The US Microschool Movement Is Gaining Momentum

One-room schoolhouses are making a comeback.
Microschools—classroom settings for small groups of students across multiple grade levels—exist in standalone buildings or in borrowed or rented spaces. Organized by teachers and parents, they operate as private or public charter schools, depending on state regulations.
Enrollment at such schools is estimated at about 2 percent of the U.S. K–12 education sector, which is about equal to Catholic school enrollment, said National Microschooling Center (NMC) founder and Chief Executive Don Soifer. Growth could reach 10 percent in the years ahead as school choice is increasing in many states, he said.
“They [microschools] are gaining in popularity,” Soifer told The Epoch Times on Aug. 15, “because families are at the front and center, and you can build them around the needs of individuals you are serving.”
In addition, 63 percent of microschools surveyed indicated that they serve neurodivergent children, and 53 percent said they serve other special needs, the report said. Fifty-three percent of the schools are working with children currently performing below grade level, though the report does not indicate whether those students attended microschools for years or if they were previously in public, private, or homeschool settings.
Most of the 76 students who were monitored in the study had performed below grade level before they enrolled at SUNMA, and at the close of the 2020-2021 school year, most performed above grade level in both math and reading, according to Rand’s research, which was published on Arizona State University’s Center on Reinventing Public Education website.
The microschool sector is still significantly behind public schools in terms of public funding and student credentialing. According to the 2024 sector report, 84 percent of the schools are not accredited in their state, which could pose a challenge for students who want to attend college. Sixty-three percent are primarily funded by student tuition, and 73 percent reported that their annual tuition is under $10,000 a year.
Meanwhile, recent laws in some states are promoting growth in the microschool space.
Soifer said ESAs in Nevada, Florida and Arkansas have covered microschool tuition, and Louisiana policymakers are working to establish similar arrangements. He added that Arizona and Arkansas “are friendly” to the idea of expanding funding for microschools and learning pods, while Iowa lawmakers he has spoken with have an issue with the lack of accreditation with this private education arrangement and are hesitant to fund it. There is also room for growth in hybrid charter school programs where states fund family-run microschools in rural areas if state-approved online curriculum is included in the program.
“This movement really took off during the pandemic shutdowns,” Soifer said, “and it’s still growing.”