Removed from the habit of traditional schooling, increasing numbers of families are opting for alternative forms of education for their children. The flight from public school districts that started while schools were closed isn’t reversing course.

That’s the conclusion of newly released research by Tyton Partners, an education consultancy. The research shows that districts’ declining enrollments are not abating. For districts to alter the trend, they must innovate and better serve parents.

Tyton’s report, “School Disrupted,” estimates a nine percent nationwide decrease in district public school enrollment between spring 2021 and spring 2022 — a time when most schools had reopened after a period of remote instruction.