Parent Demand for K-12 School Choice Reaches New High, New Survey Finds

28% of parents reported changing their child's school in the past year, an estimated 18 million nationwide

MIAMI, Aug. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly three-quarters (74%) of U.S. parents of school-aged children, representing an estimated 47 million individual parents, considered sending at least one of their children to a different school over the past year, according to a new survey conducted by Navigate School Choice, a program of the nonprofit National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF).

This survey, based on responses from 3,214 parents nationwide and conducted in June 2025, marks the highest recorded level of school consideration since NSCAF began tracking these trends. Unlike previous surveys conducted in January, this is the organization's first time polling parents at the end of the school year, a time that offers new insight into how families reflect on their school decisions. Overall, 28% of U.S. parents enrolled a child in a new school, while an additional 46% explored other options but ultimately stayed where they were.

"The experience of considering a new school for your child affects all types of parents and surfaces many times along the journey from kindergarten to high school," said Shelby Doyle, senior vice president of policy and national partnerships at Navigate School Choice. "Nearly three-quarters of parents is a huge proportion, but when you consider how often families move or children transition between milestone grade levels, plus the growing interest in exploring new types of schooling, it's easy to see how parents have school choice on their mind more than ever."

The survey found that parents who actively searched for new schools, whether or not they made a change, were more likely to be under the age of 44, employed full-time, married, and living in metropolitan areas. Differences across racial and ethnic groups also emerged: 81% of Asian parents and 76% of Black parents considered switching schools compared to 73% of both Hispanic and White parents. Urban families were the most likely to explore new options (79%), followed by those in small towns (73%), suburbs (73%), and rural areas (70%).

However, among the 30% of parents who searched for new schools but did not switch, many cited significant obstacles. The most common reasons were concerns about disrupting their child's academic or social life (29%), transportation challenges (27%), a lack of nearby options (26%), and fear of making the wrong choice (26%).

"Families are interested in a wide variety of schools, and our survey shows multiple different types of education options, from public magnet to homeschooling, attracting new families once they start the process. But education policies aren't the only thing that shape these choices; real-life logistical factors like transportation and kids' social networks are huge factors," said Doyle.

Looking ahead, 56% of parents say they are likely to search for a new school for at least one of their children in the next year. Future interest remains particularly high among Asian and Black parents (65% and 63%, respectively), urban families (67%), and parents under 35.

The full results of the survey are available at myschoolchoice.com/survey-june-2025.

The National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF raises broad and positive awareness of school choice through three charitable programs: Navigate School Choice and Conoce tus Opciones Escolares, which focus on researching, developing, and promoting comprehensive, unbiased school navigation resources for families, and National School Choice Week, which celebrates effective education options each January. NSCAF does not advocate for or oppose legislation at any level of government and is steadfastly nonpartisan and nonpolitical.

SOURCE Navigate School Choice