Homeschoolinghas been growing rapidly over the past several years- averaging 5 percent per year since COVID, with no signs of slowing down.
Families are leaving the public school system in favor of other education options that they perceive to be safer or more reliable, and legislatures are scrambling to influence policy in response.
Currently, 34 states offer some form of school choicefunding. These benefits range from a basic homeschool scholarship to tax credits to ESA/EFA accounts and more.
Other states offer a form ofhomeschool fundingthat requires enrollment in their school district. The school then forwards a portion of the funding they receive to the homeschool families who enroll.
These funding options are a welcome change for a lot of homeschool families. For many, it is the factor that makes homeschooling possible at all, with rising inflation and the cost of living.
A large percentage of homeschool families live on one income, or with one parent working part-time. This leaves little room in the budget for the expenses associated with homeschooling.
However, the introduction of School Choice options has brought with it a new kind of frustration. As parents learn to navigate their states’ homeschool funding options, legislators continue to move the goalposts, often resulting in financial hardship due to funding that was counted on not being available anymore.
For example, Arizona was one of the first states to adopt an ESA program for homeschoolers, but there are elements of the program that are still unclear or changing.
Initially, parents could pay for private schools and other approved activities out-of-pocket to receive reimbursement. Then, in 2024, they werenotifiedthat they would no longer be reimbursed for payments made, and all invoices had to be handled through the online Class Wallet portal.
For a while, families were able to receive funds monthly to put toward approved programs and materials, but suddenly, they were notified that money would only be available quarterly. This, again, left parents scrambling to figure out how to cover expenses, and providers to adjust how they bill for services.
Source: VidNews » Feed
