Why parents are losing faith in US public schools even as most oppose shutting down the Education Department

Time of India

12 hours ago

Public opinion on U.S. schools is undergoing a noticeable shift. Rising school choice options, shrinking enrollment pools, and pandemic-era pivots toward alternative models have left many parents questioning the future of public education.
According to the 57th annual
PDK Poll
released Tuesday, nearly 60% of parents now say they support using public funds for their child to attend a private or religious school — up from 50% in 2007. At the same time, confidence in public schools has fallen sharply, with only 43% of respondents grading their community schools an A or B in 2025, compared to 53% in 2013.
Yet despite waning support for the public school system, a majority of Americans remain resistant to dismantling it altogether.
The poll found that 66% oppose or strongly oppose closing the U.S. Department of Education, a long-standing goal of the Trump administration. Just 22% backed its closure.
Expanding school choice, shrinking enrollment
The growing preference for alternatives to public education comes as school districts confront declining birth rates, shrinking enrollment pools, and expanded competition from private and choice-based models.
Congress in July approved the first federal private school choice tax credit under President
Donald Trump
's 'Big, Beautiful' budget law, a move that could make private schooling options more accessible nationwide. According to
K-12 DIVE
, Researchers also point to the COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point, with many parents turning to homeschooling, micro-schools, or alternative education models — a shift that shows signs of persisting even if its momentum has slowed.
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Undo
Enrollment declines are already forcing difficult decisions. The Austin Independent School District in Texas is weighing school consolidations after losing over 10,000 students in the past decade, with potential closures as early as the 2026–27 academic year. Atlanta Public Schools has also begun studying consolidation and merger plans, while in July, St. Louis Public Schools proposed shuttering 37 of its 68 schools over the next two years, according to
K-12 DIVE.
What else the poll reveals
Beyond attitudes towards funding and enrollment, the
PDK Poll
highlighted other trends shaping education debates:
AI in classrooms:
68% of respondents opposed providing student data to artificial intelligence software for grading or assessment. Public support for AI tools in lesson planning and teaching fell between 2024 and 2025.
Diversity initiatives:
61% of adults said diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts are very or somewhat important in schools.
Cellphones in class:
A striking 86% favored some form of cellphone restriction during the school day.
Teacher pay:
While still high, concern about low teacher salaries dipped slightly — 64% of respondents in 2025 said pay is too low, down from 66% in 2018.
A system under pressure
The findings underscore the paradox facing U.S. education: While parents increasingly explore private or alternative schooling options, they are not ready to abandon public education as an institution. Two-thirds of Americans believe closing the Education Department would harm public schooling, according to the poll.
But as demographic shifts reduce student populations and alternative models gain ground, districts across the country face a stark reality — one where consolidations, closures, or redesigns may become the new normal.
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