OSWEGO COUNTY, N.Y. -- Sam Kiesinger is a sophomore at SUNY Oswego. College is the first time he's been in a classroom with other students since the third grade when his parents decided to have him homeschooled.
"Initially it was because of religious reasons, but after awhile, they realized it was the best option personally for me as a student," said Kiesinger.
Nationwide, more students are following the same path. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Education, about one and a half million student were homeschooled in 2007, an increase of about a half million students from four years ago. And that trend has some school officials concerned about the state of public education.
"Over the last several years, I think improvements in technology, accessibility of curriculum online is making home instruction more attractive to parents," said Mexico Central Schools superintendent Nelson Bauersfeld.
As schools get ready to let out for the summer, a report by the U.S. Department of Education shows more parents are turning to another option, home school instruction. As our Andy Mattison tells us, the number of homeschooled children in the country has been on the rise for the last decade.
Bauersfeld has seen a small increase of homeschooled students in the Mexico school district. He points to recent events, like the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, as contributing factors.
"We believe schools are a very safe place. They are a very safe place. But increasingly parents are beginning to question what their kids are being exposed to in school from a disease standpoint," said Bauersfeld.
Kiesinger says while homeschooling gives parents more control over their child's education, he understands not everyone learns the same way.
"Homeschooling is not for everyone. The majority of students probably are best served in a public school setting or in a classroom setting. But some students, they will learn better in a home school environment. They will learn better in a customized environment," said Kiesinger.
A customized environment that is moving the classroom off school grounds and into the living room.
To see the complete report, visit http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009030.pdf.