More MCPS Students Getting Home-Schooled, Going To Private School

ROCKVILLE, MD — More parents in Montgomery County are opting to home-school their children or send them to private school amid the coronavirus pandemic, enrollment data found.

The data, released Tuesday at a school board meeting, showed that 51 students left Montgomery County Public Schools to be home-schooled between July 1 and Sept. 16, 2019. During that same time period in 2020, 984 students ditched public school.

"Should we conclude that those were families that didn't want to do the virtual learning?" school board member Jeanette Dixon asked.

"I would certainly draw that conclusion," said Superintendent Jack Smith.

MCPS, the largest school district in Maryland, decided to keep classes online through the fall due to COVID-19. There is no set date for when students can return to their classrooms full time.

In the spring, many parents told MCPS that they would home-school their children because online learning was not an option, according to Smith.

"I think now they are making it more permanent," Smith said. "My hope is that they come back to us when we're not in an all-virtual environment."

According to data released Tuesday, more parents are also choosing to send their kids to private school.

Between July 1 and Sept. 16 of last year, 908 students transferred to private school — compared to 1,120 students this year.

Private schools do not follow the same reopening guidelines as public schools in Maryland. They can choose when and how to reopen their schools based on CDC and state rules. Public schools, on the other hand, must follow guidance issued by their county health officer.

Overall, enrollment is down by more than 3,000 students. Last year, roughly 166,000 students were enrolled in MCPS. This year, the school district had a total enrollment of 162,342 (as of Sept. 13).