Petroplex News

Student enrollment in Texas public schools has dropped substantially and the Midland-Odessa area public schools have also seen enrollment declines as more parents are opting for alternative education options such as home schooling.

A report in October showed nearly a quarter-million Texas students were not enrolled in public schools.

"According to a new analysis of public data by Texas 2036, almost 250,000 students, representing 4% or more of all Texas students, are missing from Texas schools, and only two out of every five Texas students are receiving in-person instruction," Texas 2036 reported.

Texas in the past has experienced one of the largest growing student populations in the country, so the decline is noteworthy, Education Daily Wire reported.

Midland ISD saw enrollment decline by 1,000 students, a 3.6% drop from last year, according to MRT.com. The decline in enrollment was especially notable in the elementary schools, where Midland ISD reported a 10% decline or more. Burnet Elementary's enrollment declined by 20.4%, DeZavala's declined by 16.4%, and Washington STEM's declined by 15.5%. Other schools reported double-digit declines.

That school district's decline is similar to what is happening in Odessa, MRT reported. Ector County ISD's projected enrollment of 34,000 is now closer to 32,000. 

Texas Home School Coalition's website shows the trend toward home schooling nationwide and statewide is gaining momentum.

"Early numbers indicate that the growth in home schooling nationwide and in Texas due to COVID-19 is substantial," the coalition reported. "A recent survey from Real Clear Opinions found that 40% of registered voters were more likely to enroll their children in a home school or a virtual school after the coronavirus."

The coalition also cited a Gallup survey that found the number of families that would home school their child doubled from 5% in 2019 to 10% in 2020. 

"Applied to Texas, Gallup's data would translate to more than 670,000 home-school students in Texas and more than $7 billion in savings to the state per year from students who the state was not paying to educate in public school," its website states.

That Gallup survey released in August showed home schooling gaining momentum as parents' satisfaction with their child's K-12 public education decreased.

The New York Times in December reported on the financial crisis in the nation's schools, including in Texas, as most states tie school funding to enrollment though schools have had increased coronavirus-related costs. "The fiscal crisis is looming at a time when families fed up with pandemic-era education have increasingly turned to private and charter schools or chosen to educate their children at home," the The New York Times reported.