John D. Harden and Steven Johnson

The pandemic transformed the landscape of K-12 education. Some parents withdrew their kids from public school and placed them into private or home schools. Their reasons varied: Many preferred private schools that offered in-person instruction; others distrusted public schools’ pandemic precautions.

It’s not clear whether those trends will stick, and the factors are complex. So far, data show that since 2019, private enrollment is up, public enrollment is down and home schooling has become more popular. Families flocked to private and home schools at the greatest rate in a decade, according to American Community Survey estimates from the U.S. Census. The government projects that K-12 public school enrollment — already facing demographic pressures — will drop further to about 46 million students by fall 2030, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, reversing decades of growth.

The Washington Post Magazine asked parents why they chose private or home schooling, and what the right to control their child’s education means to them. In written responses, many parents said they believed their child’s special needs or abilities were best served in a private school. Others thought public schools focused too much on teaching to standardized tests and not enough on social and emotional learning. Still others wanted to raise their children in the tradition of their faith — the sort of decision at the core of Pierce v. Society of Sisters.