American parents are investing significant time and money in back-to-school shopping, but far fewer are actively comparing or selecting their children's schools, according to recent survey data and parent focus group insights.
The gap between parents' careful selection of supplies and their limited engagement with school choice underscores ongoing questions about agency and decision-making in American education. While parents routinely seek out the best deals and products for their children’s school needs, their approach to choosing a school is often less involved.
Deloitte's 2026 back-to-school survey estimated the U.S. back-to-school market at $30.4 billion, with families spending an average of $557 per child on supplies and clothing. Parents routinely comparison-shop for items like backpacks, shoes, and water bottles, adjusting purchases based on price, quality, and their children's preferences. This consumer behavior is widespread, with parents often researching brands, reading reviews, and even visiting multiple stores or websites before making a purchase decision. The process is detailed and personalized, reflecting a desire to meet each child’s unique needs and tastes.
Parental Habits and School Choice
Despite this consumer vigilance, most parents do not apply the same scrutiny to selecting schools. Writer and education strategist Marc Oestreich, who conducts focus groups with parents, noted that when asked to imagine a custom school for their child, parents often struggle to articulate specific preferences beyond generalities like good teachers and safety. Oestreich argued that while parents are highly attuned to their children's individual needs in daily life, they tend to accept the default options provided by the education system.
"We do not make the child fit the backpack. We keep looking until we find the one that fits the child. Education deserves at least that much imagination," Oestreich said, highlighting the contrast between how parents approach school supplies and school selection.
For much of U.S. history, families had little practical choice in schooling, as public schools were determined by geography and tradition. Oestreich compared this to the psychological concept of "learned helplessness," suggesting that parents have become accustomed to limited agency in educational decisions. The expectation that a child will attend the neighborhood public school remains strong in many communities, even as new options emerge.
Expanding Educational Options
The landscape is shifting, with more alternatives now available. Oestreich pointed to the rise of charter schools, microschools, hybrid programs, co-ops, and online courses as evidence that parents have more options than ever before. These alternatives offer varying educational philosophies, class sizes, and instructional methods, giving families the opportunity to seek a better fit for their children’s needs.
A 50CAN survey of 23,000 parents found that 70 percent felt they had a choice in where their children go to school. However, only 26 percent had reviewed information comparing their school's performance with others. This suggests that while awareness of options is growing, active engagement with school quality data remains limited. Many parents may be unaware of resources that allow them to compare schools on academic performance, extracurricular offerings, or other factors.
Deloitte's research corroborates the scale of parental engagement in back-to-school shopping but does not address how often parents compare schools themselves. The data suggest that while the market for school-related goods is robust, habits around evaluating educational quality and fit are slower to change. The focus on supplies may reflect a sense of control and immediate impact, whereas school selection can feel daunting or constrained by logistical and social factors.
Calls for Greater Parental Agency
Oestreich urged parents to exercise more agency in educational choices, suggesting that small, repeated acts of decision-making could help families better tailor education to their children's needs. He argued that parents already possess the skills to make such choices but rarely apply them to schooling. "Agency needs reps," Oestreich wrote, encouraging parents to take incremental steps toward greater involvement. This could include researching school options, visiting campuses, or discussing educational goals with children and educators.
Supporters of traditional public schools have argued that expanding choice could undermine neighborhood schools and create inequities, but Oestreich maintained that increased parental involvement does not require abandoning existing institutions. He suggested that parents can advocate for changes within their current schools or seek out specialized programs without leaving the public system. Officials and advocates for public education have not directly addressed the specific criticism that parents spend more time on supply shopping than school selection.
The Deloitte survey and parent focus group findings highlight a disconnect between the energy parents devote to consumer decisions and the attention given to educational options. As new school models proliferate, the question remains whether parental habits will shift to match the expanding choices available. The evolution of school choice in the United States may depend on whether parents begin to approach educational decisions with the same diligence and personalization they bring to back-to-school shopping.
