Opinion: What the school enrollment shift tells us about education in America
COVID didn't start this shift. It accelerated it. Parents finally saw classrooms up close, and many didn't like the view. Yet, school districts often respond by doing nothing, watching enrollment decline until closures become inevitable.
Granite School District recently announced plans to close more schools due to falling numbers. Last year, the Salt Lake School District shut down four elementary schools. And the year before that, Alpine School District faced similar closures.
Where are these students going? To alternatives.
Charter schools, private schools, microschools and homeschool pods are drawing families in with flexibility, personalization and often smaller environments. Homeschooling doubled in the US between 2020 and 2023. Charter schools have grown by more than 1.6 million students since 2000. Microschools are surging as well. A 2024 survey found that 37% of parents are more interested in microschools or hybrid options than they were before the pandemic.
When I was a principal, one of my first graders excelled in math but lagged in reading. His father, Alex, grew frustrated with a rigid system unable to nurture his son's unique abilities.
After I left public education, Alex did too. He founded Wilderland Academy, a nature-based microschool in Eden, Utah. His story isn't unusual. Across the country, parents and teachers are launching new schools rather than waiting for traditional ones to change.
Stories like Alex's are multiplying. Parents and teachers aren't waiting for permission. They're creating what kids need.
And it's not just about new schools. Lawmakers invested in Davis School District's Catalyst Center. The Catalyst program brings in local business and industry leaders to work with the students. It provides real-world experience in industries ranging from aviation and computer science to business, construction and digital media (YouTube). These are the kinds of public school innovations that deserve to grow.
Just as a healthy forest has a variety of trees, a healthy education system has a variety of options.
Policymakers should take note and find ways to continue their support of all options. To achieve this, Utah should expand the Utah Fits All scholarship so that every student who applies receives support — no lottery, no waitlist. At the same time, lawmakers should continue cutting red tape. They've made progress by allowing microschools in all zones and easing building rules. But they can continue to find these restrictions and remove them for education entrepreneurs. At the same time, they should make it easier to launch charter schools and expand innovative programs like Catalyst.
The changing nature of education isn't a crisis; it's a wake-up call. As a former principal now working alongside microschool founders, I can tell you exactly what parents want: education that's more human, more personal and responsive to their kids' needs. If traditional schools refuse to adapt, Utah families will find education elsewhere.
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