- Contact: Kashia Davis, Outreach Director
- Email: Kashia@CHEC.org
- Phone: 303-358-7918 | CHEC Office: 720-842-4852
by Christian Horstmann
Our public schools lost 10,000 students this year. Is there another reason beyond the baby bust and a population pinch?
Colorado’s public schools just posted their steepest enrollment slide since the pandemic: down more than 10,000 students this year, affecting each of our top ten largest districts and many others statewide.[1] Denver Public Schools alone lost about 1,200 students[2], and the district is already projecting another 6,000 by 2029[3] – almost certain to trigger even more school closures on top of the ten that have already been shuttered over the last few years. Interestingly, overcrowded classrooms were presented during recent school board campaigns as an issue to address, but the opposite scenario is actually more common: only 8% of DPS elementary classrooms have 30+ students, while about 21% enroll 19 or fewer.[4]
Why the falloff? Once upon a time, Colorado could boast of increasing school enrollment numbers every year for three decades straight. But headcount has been consistently thinning out since 2022.[5] State Education Commissioner Susana Córdova is laying blame on falling birth rates and the shrinking of the overall population in nearly a third of Colorado counties. Others are pointing fingers at President Trump’s clampdown on immigration enforcement. Indeed, new-to-country students have been bolstering enrollment numbers in recent years, but now, they’re exiting the schools faster than they’re coming in.
Of course, there is some merit to these explanations for the abysmal enrollment slide. But might I suggest that there’s another factor playing into this picture as well? Could it be that the desperate drop in public school students is being exacerbated by the simple fact that more parents are waking up and taking personal interest and direct responsibility for their children’s education?
In stark contrast to the consistent year-over-year dip on district rolls across Colorado since 2022, the number of homeschool families in our state has actually been on the rise in that same time period. Last week’s press release from the Colorado Department of Education, which reported an overall 1.2% decline in district numbers this year alone, also tallied a 5.5% increase in full-time homeschoolers for the 2025/2026 school year.[6] Since 2022, the number of homeschoolers has climbed nearly 20%.[7] And these reports are actually a vast undercount, as they only represent families who home educate under just one of Colorado’s three different legal options.[8]
Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC)[9] is on the front lines of experiencing this trend firsthand, welcoming nearly 125 families at two “how-to-homeschool” seminars hosted earlier this month in Castle Rock. The increased attendance at these events mirrors the broader statewide surge. These parents are only a sampling of many more who are eager and ready to directly immerse themselves in their children’s learning experience.
Why are more families making this move? Several key motivations are actively driving parents to choose a home education model.[10]
- School safety. For 83% of homeschool parents, anxiety about their child’s safety tops the chart of reasons to homeschool. That’s not surprising since roughly 4 in 10 parents of school-age children are afraid for their child’s physical well-being at school.[11]
- Academic quality. This is a concern for nearly three-quarters of homeschool families. Colorado public schools were happy to see a small uptick of math proficiency among 11th graders last year, but the share of those who met the SAT benchmark still sat below 33%.[12]
- Religious instruction. Education is never value-neutral, which is why 53% of homeschool parents desire to exercise their God-given freedom to teach and disciple their child at home.
CHEC saw all three of these primary drivers reflected among the seminar attendees. An overwhelming majority – some of them public school teachers themselves! – shared at least one or two of these reasons when asked why they were considering home education. Bullying and traumatic situations. Frustration with public school curriculum and methodologies. A search for a faith-based alternative to competing ideologies.
Of course, there are a host of other motives that also factor into a family’s choice to homeschool.[13] 72% want the simple joy of having more time so they can share life together as a family. Many others are realizing that they are better able to meet their child’s special needs outside of an institutionalized setting. One mom told me that her district’s recent school board election was the final straw for her family; she immediately withdrew her 8th grader and began homeschooling her, and now mother and daughter are both thriving.
If you’re already a homeschool dad or mom, chances are that you recognize your own family’s story in one or more of these priorities. If you’re not homeschooling yet, but you’re considering what to do next, be encouraged! You’re not alone. Thousands of Colorado families are finding that home education meets and exceeds their desires for their child’s well-being. Whether it’s safety, scholarship, or spiritual development, there’s a reason why the alternative to public education is attracting so many parents. Consider giving it a try yourself; it just might serve your child and your family much better than the status quo.
[1] https://ed.cde.state.co.us/newsbureau/newsrelease/news-release-enrollment-2026. Accessed 1.16.26.
[2] https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/colorado-news/school-consolidations-will-help-student-enrollment-colorado/73-74cfac4c-62ff-4eca-8157-0968279d4c6c. Accessed 1.16.26.
[3] https://www.9news.com/article/news/education/dps-school-closures-may-be-needed-years-down-the-road/73-ce2f6c84-54cf-43c1-8b76-129df48eaefe. Accessed 1.16.26.
[4] https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/12/19/enrollment-drop-of-1200-students-may-lead-to-what-denver-superintendent-calls-operational-shifts/. Accessed 1.16.26.
[5] https://coloradosun.com/2026/01/13/colorado-school-student-enrollment-drops-thousands/. Accessed 1.16.26.
[6] https://ed.cde.state.co.us/newsbureau/newsrelease/news-release-enrollment-2026. Accessed 1.16.26.
[7] https://www.cde.state.co.us/schoolview/explore/statesnapshot/9150. Accessed 1.16.26.
[8] https://chec.org/how-to-homeschool-in-colorado/colorado-homeschool-law/. Accessed 1.16.26.
[9] https://chec.org/ready-to-start-homeschooling/. Accessed 1.16.26.
[10] https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/20/a-look-at-homeschooling-in-the-us/. Accessed 1.16.26.
[11] https://news.gallup.com/poll/694553/parents-unease-school-safety-elevated-fourth-year.aspx. Accessed 1.16.26.
[12] https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/08/21/2025-colorado-psat-and-sat-scores/. Accessed 1.16.26.
[13] https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/20/a-look-at-homeschooling-in-the-us/. Accessed 1.16.26.
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