Homeschooling and private schools are just impractical here in NJ, where you have to raise $10K just to pay your property taxes (most of which are school taxes). Private schools have a problem attracting talented teachers because the pay scale of public school teachers draws most educators into that scam; their costs are through the roof as well. The Catholic Church has not made education a priority in this very Catholic area; most Catholic schools from my childhood are closed, despite the fact that most our immigrants are Catholic. This probably contributes to their lack of Mass attendance and vocations as well, but they are short-sighted in their solution.
How is homeschooling impractical? It’s far less expensive than private school and you have total control over the curriculum. Not only that, but the parent sets the hours of study, and there are support groups.
Why are the Catholic schools closed? Do you mean they are full, and can’t accept new students? Or, are they literally closed?