“Homeschooling? I like it because it’s a lot more flexible, and, say, if something in my schedule changes, I can do that and then do school later or get my schoolwork done and then do that instead,” junior Wil Sedelbauer said.

Homeschooling began to kick off in the 1970’s and today about 6% of kids are homeschooled. It has its requirements, but it’s also up to the parents on how they choose to educate their child. 

“For my classes I have at the moment five classes and then one elective. So it’s just two of my classes are online and like virtual classes where I have to sign in at a certain time and go in a class like a normal zoom call. And then a couple of my other classes are prerecorded. So I just watch a video, fill out a workbook, and then I can kind of do it more on my own time. And that’s how most of my classes are,” Sedelbauer said.

On the flipside, 91% of kids are in public school. The question of which is better, homeschooling or public schooling has been debated for years. While public school is often criticized, it can have its positives.

“I think public schooling is fun because you get to socialize and you get to build relationships because you’re with those students, like for most of your life,” said sophomore Madison Foster.

Olivia Heller was homeschooled in a different district for a year, so she has perspectives of both.

“I had a really good experience while I was homeschooled because I just had a variety of classes that I could take because there was like a whole bunch of teachers that could intermix classes. It was a really good way for me to learn.  I just feel like it was better when I needed a break from being in public school,” Heller said. 

The National Library of Medicine proposes that social interaction is a basic human need, and is often a big difference between homeschooling and public schooling. 

“We get to see our classmates every day and our teachers, but they probably don’t get to see as many people on a day to day basis as we do,” Foster said.

However, it is not the only difference. 

“I can get my stuff done a lot sooner. And because it’s just on my own time and I’m not waiting on anybody else. I’m not doing school as many hours as I would be if I was going to public school because I just try and get my stuff done so I can do what I want with the day,” said Sedelbauer.