Home schooling a strong option in Pennsylvania, North Allegheny area

There’s been a steady growth of homeschooling in the North Allegheny School District, according to a report presented to the school board.

“Homeschooling did increase significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and remaining at its highest level we’ve seen while other enrollment levels have re-balanced,” said Yuko Wong, data manager at NASD, who presented the report Oct. 25.

In 2010, there were 99 NA students who were home schooled. In 2020, that number jumped to 133. In 2021, the number of home-schooled students was 137. In 2022, the number dropped slightly to 136, and in 2023, there are 140 home-schooled students.

Statewide, home-schooled student enrollment was 25,979 from 2019 to 2020, according to a November 2022 report by Thomas J. Dubbs, with the state Department of Education’s School Services Office. From 2020 to 2021, enrollment jumped to 41,483. The data for 2021 to 2022 show decline to 39,846.

These numbers reflect students, ages 5 to 21, who finish the school year in a home-school program.

School districts are responsible for tracking data about home-schooled students and must provide that data to the state Department of Education annually, said Taj Magruder, spokesman for the department.

“However, that data does not include information about why a student is being home schooled. PDE’s historical data show that the number of home-schooled students increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we cannot speak to why individual students or families choose home schooling,” he said.

Homeschooling is defined as education being directed by a parent, guardian or someone in legal custody, according to the Department of Education.

Laura Tames, of the Fox Chapel Area School District, transitioned to homeschooling during the pandemic when her son was in elementary school. But when communities started to return to pre-pandemic schooling, she said she gave him a choice of where to go and he “wholeheartedly wanted to homeschool.”

“For our family, it is a wonderful fit — we are learning and growing together. I love getting to be a part of what my kids are learning, allowing them to proceed at their own paces, diving deep into their specific interests, and having the flexibility to make plans as a family that aren’t dependent on a strict school schedule,” Tames said.

She said her daughter, 5, also chose to homeschool.

Pine-Richland’s homeschooling increased during the pandemic, but is exactly at the same level as last year, said Erin Hassinger, spokeswoman for the Pine-Richland district.

The state statistic report also revealed that enrollment of privately tutored students in 2019-2020 stood at 831, and increased to 1,283 in 2020 to 2021 and to 1,306 in 2021 to 2022.

Home schooled and privately tutored students account for less than 3 percent of total student enrollment in the state for ages 5 to 21.

The state report shows that Allegheny County ranks third in the state for highest numbers of home-schooled students for 2021-2022. Lancaster stood first and then York at second.

The October NA report also showed that parochial and private school student enrollment has dropped this year. This includes those students who attend a nonpublic school in the district. The enrollment here was 761 in 2021, 770 in 2022, and 630 in 2023.

Cyber and charter school student was at its highest in 2020 at 166 and is now 96 in 2023. Cyber and charter school tuition is paid by North Allegheny.