KSHB 41 reporter Fe Silva covers education stories involving K-12. Share your story idea with Fe.
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The number of children homeschooling in Missouri has doubled since 2019.
Researchers at Saint Louis University found that at least 1 in 16 school-aged children in Missouri are now educated at home. Amanda Klentz's children are some of them.
Since 2019, in addition to wearing the "mom hat," she also wears the "teacher hat." That means spending more time with her three kids.
"It brings you back to having little toddlers again," Klentz said. "I actually used to say I would never do this."
Things changed when she started substituting at a local school.
"They are sitting all day on tablets and screens a lot," Klentz said.
She also thought one of her kids, diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), could benefit from more individualized attention.
"It is really difficult to actually meet the needs of kids in classrooms when it's one teacher to 25-plus kids," Klentz said.
The choice came with some challenges.
For third-grader Mackenzie Klentz, one of the challenges comes from the fact that her two brothers are her classmates.
"They're kind of annoying," Mackenzie said.
Even with some challenges along the way, the Klentz family says it was a great change for them.
"We can sit on the comfy couch," a fifth-grader of Klentz's said.
He says he’s learned there are trade-offs.
"We have to read every day here to at least watch TV for a little bit," Klentz's son said.
The Klentz family is not alone.
Saint Louis University researchers found that more than 61,000 students in Missouri are now educated at home.
According to Collin Hitt, executive director of the PRiME Center and one of the researchers, the pandemic played a role in the rise of homeschooling.
"It's becoming more common, and as it's becoming more common, more families are willing to try it," Hitt said.
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