As COVID-19 struck the United States, worry about the fate of private schools was high. Private schools are an important part of American elementary and secondary education, providing diverse options from what public schools supply. While public schools tended to eschew in‐​person schooling, private schools typically embraced it, though in some places, like L.A., they were prohibited by law from opening. Privateschools that we tracked as out of business at least partially due to the pandemicwere typically low‐​cost, averaging $7,066 in tuition. A major reason private schools appeared to fare better than initially feared could be these typically smaller and more nimble schools responded more efficiently and effectively than public schools. Private school parents reported fewer negative effects— academic, emotional, physical—on their children from the pandemic than public school parents, while having greater overall satisfaction What policies should we look at to enable private schools to not just survive, but flourish in the future?? Federalism and equal treatment lie at the heart of the best policies, especially expanding school choice at the state level.