More students attended Florida private schools this year than in any year since the onset of the economic downturn, and there are now more private schools operating in the state than in any year on record.
But Florida’s private school enrollment is still less than it was 10 years ago, according to the state Department of Education’s latest annual report on private schools, released this month.
Let’s break down some of the trends highlighted by the report.
Recovering, but still below peak
Enrollment grew slightly during the recently concluded school year, climbing about 1.6 percent, to 325,502.
Three straight years of growth have started to offset declines during the economic downturn, propelling the total past its 2008-09 level.
However, state figures show Florida’s private school enrollment was in decline before the Great Recession, and remains below the 366,742 students who enrolled in private schools in 2004. That largely mirrors national trends, which show private-school enrollment has declined over the past decade, and is expected to level off in the coming years.
Private school enrollment started falling before the recession, and fell faster than public school enrollment during the downturn. But in recent years, it’s been recovering more quickly.
The role of Pre-K
Another potential indicator of recovery in Florida’s private-school sector: Pre-K enrollment makes up a smaller slice of the total. Florida funds its Voluntary Pre-K program using a voucher model, and parents often enroll their students in private preschools before moving to public elementary schools.
Pre-K’s share of private school enrollment peaked last year at 14.6 percent of all private school enrollment. This year, it fell to 13 percent – its lowest level since 2009. This year’s share of kindergarten students held steady from a year earlier, and the share of first-grade students increased slightly.
More schools operating
The number of private schools grew this year at about the same rate as enrollment. There are now 2,309 private schools operating in Florida, surpassing the previous high of 2,304, which was reached in 2004.
But those numbers mask the changes in Florida’s private school landscape. Three large urban districts – Miami-Dade, Orange and Broward – accounted for all of the increase of 42 schools, and then some. In the remaining school districts, there are fewer private schools operating than there were a year ago.
Broader trends in choice
While the survey shows overall private school enrollment increased by 5,079 students this year, the state’s tax credit and McKay scholarship programs grew by almost twice that number between the fall of 2012 and the fall of 2013. That should underscore the role of the scholarship programs in the private school sector. Without them, the share of students attending private schools likely would have declined.
Meanwhile, charter school enrollment continued to outstrip the growth of private schools and traditional public schools. And researchers have found evidence that the proliferation of charter schools might help explain some of the decline in private school enrollment over the past decade.
The picture is complicated, and it’s hard to know for sure how all those factors intersect. But it’s clear the fortunes of Florida’s private-school sector are shaped by the growth of its other choice options.
