What Happens to the Kids Left Behind at Public Schools?

Brian Ledtke

December 18, 2025
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Based on the new podcast series: Tough Questions with Robert Enlow 

Whenever school choice is discussed, one concern rises to the top: What happens to the students who don’t participate and are left behind? 

Parents, teachers, and policymakers worry that the students who remain in traditional public schools might be harmed academically, socially, or financially if other students leave. It’s one of the most emotionally charged questions in the entire school choice debate. 

In our latest episode of Tough Questions with Robert Enlow, we dove deep into this topic. Here’s the bottom-line answer, distilled from decades of research and thousands of family experiences. 

1. Students Who Stay Behind Actually Do Better 

Across dozens of studies, one trend repeats itself: When school choice programs are introduced, students in traditional public schools improve faster. Why? 

Competition works the same way in education as it does everywhere else. When families gain options, schools respond with stronger academics, better services, and improved school culture. 

This finding isn’t controversial. Researchers across the ideological spectrum recognize the competitive effects as real and positive. 

2. There Is No Mass Exodus of the Best Students 

A common misconception is that the “good students” flee when choice programs appear. But the evidence, and family experience, tells a different story: 

  • Families who are satisfied with their school typically stay. 
  • Students who leave usually do so because they feel unsafe, anxious, bullied, or poorly matched academically, not because they are “high achievers.” 
  • Even in large statewide programs, most families keep attending their local public school. 

When parents feel a school is working for their child, they stay. When their child is suffering or falling behind, they look for something different. That’s not a drain; it’s an act of care. 

3. The Left Behind Argument Only Appears in One Direction 

Critics often frame transfers to private or charter schools as leaving kids behind. But transfers happen within the public system all the time: 

  • Families move across district lines. 
  • Students transfer to magnet schools. 
  • Some public schools do not serve students with special needs in the building; they bus them elsewhere. 

These situations never get described as abandoning other children, even though they involve the same dynamic. 

Families choosing a better fit is something we already accept throughout public education. School choice simply expands that principle to all families, not just those who can move to a different ZIP code. 

4. Public Schools Do Not Lose Funding in the Way Critics Often Claim 

Thanks to careful program design and decades of fiscal analysis, we now know: 

  • School choice programs save money at the state and local levels. 
  • Funding formulas protect district schools from sudden losses. 
  • Choice programs typically draw much less per-pupil funding than traditional public schools. 

In fact, no evidence shows that school choice has caused a public school to close or defund essential services. The financial harm narrative simply doesn’t show up in the data. 

5. The Best Evidence Comes from Real Families 

Data matters—but so do stories. 

When parents share why they left a school, the reasons are almost always tied to safety, bullying, mental health, or unmet needs. This is not about good kids leaving. It’s about struggling kids who finally have an avenue to get help. 

When you listen to these families, it becomes clear that school choice isn’t about abandoning students, it’s about rescuing them. 

And the students who stay behind, supported by improved schools and more responsive leadership, benefit as well. 

6. Change Is Hard—But Change Is Necessary 

Education systems naturally resist change. But public schools today face massive academic declines, growing mental health challenges, and persistent achievement gaps. 

Keeping every child in a single, compulsory system doesn’t solve those problems. Giving families options does, and the evidence shows it improves the system for everyone. 

As EdChoice CEO Robert Enlow says, “Choice isn’t about abandoning public schools. It’s about abandoning the idea that one system can meet every child’s needs.” 

The Real Answer: No One Gets Left Behind 

School choice isn’t a zero-sum game. When families gain the ability to find the right educational fit: 

  • Students who leave get a better chance. 
  • Students who stay see their schools improve. 
  • Teachers get more engaged families. 
  • States save money that can be reinvested. 

Far from leaving kids behind, school choice is one of the few reforms that create a rising tide lifting all schools and all students. 

Listen to the full podcast here.

Resources: 

Brian Ledtke

Digital Experience Manager

With over two decades of experience spanning digital marketing, communications, and freelance journalism, Brian serves as a Digital Experience Manager at EdChoice. In this role, he leverages his expertise to enhance customer journeys, optimize brand visibility, and drive engagement across digital platforms.

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