Since the founding of our organization, we have often described the concept of citizens “voting with their feet” in relation to school districts. A quick refresher for those who may not remember: “Voting with your feet” expresses one's preferences through actions such as physical migration.

In our work, we often see families, who can afford to move, leave school districts with struggling schools. In short, school assignments based on where students live change where students live. Typically, evidence of this migration can be observed only after a fairly long period of time.

However, the COVID19 crisis has sped up the consequences of school assignments. With more people able to work virtually, families are “voting with their feet” even across state lines when they do not feel like the schools are adequately serving their children.

Take, for example, comments from this New York Times article where families are leaving Philadelphia for places like Florida. Philadelphia has had no in-person schooling. In contrast, in Florida, public schools are required to offer in-person learning 5 days a week, and there are more opportunities for education choice. In Pennsylvania, as of October, “public school enrollment had fallen 6.9 percent in the state’s most populous counties, a shortfall of over 50,000 children,” according to The New York Times.

Even families with less financial security recognize the importance of moving their children. In another instance, the same article describes a single parent who knew that having to make grades for football was a key motivator for her child. With no in-person school or football, she knew keeping her son on track to graduate would become a serious issue. So, she sent her son to live with his grandmother where he could continue to play football, attend school in person, and graduate.

And these are just a few examples of what is happening all over the country. Keep an eye out for how public school policies and assignments are affecting how families choose neighborhoods.