 1998-1999 19,808 06%These figures show that almost 2 percent of Wisconsin's school-age children are homeschooling. These official figures suggest the annual growth in homeschooling in Wisconsin is 23 percent, with a slower growth rate in recent years.
, which provided some information for the 1991 study by Patricia Lines,
conducted a nationwide survey of homeschoolers from 1994 to 1996.
According to that NHERI study, there were 1.23 million homeschooled students in the United States in the fall of 1996, with an estimated error of measurement of 10 percent.
As the NHERI study notes, the number of homeschooled students in the United States exceeds the total number of schoolchildren in several of the smaller states combined.
After consultation with each other and with many other scholars and observers of homeschooling,
Patricia Lines and Brian Ray agree that Ray's figures were somewhat too high for the year of the NHERI study,
while the latest Lines study is an underestimate of the number of homeschoolers in the year covered by that study.
Further discussion of these and other issues can be found in the on-line version of the Lines
"Homeschoolers: Estimating Numbers and Growth" working paper.
Taking the Patricia Lines high estimate of 353,500 and applying that as an initial figure for the 1990-1991 school year, and then taking the HHERI low estimate of 1,107,000 homeschooled students for the beginning of the 1996-1997 school year (choosing estimates in this way to show the lowest rate of growth in the national total of homeschoolers), the six-year rate of growth in the number of United States homeschoolers is 21 percent. That calculated aggregate national rate of growth based on estimates of the national population of homeschoolers is plausible, in view of the rates of growth observed in states with official counts of homeschoolers.
To put that in perspective, according to the United States federal government there were 43,476,000 children enrolled in public (i.e., government-operated) elementary and secondary schools in October 1993. That means Lines's lower 1990 estimate of 248,500 homeschooled children already was more than 0.5 percent of the total enrollment in government-operated K-12 schools. The relevant age group of school-age children is growing rapidly as children of Baby Boom parents reach school age, but the current number of homeschoolers in the United States appears to be almost 2 percent of the nationwide school-age population, with more growth credibly expected. State-by-state figures compiled in July 1995 show that eighteen states and the District of Columbia all had lower school-age populations during the 1993-1994 school year than the 1990 estimated number of homeschooled children nationwide.
Thus we may conclude without fear of contradiction that in the United States homeschooling is a phenomenon as big as the total schooling effort of many states, and that it's still growing steadily. The New York Times reported this phenomenon in a widely reprinted article. (I saw a "localized" version of the New York Times piece in the Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities of November 30, 1995. Official figures from Minnesota and Wisconsin were cited in that article.) Friends from other states, responding on various computer networks, report steady local growth in their areas.
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An E-mail to me in late June 1997 from a different Australian correspondent passed on the news that a homeschooling association in Western Australia estimates that there are 3,000 homeschooled children in that state of the Australian commonwealth.
In 1993 in Western Australia there were 222,451 students in government schools and 74,288 students in nongovernment schools, suggesting that homeschooled children make up about 1 percent of the school-age population in that state.
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put together as a cooperative effort by homeschoolers from coast to coast in that vast country.
I would be delighted to hear from any reader, anywhere in the world, who has comments on how homeschooling fits into other cultures and other places. One sign of growing homeschool interest is the number of visits the Learn in Freedom™ Web site gets from from people around the world interested in education reform and learning in freedom. This site has been visited by people logging on to the Internet from countries all over the world, including the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bahrain, Bermuda, Brunei, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Egypt, Spain, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, St. Lucia, Latvia, Macau, Mexico, Malaysia, Nicaragua, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, Turkey, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, and South Africa. Of course this site has also been visited by people from all over the United States of America, which is where I'm from and where the server for this site is located. Please let me know if you are visiting from another country or territory.
[Last revision 9 March 2013]
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This School Is Dead: Homeschooling Is Growing Worldwide page is copyright © 2013 Karl M. Bunday, all rights reserved.
A general State education is a mere contrivance for moulding people to be exactly like one another: and as the mould in which it casts them is that which pleases the predominant power in the government, whether this be a monarch, a priesthood, an aristocracy, or the majority of the existing generation in proportion as it is efficient and successful, it establishes a despotism over the mind, leading by a natural tendency to one over the body.
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