Fewer Students Attend Private Schools
The number of pre-K through 12th grade students enrolled in private schools—especially Catholic institutions—has sharply declined over the past decade, according to a new government report released May 26.
Private school enrollment from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade dropped 12.7 percent between the 2001-02 and 2009-10 school years, according to the Congressionally mandated annual report "Condition of Education." In the fall of 2001, 6.3 million students were enrolled in private schools; in 2009, just 5.5 million attended private schools.
Although Catholic schools are still the most popular type of private schools, enrollment fell 19