The US Microschool Movement Is Gaining Momentum

In learning pods, or microschools, small groups of families take turns teaching children, or pool resources to hire a teacher. (Andrii Medvednikov/Shutterstock)

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.”

According to NMC’s 2024 sector report, based on data from 400 microschools in 41 states, 85 percent of the schools serve children between the ages of 5 and 11; 66 percent serve children 12 to 14, and 36 percent serve ages 15 to 18. The median number of children served at each school is 16.  Also, 71 percent of microschools were founded by teachers or school administrators who have or previously had public school credentials.

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.

The report does not include information about achievement or academic measures, but Soifer cites a June 2022 Rand Corporation think tank case study on the Southern Urban Nevada Micro Academy (SUNMA), which he founded in 2020. That year, the school served about 100 students in grades K-8 that year, and the majority were black or Hispanic.

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.

A new law took effect in Florida on July 1. According to the state Senate website, it says private schools that purchase property or use space there are not required to go through local zoning requirements. That means microschools can exist in most types of spaces, including homes and existing or former businesses, without obtaining approval or permits from local governments.

A 2024 Utah law exempts microschools from local zoning, health and safety regulations, including student immunizations, but it does require the organizations to be registered as a business, according to the Utah State Legislature website.

In West Virginia, a 2022 state law recognizes microschools and “learning pods” as being different from homeschooling. According to the state legislature website, it exempts these students from public school attendance requirements and other regulations while allowing them to participate in state assessments and access public school instruction to supplement their education.

In Georgia, the 2021 Learning Pod Protection Act exempts microschools from public school or childcare center requirements, including staffing levels and required certifications, fire codes, and facility requirements, according to the legislation.

Despite strong opposition from teachers’ unions, every state and Washington, D.C., offers at least some form of school choice, such as charter schools, magnet schools or home-schooling options. Seventeen states have private school vouchers or education savings accounts, according to EdChoice. Vouchers allow students to attend private schools, and Education Savings Accounts (ESA) can be applied toward private school tuition, supplies for homeschooling, and certain services related to education.

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.”