Enrollment falls in Lee County schools, but where did the students go?

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK)— The School District of Lee County said enrollment is down, and the numbers prove it.

A study by the district was presented to the school board last month. It shows in February enrollment was down by nearly 2,000 students this school year.

In April, they found 2,442 students left to go out of the state or country. Another 1,785 went to another public school in another Florida school district; 1,101 students left to go to private schools and 938 left to homeschool.

Data shows while some had re-enrolled into the district, more had left this year.

Ali Locke pulled her four children—Scarlet, Caliber, Maverick and Valor—out of the district to homeschool.

"I really started to learn how beneficial homeschool was for kids, and especially for students that don't fit into the traditional mold," Locke said. "I wanted my own children to experience that, so this is actually their third year homeschooling. I pulled them out of school."

Why Locke chose to do so?

"I knew that the education that my children were receiving was, it was okay," she said. "We were blessed with some really great teachers. However, I wanted my children to be able to explore their own interests and also not be stuck in a classroom for seven hours a day."

The school district says they're doing everything they can to retain students.

"We want to be parents' number one choice," said Denise Carlin, Ed.D, superintendent for the School District of Lee County, in a school board workshop meeting back in May. "But to start to do that, it starts with having a high-quality school district. We have a great school district. We want to be number one."

For the Lockes, they said they're much happier where they are now.

"My daughter, who was having difficulties in math, has already—she skipped sixth grade math because we were able to catch her up, and she's done so well," Locke said. "My son will also be skipping sixth grade math because he's just pushed himself enough, and really excelled in every area, and so now he's able to move faster."

The president of the Teachers' Association of Lee County said in a statement that some of the reasons why the school district has seen so many students leave are because of vouchers, shifting immigration policies and the overall cost of living in Southwest Florida being too high. For teachers, he said decreasing enrollment means they expect fewer teaching positions.