BUFFALO, N.Y. — Thousands of kids are now back in school, but some of them are not in a classroom. There's been a rise in homeschooling in recent years.
For some, the switch to at-home learning was because of the pandemic, but there are other factors, like the freedom that comes with homeschooling or their children do better with one-on-one learning.
The pandemic has led to one of the biggest increase in homeschooling that has seen in our country. That's also true for families in New York State.
Even two years after schools have reopened and vaccines have become available, many families have chosen to continue homeschooling.
The Statewide Homeschool New York Organization reports, in 2021, there were 2,530 families homeschooling in this program. In 2022, the numbers showed 2,822.
This data shows a 12% increase in membership within one year.
For the Gentry family of Western New York, Jina Gentry said she wasn't planning on homeschooling her kids, but now, she's happy that she did.
She says her kids were affected by the religious exemption and is now hoping to put homeschooling in a better light.
"I think the stigmatism needs to go away, about what actually homeschooling is and the homeschooling kids. Because it's hurtful to some of them. They are more than what people think and the learning is just the same, if not better," Gentry said.
However, she does consider placing her kids back in school in the future. That's if they choose to move or if the state changes its guidelines.
For more information about homeschooling in New York State, you can visit the NYS Education Department website.