Public schools in the U.S. are closing due to a confluence of issues ranging from a decline in birth rates, to a rise in charter schools, and a jump in homeschooling.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that enrollment in these schools fell by more than 1.4 million students from fall 2019 to 2020, which is a decline of 3 percent. Schools that have been slower to ease COVID restrictions have seen up to 4.4 percent decreases in enrollment.

The paper said the problem impacts nearly every major city. Enrollment decreased in about 85 of the country’s largest 100 public school districts. 

Enrollment was already on a downward trajectory before the COVID-19 outbreak, but the virus seemed to speed up the trend. 

Axios noted that homeschooling has doubled in the U.S. in the past three years, from 2.5 million to 5 million. 

Each district has its own issues. Some have seen an increase in students. But parents feel empowered to shop around for various options when unhappy with their public schools. 

In New Mexico, for example, parents have lashed out at the quality of their public schools. KOAT reported that in 2019, there were 89,553 students enrolled at the Albuquerque School District compared to 82,329 in 2022.  

“If districts are not going out and trying to show their value to the community to do something about that declining enrollment, those students aren’t going to come back. Those families aren’t going to come back,” said Amanda Aragon, executive director of New Mexico Kids Can. 

“Families want an option that they know is going to be best for their children, and so that really allowed them to explore the full range of those options, whether that’s a traditional district school, a charter school, a private school, a micro-school, or a homeschool option.”

TRENDPOST: The Trends Journal has reported on how the COVID-19 War and the decision by politicians to close down entire school districts completely upended education in the U.S. (See “SCHOOL ATTENDANCE SINKS. CASHING IN ON THE OMICRON SURGE,” 18 Jan 2022.)

We had forecast early last year that the homeschooling trend will grow as more parents work from home, are out of work and at home, and/or they want to homeschool their children rather than have them indoctrinated in the woke new world of “public education.”

We also noted in our TOP TRENDS FOR 2023 issue, which was released last week, that college enrollment in the U.S. will also continue to sink in the next year in favor of internships and real-world experience. 

Thus, the “Interactive-U” online learning megatrend first forecast by Gerald Celente in his book, Trends 2000 (Warner Books, 1997), will sharply accelerate.

The current education model was invented by the Prussians at the onset of the Industrial Revolution to teach workers in mass production facilities how to read, write, do math… and follow orders.

With interactive education, students will be able to access the best and most accomplished experts in selected fields of study rather than the one-size-fits-all, outdated educational programming that is now the norm.

Trends are born, they grow, mature, reach old age, and die. The Industrial Age education model is dying, and the Interactive-U model is still in its infancy.

Thus, the Ontrendpreneur® opportunities that seize on its growth will provide great rewards.