While most kids are sharpening pencils and lacing sneakers for a return to public schools, for thousands in North Texas the new school year means something different: continuing on in homeschooling mode.
Homeschooling in Texas has surged over the past few years - at its peak, nearly 80,000 students left public schools to start learning at home during the 2020-2021 school year, with post-pandemic exits settling at around 50,000 annually.
Between grades 7 and 12 alone, nearly 30,000 students withdrew in 2021–22, signaling a new normal rather than a pandemic spike.
So what’s driving families to stick with homeschooling? Some cite academic freedom, a safer environment, or the ability to tailor learning. Others opt for a richer cultural or moral curriculum - motivations that span across political and demographic lines.
Texas remains one of the most homeschool-friendly states, with minimal regulation and growing support structures. The state legislature is even offering educational savings accounts - up to $2,000 per child - to help homeschooling families cover materials and curriculum costs.
Parents here in North Texas are tapping into co-ops, online programs, and community groups - like the Texas Home School Coalition - to keep things engaging and social for the kids. According to homeschooling groups, students learning at home often perform 15–30 percentile points above their public school peers on standardized achievements - while also showing strong social and emotional development.
For these North Texas homeschoolers, “back-to-school” isn’t marked by locker assignments or bus routes - it’s about fresh curricula, flexible schedules, and a community built on shared values. And as the numbers show, it's a version of school that’s here to stay.
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