Have I read that right? You think most have paid for their children's education via private schools? I have heard that public school attendance is over 90%, and has been close to that for a very long time.
Yes, most of the people who have saved and sacrificed for their children’s education have the means to avoid public schools and send their children to private schools where they hope they will get a better education. I don’t know what percent of the population that is but it must be close to 10% if the other 90% attend public schools.
Your estimate of public school attendance being 90% is probably true, not everyone, especially millennials, can afford anything else. They haven’t many choices except to home school or send their children to public schools. Public school attendance is probably even higher than 90% because people are getting poorer as the standard of living declines in America.
In my lifetime I have seen the public education system decline to the point where children who cannot read, write, or calculate are routinely graduated from our public schools, some with honors. So as a parent concerned about my child’s education, I saved and sent my children to private schools until I could no longer afford it and then sent into the public school system. Then I paid for their tuition and books to attend college. They worked for their other expenses.
I hope this answers your question.