Government schools are losing control as student enrollment plummets
Major school districts around the country are reporting a decline in the number of students in government school classrooms.
“As preliminary enrollment data for the 2025-26 school year has begun rolling out, school leaders are being forced to plan ahead for some tough decisions over staffing and school consolidations,” the education website K-12Dive reports.
“Significant enrollment declines have been a cause for alarm in districts ranging from Texas’ Austin Independent School District and Arizona’s Kyrene School District to Atlanta Public Schools and Florida’s Broward County Public Schools — all of which are considering school closures or consolidations.”
The exodus from government schools is heartening, and we hope it accelerates. Government schools continue to fail our children. They do not deserve to stay in business.
Still, too many elected officials want to shovel more money at these failing schools. The problem is, even Republicans fall for the ploy of bailing out failing systems. Since they are voting to spend OUR money, not their own money, they are likely to accommodate.
Many states have mistakenly implemented state-funded school choice programs to get private education hooked on federal and state dollars. These programs are additive to the spending, rather than offsetting the enrollment choices parents make.
Professional educators blame falling birth rates and a rise in school choice programs, rather than admitting their systems are a complete failure. and seeking to make genuine improvements.
According to USPIE’s new report, “Are Government Schools Redeemable?” parents are putting their children at risk if they leave them in failing institutions.
“Government schools have failed most students by every key metric: reading and math, critical thinking, attendance, physical and mental health, and return on taxpayers’ investments,” the report says.
In the report, USPIE focuses on five key issues, covering history and relevant roadblocks:
Government involvement
Colleges of education
Teacher certification
Standards and assessments
Teacher unions
USPIE believes the totality of these issues is insurmountable. Government schools cannot be saved, at least not in the near future, even with a concerted effort. Nonetheless, suggestions for improvement and correction are provided for those determined to try.
The media rarely mention homeschooling, which, along with private schools, has taken off since the COVID-19 pandemic provided parents with a snapshot of what is really going on in the government schools. Home and private school enrollment now accounts for 16.3% of American K-12 students.
Government schools are not supposed to guarantee employment for adults. Adults were hired to do a job, and they are not delivering. They deserve the opportunity to go find something else to do, and the taxpayers deserve a refund!
To hear more from USPIE’s Founder and President, Sheri Few, tune in to the latest episode of USPIE’s podcast, “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few,” on Tuesday, Nov. 18, with special guest Sarah Parshall Perry, Vice President and Legal Fellow at Defending Education. A former Senior Counsel at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, Sarah was also a Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. She serves on the Federalist Society’s civil rights executive committee and focuses on parental rights and civil rights law. On this episode, Few and Perry discuss some important legal battles the Federalist Society is currently fighting nationwide. USPIE’s “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few” is a weekly podcast that exposes the dangers of education shaped by government bureaucrats and social engineers, while exploring practical ways to protect children and preserve America’s freedom. Listen to “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few” on YouTube, Facebook, Spotify and X.