Illinois is among a handful of states with virtually no data on homeschooling. But among the 30 states that track participation, the numbers are booming. Last school year, homeschooling rose by about 5%, nearly triple the pre-pandemic growth rate, according to the Homeschool Research Lab at Johns Hopkins University.
Jakubiszyn began homeschooling in 2022. Her daughter was increasingly unhappy in kindergarten at a public magnet school, where crammed classrooms and rigid schedules seemed to stifle her curiosity, Jakubiszyn said.
During the pandemic, the family had run a small learning pod. Why not revive the model? That same year, Jakubiszyn opened Blazing Star School on the second floor of her yellow-brick home. Today, it has a waitlist.