New data shows homeschooling on the rise in Central Virginia

[PeteS in CA]

New data shows homeschooling on the rise in Central Virginia

https://wset.com/news/local/new-data-shows-homeschooling-on-the-rise-in-central-virginia-department-of-education-pandemic-religious-beliefs-personalized-learning-alternatives-january-2026

WSET) — Homeschool enrollment continues to rise across the Commonwealth. According to data from the Virginia Department of Education, homeschooling increased about 5.4% percent statewide this year and is up around 50% since 2020.

Locally, Lynchburg City Schools saw the most significant change. The number of homeschooled students increased by about 280 students, rising from 594 last year to 875 this year.

One local homeschool mom said she believes flexibility and personalized learning are major reasons behind the shift. Lynchburg homeschool parent and Co-op teacher, Beth Kendall, said many families became more aware of alternatives to traditional public schooling during and after the pandemic.

The teacher's unions' keeping public schools closed is continuing to backfire. Parents saw what was being taught, saw they could do as well or better, and were forced to find ways to make it work financially. More and more families are not going back.

[libertybele]

Understandable.  VA has become very blue and the last place I'd want my kids would be in a public school.

[mountaineer]

Some Va school districts are infamous for letting "trans"  boys into girls' locker rooms and rest rooms - boys who proceed to sexually assault girls. And, of course, there's the pervasive leftist indoctrination.

Responsible parents should get their kiddies out of public schools if at all possible.

[PeteS in CA]

Home School Legal Defense Association has a map that is color-coded for how burdensome different states’ homeschooling laws, https://hslda.org/legal . VA’s are among the more burdensome, so these parents are operating in a less than friendly environment for homeschooling. Given the recently inaugurated governor, the teacher’s unions may attempt to make homeschooling even more difficult.

[mountaineer]

Homeschooling in Va. under Spanberger will be like most individual liberties - kaput. Get the heck out if you can!

[roamer_1]

Every one of these is almost assuredly a family that has committed to a one parent income, and very likely a mother staying home with her children.

More important than the education is the hand that rocks the cradle.
I am 120% behind home schooling.

[libertybele]

Every one of these is almost assuredly a family that has committed to a one parent income, and very likely a mother staying home with her children.

More important than the education is the hand that rocks the cradle.
I am 120% behind home schooling.

Indeed; the guy that maintains our lawn, took on enough work and save $$ to grow his business this past summer and hired someone to do the lawn maintenance during the dry season  -- long enough for him to help home school his kids.  His wife has always stayed home, so they were used to one income, but they have 3 kids and he is now helping with home schooling until  the  summer months and the kids will be taking a break anyways.  I am happy for him.  He's a darn hard worker with impeccable integrity which is very rare for his age group (30's) these days.

[PeteS in CA]

Every one of these is almost assuredly a family that has committed to a one parent income, and very likely a mother staying home with her children.

More important than the education is the hand that rocks the cradle.
I am 120% behind home schooling.

We homeschooled our munchkins "K-12". We were a single-income family from soon after our oldest was born until several years after we graduated our youngest ("early"). Among the several hundred homeschooling families we knew, some families did have part-time second incomes to make ends meet. Homeschooling does in many ways define families' lifestyles, during and after (if you're living pretty much paycheck-to-paycheck, you probably are not building up your 401K and IRA).

What's weird is that in many areas - e.g. Baltimore - PSs have deteriorated so horribly that kids that graduate high school and college knowing how to read, do math, etc., etc., are almost educated elites.

BTW, both "homeschool" and "home school" are common usage.

[roamer_1]

We homeschooled our munchkins "K-12". We were a single-income family from soon after our oldest was born until several years after we graduated our youngest ("early"). Among the several hundred homeschooling families we knew, some families did have part-time second incomes to make ends meet. Homeschooling does in many ways define families' lifestyles, during and after (if you're living pretty much paycheck-to-paycheck, you probably are not building up your 401K and IRA).

What's weird is that in many areas - e.g. Baltimore - PSs have deteriorated so horribly that kids that graduate high school and college knowing how to read, do math, etc., etc., are almost educated elites.

BTW, both "homeschool" and "home school" are common usage.

It is terribly rough to do in this day and age. I applaud your efforts. And I really mean that. It is a rare few that choose the hard road in anything.

I did not homeschool mine. But I did pay for all four to go to Christian school - Which was like pulling teeth, I'll tell you what.

Did alright with it though, till one of my Icarus moments happened. That crash-and-burn dang near put em back in PS, but my wife took on a baby-sitting business so she could stay home and augment our income. Her money paid them in for a couple more years... Then my old man paid for it a couple more. But finally, they went back to PS with the elder two in high school, and the younger two in middle school.

I never really recovered, because it was my back thing raring it's ugly head. I coped with it for years, but I was becoming more and more incapable... Which leads me where I am today.

But we made a hella stab at it. It is very important.

[PeteS in CA]

It is terribly rough to do in this day and age. I applaud your efforts. And I really mean that. It is a rare few that choose the hard road in anything.

I did not homeschool mine. But I did pay for all four to go to Christian school - Which was like pulling teeth, I'll tell you what.

Did alright with it though, till one of my Icarus moments happened. That crash-and-burn dang near put em back in PS, but my wife took on a baby-sitting business so she could stay home and augment our income. Her money paid them in for a couple more years... Then my old man paid for it a couple more. But finally, they went back to PS with the elder two in high school, and the younger two in middle school.

I never really recovered, because it was my back thing raring it's ugly head. I coped with it for years, but I was becoming more and more incapable... Which leads me where I am today.

But we made a hella stab at it. It is very important.

  Total respect from me! Paying taxes that, among other things, fund PSs and paying private school tuition is not financially trivial! Campus-based private-schooling and homeschooling become lifestyles that tend to be outside of what is ordinary.

A good private school can lead to excellent academic outcomes, even if "just" a few years. For Grades 1-3 I attended my parents' church's private school. It had to shut down after my 3rd Grade year. I entered PS 4th Grade two years ahead in reading ability and a semester ahead in Math. Because it was a Christian school (LCMS Lutheran), its emphasis on basic teachings such as the Ten Commandments set my moral and, to some degree, political courses (e.g. "Thou shalt not steal" is incompatible with Marxist Socialism).