Homeschooling is on the Rise in the State of Ohio

The state of Ohio has seen a recent increase in homeschooling. So much so that there are even more students being homeschooled now than there were during the pandemic. 

According to  John Hopkins School of Education, during the 2020-2021 school year, homeschooling numbers in Ohio spiked to 51,502 as a result of the pandemic, but then dropped back down slightly in the next couple of years. Data shows that for the 2023-2024 school year, numbers went up again to 53,051, which means even more students are being homeschooled now than there were during the pandemic.

Created by Grace Keiser. Data from Homeschool Hub State Data via John Hopkins School of Education.

Amy Buchmeyer, a staff attorney for the Home School Legal Defense Association, said that during the pandemic, homeschooling numbers dramatically increased, and afterward, a lot of families decided to continue homeschooling their children.

“You saw a lot of families stick with it, I think, partly because it was a lot more flexible.  It’s a lot easier on their kids, depending on the family’s makeup and style, that they don’t have to be up at 6:30 in the morning and get them on the bus.  But their kids could sleep in and get enough sleep and get enough rest and also be learning,” said Buchmeyer.

She believes COVID showed parents that they are capable of homeschooling, as well as the flexibility that comes with homeschooling.

“Homeschooling can be going out into an education co-op where someone else is teaching math that day, or it could look like a lot of field trips, it can look like grandma coming over and teaching history because she lived it. There’s just a lot more flexibility inherent than I think a lot of people realized.”

Cynthia Love, who is from Bucyrus and was homeschooled, said that her family chose to adhere to the same school times as traditional schools. Love says, “We had the flexibility, but rarely changed the schedule.”

Love said that although her family decided to take this route of homeschooling, she appreciated the fact that homeschooling allowed for flexibility when it came to differing situations.

Buchmeyer added that parents are starting to realize homeschooling is not just for families who are wealthy and can stay home, but it is also an option for people with less income.

Some of the factors that Buchmeyer has noticed when it comes to driving families to homeschool their children are school safety, academics, and special learning challenges, as well as physical learning challenges. 

Love stated that she was homeschooled starting in pre-k all the way up until she was an eighth grader. 

“My family’s main concern with traditional schooling in Ohio was the absence of religious education. They believed that children should be taught biblical principles from a young age to help strengthen their moral compass,” stated Love.

Buchmeyer also suggested that dissatisfaction with public schools is something that may play a factor when it comes to the increase in homeschooling. She thinks that when COVID happened, parents were realizing what was being taught in schools, or were beginning to engage more with their students’ learning.

Buchmeyer said a positive result from the recent growth of homeschooling in Ohio is that it lets parents know that there is another option out there.