It is likely the public schools. I attended a three room red brick school house [I am 74] in Appalachia (boarding school); fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders all in one room. In seventh I studied Greek and in eighth I studied Latin. Still use them today - roughly.
American public education really started seriously declining when the U.S. Dept of Education was formed; went from tops in the world then to just about bottom now (in advanced developed countries.)
Children in China, Japan, India, Brazil, etc. are pushed to achieve. Our children will clean their toilets...
Highly likely.