School on the Go: How Families Are Turning Travel Into Learning Time

More families are discovering that online learning can travel wherever life takes them. With portable devices and flexible schedules, students can log in from airports, road trips, hotel balconies, or even a relative’s guest room and still keep up with their schoolwork.

To explore just how often students are learning on the move, we surveyed 500 parents of K–12 online students across the U.S. The results show how families are using mobile learning to turn travel time into meaningful learning time without missing a beat academically.

Key Takeaways

• Nearly 3 in 4 parents of online students (72%) said their child has attended online classes while traveling or away from home.
• On average, kids attend online school from the road about 4 times per school year, and each session lasts roughly 6 school days.
• More than half of parents of online students (57%) said learning while traveling has sparked new interests in their child.
• About 1 in 2 parents (51%) said learning while traveling has contributed to better grades or learning outcomes.
• More than 1 in 3 parents (36%) said learning while traveling has strengthened their family’s sense of connection or quality time together.
• The top U.S. travel destinations for families of online students are Florida, California, and Texas.

Where Students Are Logging in While Traveling

• More than half of parents of online students (53%) said their child has attended online classes from a different state than where they live.

Top 5 Most Popular U.S. Travel Destinations for Families of Online Students

1. Florida 
2. California 
3. Texas 
4. Washington, D.C. 
5. Campground, RV, or van travel across multiple states

• 1 in 10 parents of online students (10%) said their child has attended online classes from another country.

Where Kids Who Attend Online School Log In While Outside of the U.S.

1. Canada
2. Western Europe (e.g., France, Italy, Spain, the UK)
3. Asia (e.g., Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore)
4. South America (e.g., Brazil, Argentina, Peru)
5. Eastern Europe (e.g., Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Czech Republic)

Where Kids Most Often Attend Online School While Away From Home

• 49% — From a relative’s or friend’s home
• 47% — While on a family road trip
• 46% — From a hotel or vacation rental
• 12% — From a campsite, RV, or boat
• 12% — While moving (in a car, RV, or plane)
• 11% — From an airport or during travel days

• More than 1 in 5 kids who attend online school (21%) have attended class from a location in a time zone more than three hours different from their school’s.
• More than 1 in 4 parents of online students (27%) said their child has attended school while traveling for a major family event.

How Travel Shapes Kids’ Learning and Growth

• Nearly 7 in 10 parents of online students (69%) said their child has turned in an assignment or taken a test while traveling.
• More than 3 in 4 parents who haven’t previously traveled with their online student (76%) would consider allowing their child to attend online school while traveling in the future.
• 3 in 4 parents of online students are planning family travel in 2026.

Top Family Travel Plans for Online School Families in 2026

• 57% — Traveling to another U.S. state
• 43% — Visiting relatives or attending family events
• 35% — Traveling within their own state
• 24% — Nature or national park trip
• 21% — Road trip or RV travel
• 17% — International travel
• 16% — Educational or cultural trip
• 13% — Cruise or boat trip

Top 5 Destinations Families Hope to Visit in 2026

1. Florida
2. New York
3. California
4. Texas
5. Bahamas

Methodology

For this study, we surveyed 500 parents of K–12 online students to understand how families are embracing the flexibility of “mobile learning” while traveling. The average age was 39; 57% were women, and 43% were men. Survey participants were not affiliated with K12.

Fair Use Statement

Content from this report may be shared for noncommercial purposes with proper attribution. Please include a link back to K12 when referencing or quoting any information.