Virginia

• State Governor: Abigail Spanberger

• State Superintendent of Public Instruction: Jenna Conway

• State School Board Members

• Local school board members: The easiest way to contact your local school board members is to use an online search tool like XQ or simply look up your school district’s website online. There will almost always be a section of the district website listing the names and contact information of your local school board members. If their contact information is not listed, call your school’s office to request that information.

The Virginia Department of Education reports that the state’s on-time graduation rate is 93%. There were 1,251,970 students enrolled in the public school system for the 2021-2022 school year. However, the number of students enrolled has decreased exponentially over the past few years as many families are opting to homeschool instead. For instance, from 2019-2020 to 2020-2021, the number of public school to homeschool transfers increased by 90%.

As for school choice, Virginia school districts can set their own open enrollment policies, which allow families to attend schools outside of their assigned district. There are a few charter and magnet schools for Virginia families to choose from as well. Virginia also offers private schools, and even provides a few state-run scholarships to assist with tuition. Additionally, Virginia families may decide to homeschool their children, where it is required to notify the state.

References

https://www.doe.virginia.gov/statistics_reports/index.shtml

https://schoolchoiceweek.com/guide-school-choice-virginia/