Since the pandemic first upended American education, an estimated 50,000 students are still missing from any U.S. school
Since the pandemic first upended American education, an estimated 50,000 students are still missing from any American school. That's according to an Associated Press analysis of public, private and homeschool enrollment as of fall 2022, and U.S. Census data in 22 states, plus Washington, DC.
The reasons why students have left during the pandemic are varied and still not fully understood. Some were dealing with homelessness, losing interest or motivation, or struggling with mental health. Some had to work or take on adult responsibilities. Some fell behind in online school and didn't see the point in getting back into the swing of things.
The number of missing students is down from fall 2021, when more than 230,000 students were still missing, according to an analysis by AP, Big Local News and Stanford University economist Thomas Dee. Slowly, many students returned to some form of education or left the system. The drop in the number of missing students is a hopeful sign that the education system is on the road to recovery.
Yet not everything is back to the 'normal' before the pandemic. AP's national analysis shows a continued retreat from public school as Americans turn to other forms of education. About two-thirds of states maintain credible enrollment data for private or homeschooling. In these states, private education grew by nearly 8% and homeschooling by more than 25% between fall 2019 and fall 2022. Public school enrollment remained low, with a decline of more than 1 million students.
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The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.