A Salina-area homeschool group is hosting an Ice Cream Social on Monday evening.

According to Renee Rivera, Co-op Director with Smoky Valley Home Educators (SVHE), homeschooling has grown around the nation as an alternative to public education, “We have 50 to 70 families that are actual members,” she said.

Rivera tells KSAL News that her family chose the home option about 15-years ago. “Part of our goal at SVHE is a Christ centered education, and our family chose to start homeschooling when I was pregnant will our fifth child and the bus scheduled changed.”

This evening, families interested in learning more about what a homeschool schedule is like can join area homeschoolers at Jerry Ivy Park, Shelter #1 from 6pm to 8pm for an Ice Cream Social.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics website (nces.ed.gov) home education is growing.

In 2007, the number of homeschooled students was about 1.5 million, an increase from 850,000 in 1999 and 1.1 million in 2003. The percentage of the school-age population that was homeschooled increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.9 percent in 2007.

The increase in the percentage of homeschooled students from 1999 to 2007 represents a 74 percent relative increase over the 8-year period and a 36 percent relative increase since 2003. In 2007, the majority of homeschooled students received all of their education at home (84 percent), but some attended school up to 25 hours per week. Eleven percent of homeschooled students were enrolled in school less than 9 hours per week, and 5 percent were enrolled between 9 and 25 hours per week.