Homeschooling as Racial Retreat: The Impact of School District and Leadership Diversity

What explains the decision to homeschool? This study examines whether local racial context influences families’ decisions to homeschool their children. I argue that many white parents exit public school systems due to concerns about the distribution of school resources to racial out-groups, particularly in racially diverse and resource-constrained districts. I conduct a state-representative survey of over 30,000 respondents to describe the homeschooling population in the United States. Then, using data from Virginia that link student and district leadership demographics (school board members and superintendents) to district-level homeschooling rates, I examine how racial composition and leadership diversity shape educational exit. I find that higher levels of non-white students and certain kinds of leadership diversity are positively associated with increased homeschooling, especially where resources are limited. By showing that homeschooling is often motivated by perceived racial threat, this study informs debates about the regulation and public subsidization of homeschooling.