A new school year is here, and while millions of students still trudge off to public school classrooms and days divided by subjects, there are fewer kids making that trek than in the past, and their experiences aren't nearly so similar as once was the case. The ranks of public school students are thinning, partly because of the declining birth rate, but also because a growing share of the population prefers alternatives like private schools and homeschooling. They're increasingly assisted with funding from education choice programs.
It's a familiar journey to me, since my wife and I mostly homeschooled our son, with detours through charter and private schools. We're less alone in our choices than ever before.
