School searching jumps to five-year high; 62% of parents say they will exercise education options in 2026.

MIAMI, Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 46 million U.S. parents considered finding a new school for at least one of their children last year, marking a five-year high in school searching, according to a new national survey by National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF).

The survey found that 75% of parents of school-aged children said they considered new schools in 2025, up from 60% the year before. Twenty-one percent of parents—about 13.3 million nationwide—ultimately enrolled at least one child in a new learning environment.

The findings come from a survey of 3,960 parents released by the National School Choice Awareness Foundation ahead of National School Choice Week, which runs Jan. 25–31.

Most parents who enrolled their children in new schools said they were motivated by practical factors rather than dissatisfaction. Common reasons included children entering school for the first time (20%), moving between school levels (26%), or families relocating to a new community (16%). Just 32% cited dissatisfaction with their child's previous school as the primary reason for enrolling somewhere new.

When selecting new schools, parents who enrolled their children said their top priorities were a safe, supportive school environment (61%), a positive social environment (47%), and a particular educational theme or approach—such as STEM, arts, or faith-based education (39%).

Looking ahead, interest in school choice is expected to remain strong. Nearly two-thirds of parents (62%) said they are likely to consider new schools for at least one of their children in 2026.

"Over the past five years, more than 30 states have expanded public and private learning options for families, and new and nontraditional learning environments have opened their doors. As a result, exercising education options is no longer a niche exception, but an expectation for most parents," said Andrew Campanella, CEO of the National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

"At the same time, more work needs to be done to help the 54% of U.S. parents who engaged in the search process but never found a new learning environment," Campanella said. "We are committed to helping families navigate their options, and we encourage parents who want to search to start the process early—because timing matters."

To help families search for schools, National School Choice Week runs from Jan. 25 to 31 and will include more than 28,000 events nationwide, such as school fairs, open houses, and information sessions organized across roughly 80% of U.S. counties. To learn more about K–12 education options in your state, visit myschoolchoice.com (English) or opcionesescolares.com (Spanish). For details on National School Choice Week events and activities, visit schoolchoiceweek.com.

About NSCAF

The National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We show parents how K–12 school choice can change their children's lives, and then guide them through the process of finding schools that best meet their children's needs. Our three charitable programs––National School Choice Week, Navigate School Choice, and Conoce tus Opciones Escolares––raise equal awareness of the public, charter, magnet, private, online, home, and nontraditional education options available for families. We are nonpolitical and do not advocate for or against legislation at any level of government.

Survey Details

National results are based on a representative survey of 3,960 U.S. parents of children ages 4–18, conducted December 2–10, 2025, using SurveyMonkey's national audience panel. Results were weighted to reflect the U.S. parent population by key demographics. The margin of error is ±1.6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.

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SOURCE National School Choice Week