More Austin kids are heading to private school

An increasing share of Austin kids are heading to private school.

Why it matters: The changing school demographics throw into relief the challenges faced by Austin public schools to attract and keep students — and point to a shift in Austin's identity as wealth pours into the city.

• Meanwhile, Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing to give some families taxpayer money for private education .

By the numbers: In 2010, 11.1% of Austin students attended private schools.

• By 2022, the share was 14.7%, per the latest available U.S. Census Bureau data.

Plus: The number of accredited private schools in Austin has grown from 68 a decade ago to 91 in the latest figures posted by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission .

• There were 29 private schools in Austin 30 years ago, according to the data.

The big picture: Even as Austin public schools have seen a roughly 10% decrease from pre-pandemic enrollment figures, they still educate more than 72,000 kids.

• Meanwhile, in what Austin ISD officials say is a positive sign, the percentage of school-aged children within the district who attend district schools has been holding steady at around 81% over the past few years.

Zoom out: The trend in Austin comes as Texas generally has seen public school enrollment rebound.

• In the 2022-23 school year, more than 5.5 million students were enrolled in Texas public schools, an increase of 1.7%, from the 2021-22 school year, according to a Texas Education Agency report released in September.
• Enrollment statewide increased between 2021-22 and 2022-23 for the largest racial/ethnic groups aside from white students, whose enrollment fell by 11,001 students, or 0.8%.

Zoom in: The lack of affordable housing and declining birth rates in Austin have resulted in fewer families with school-aged children living within the Austin ISD attendance area, according to district spokesperson Cristina Nguyen.

• "Families have the right to choose the educational path that's best for their child," Nguyen tells Axios. "Still, we know Austin ISD offers the widest range of programming and opportunities citywide."
• "We're focused on telling our story and making it easier for families to find out about and access the diverse opportunities Austin ISD offers, from dual-language in Spanish, Vietnamese and Mandarin to fine arts and athletics to hands-on career and technical education and even free college credits ."
• And bond packages supported by Austin voters mean the district is modernizing its facilities, she said.

Between the lines: The growth in the share of Austin kids going to private school comes as our city becomes wealthier.

• In 2022, 15.9% of Austin metro area households had incomes of over $200,000, per census data .
• In 2019, that number was 10.8% .

Of note: That's a higher rate of increase than the U.S. as a whole, which went from 7.7% to 11.4% in that same time.

What they're saying: "The displacement of so many families that have been in Austin for so long a time, because of the pricing of housing, has translated into families who prefer private schools to public schools," Gabriel Estrada, the assistant executive director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth , a nonprofit that advocates for public schools, tells Axios.

• "The difference between the increases in Austin private school enrollment and the rest of the state would be a result of the increase in Austin population and wealth," Laura Colangelo, executive director of the Texas Private Schools Association , tells Axios. "An increase in wealth in the city would increase both the number of families that can afford private school and the number of private schools in the city."

What we're watching: The trajectory of Austin public school enrollment in the coming years.

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