What is going on in America’s public schools? Enrollment declines and frequent absenteeism tell a dramatic story.

What is happening to American public school students?

The reduction in enrollment, along with chronic absenteeism, should raise tremendous concern, or at least curiosity, among parents, teachers, administrators, psychologists, and many others across the country.

The causes for what’s going on are complicated—and must be understood.

Teaching values to our children will only help them thrive, and South Carolina is leading the way.

First, there’s the COVID aspect. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), American public schools lost more than a million students between the autumn of 2019 and the fall of 2020, dropping enrollment from 50.8 million to 49.4 million.

It is vital to note that this occurred more frequently in high-poverty communities,