AUSTIN, Texas — A survey from Gallup found the number of parents reporting their child would be homeschooled doubled from 5% in 2019 to 10% in 2020.

One Central Texas mom says she had no intention of ever homeschooling her two youngest children, but when the pandemic hit, it seemed like the best idea. She is just one of many parents who feel that way.

Working mom of three Amy McAllister never imagined life like this. If it wasn't for COVID-19, her kids would be learning in a traditional classroom right now. 

"At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, nobody really knew what school was going to look like," McAllister said. "And the way that the school district was describing it, the precautions for COVID, I had nightmares of us being in quarantine off and on throughout the whole year."

So she made the decision to homeschool her two youngest children. She's not alone. 

"A lot of parents, if they were capable of making a change, many made a change," McAllister said.

McAllister teaches reading, writing and math at home. Her kids go to The Rock Enrichment Academy for everything else.

Angela Jay is the founder of the homeschool enrichment program. 

In September 2020, the academy had just over 100 students. Since then, she's seen significant growth. 

"Our current enrollment is 278 students and our class sizes average about 15 per class. So we've been able to add more locations, add more campuses," Jay said.

McAllister works during the short time the kids are at the academy.

"They get to go for a whole school day and they basically get all of their electives," McAllister said. "And then they go for another half day."

This allows the McAllister family to learn in a way that works best for them. 

"It still is hard, but you can find delight in it. And I can't imagine doing it a different way now,"  McAllister said.