Private Schools May Be Losing Students to Charters

Families find similar independence and variety, already supported by taxes

Enrollment in private schools has fallen during the past 10 years, both nationally and in Oregon, and the growth of charter schools seems to be one big cause, the Census Bureau reported Thursday.

Private school enrollments have fallen to historic lows, Census Bureau researcher Stephanie Ewart reports in her new paper, "The Decline in Private School Enrollment."

The economic recession does not appear to be the cause, she writes, noting that private school enrollment plummeted during the 1960s, a time of economic growth, and the current decline in private schooling started in the early 2000s, before the recession hit.