Over the last two years, Lifewise Academy has seen enormous growth in the number of school buildings in which Lifewise offers its program. In August 2023, Lifewise was in 133 schools with 15,234 students enrolled. In November 2025, Lifewise was in 806 schools with 54,660 students enrolled. However, in those two years, the average number of students per school has dropped from 115 to 68, a 40% decrease in average enrollment.

At the same time that the average enrollment per school drops, the average size of the student body in the schools increases. Respect Public Schools has tracked the date enrollment opened for Lifewise for each school and grade since September 2024. Before this date, the average number of students per school offered Lifewise was 432 students. The average after September 2024 is 584 students. Lifewise has seen a 30% increase in the size of the student body they have offered Lifewise to, while seeing a drop of 40% in enrollment per school on average. The enrollment data used is from https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/

Lifewise Academy has identified a lack of knowledge as its primary obstacle. “Very few people know about this opportunity,” is what the Lifewise literature says. As coverage from media, watchdog organizations, and school districts has increased, enrollment numbers have decreased. Public discourse has increased as Lifewise has moved into different states, where they are required to seek approval from the local school board before operating in the district.

Perhaps the numbers were expected to decline as the organization expanded. Adding more layers of corporate staff, more executive-level oversight, and rapid onboarding of employees could be the cause. No matter the reason, it’s clear that as more people learn about Lifewise Academy, fewer students enroll.