The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday that private schools saw a “notable” jump in jobs amid concerns over parental flight from public classrooms.
The agency reported that the sector added 40,000 positions last month while public schools lost 27,000 posts.
But the report cautioned that ongoing coronavirus chaos has made it difficult to identify reliable trends.
“However, recent employment changes are challenging to interpet, as pandemic-related staffing fluctuations in public and private education have distorted the normal seasonal hiring and layoff patterns,” it stated.
Since February 2020, private schools have lost 159,000 jobs while public schools have shed 406,000 positions across the country.
City public schools have gradually lost enrollment over the last five years with the trend accelerating since the onset of the pandemic.
Loss of students has impacted funding at some schools and forced them to shed staff.
PS 118 Maurice Sendak in Brooklyn has lost roughly a third of its students and has been forced to “excess” four teachers to others schools. Another four educators left for other reasons.