Following a year of virtual learning, some couldn't wait for the return to the classroom. But just a few weeks into the semester, with nearly 52,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among Texas students, some parents are looking for alternatives, turning to groups like the Texas Home School Coalition.
“We thought it was going to be big, but we didn't know how big,” said Director of Public Policy Jeremy Newman.
Newman said last year, the number of parents reaching out to learn about how to home school last year set records with about 1,000 calls and emails a week.
Fast forward to mid-August of this year, and that number reached 5,000.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
“It's been huge,” he said.
And now even with the school year in full swing, Newman said THSC hears from more than 2,000 families a week worried about the current environment in public schools or missing the virtual learning option.
“The Texas public school system didn't really offer any type of new robust solution for all of these families who wanted some type of hybrid education. Because they'd kind of been exposed to that in 2020, they decided we want that for the long term,” said Newman.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Meaning pandemic or not, it’s a trend he believes is here to stay.
