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Virginia State Roadmap
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Choosing a school? Youāve got options.
If youāre wondering about school choice in Virginia, here are two things to remember. First off, youāre not alone. Every year, tens of thousands of parents in Virginia make K-12 school decisions for their children. Secondly, you can do it! Understanding your stateās different school options can help you find a learning environment where your child is not just āgetting byā at school, but actually thriving and inspired to learn.
This post will break down the school choice options available for the nearly 2 million children living in the Old Dominion State. In short, families can choose fromĀ traditional public schools,Ā public charter schools,Ā public magnet schools,Ā private schools,Ā online learning,Ā homeschooling, andĀ microschooling and mix-and-match learning.
One factor that many families consider when choosing a school is transportation. In Virginia, transportation is available for students who attend their assigned public school or have transportation services in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Transportation may be available for students attending other school types – our transportation guide has more information.
Looking for special education options? You can learn what special education services are available in Virginia at theĀ Ultimate Guide to Special Education.
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Explore Types of Schools
Virginia Traditional Public Schools
Most Virginia families choose traditional public schools. These are operated by schoolĀ districts, free to attend, open to all students, and funded by taxpayers. In Virginia,Ā 73.7% of all K-12 studentsĀ attend a traditional public school.Ā Did you know that, on average, Virginia spendsĀ $13,835 per public school student each year?
In Virginia, the state allows each district to set its ownĀ open enrollmentĀ policies. āOpen enrollmentā refers to whether parents can send their children to any public school, regardless of where it is located. Parents wanting to transfer their child to a different public school should contact their local school district to see if this is possible. For example,Ā Albemarle County Public SchoolsĀ generally requires students to attend their zoned school, but does allow transfers in some cases, such as for medical or emotional health, or because of a family move. In Virginia, while a transfer within your district may be possible, transfers between districts are generally not available andĀ may cost a fee.
Open enrollment is a valuable public school choice, increasing parentsā options and ensuring that zip code isnāt the sole determiner of their education.Ā Find out more about public schools in your state at theĀ Virginia Department of Education.Ā You can also learn more about open enrollment at āPublic Schools Without Boundaries: A 50-State RankingāĀ and āVirginia Public School Divisionsā Tuition Rates Charged to Transfer Students.ā
Virginia Charter Schools
Also, depending on where you live in Virginia, public charter schools may be another free option for you to consider. Like traditional public schools, charter schools are public, free, and usually have no requirements for entry. What distinguishes charter schools is that they have extra freedom to innovate with learning methods. Charters are accountable toĀ authorizing entitiesĀ for results.
Virginia passed charter school legislation in 1998. Today, Virginia hasĀ seven public charter schools.Ā Each school has a charter which explains the schoolās purpose and what specific community need it serves, whether that be providing a Spanish immersion program or offering a rigorousĀ STEAMĀ curriculum. If there are more families seeking admittance to a charter school than there are seats, a lottery system is usually used to determine admittance.
Free transportation may be available to some students who attend charter schools in Virginia.Ā Students with special needs and an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are eligible for transportation assistance.
Virginia Magnet Schools
Additionally, Virginia families have a third public school option in magnet schools. Magnet schools are free public schools that allow kids to narrow in on a specific learning track, such as anĀ International Baccalaureate program or the performing arts. Magnet schools teach all subjects through the lenses of that specific track. These schoolsĀ can be good options for children who learn best through their favorite subject. In Virginia,Ā 13.8% of all K-12 studentsĀ attend a public magnet school.
Virginia has several magnet school options, including the well-rankedĀ Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. School districts with magnet schools includeĀ Fairfax County Public Schools,Ā Newport News Public Schools,Ā York County School Division,Ā Hampton City Schools, and more. Virginia magnet choices range from marine science to global studies and creative arts.
Virginia Private Schools
Families in Virginia can even consider private schools, nonpublic schools that charge tuition. Private schools may offer a unique curriculum, smaller class sizes, or a faith-based tradition. Virginiaās more thanĀ 1,030Ā private schools come in all shapes and forms, from religious schools to schools designed for children with special needs.
The average tuition for private schools in the state isĀ $15,802Ā for elementary schools andĀ $19,049Ā for high schools. In Virginia, aĀ state-run scholarship program is available to students with family incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level ($90,000 for a family of four in 2023-24) and students with special needs.Ā Also,Ā the federal government does allow parents to save for K-12 private school tuition usingĀ tax-preferred 529 savings accounts.Ā Currently,Ā 0.4% of all K-12 studentsĀ participate in a private school choice program in Virginia.
Learn more at theĀ Virginia Council for Private EducationĀ andĀ Private School Review: Virginia.
Virginia Online Learning
Also, donāt overlook online learning! It offers a uniquely flexible learning environment that meets a variety of family needs. Whether your child wants to accelerate his or her learning or needs a quieter environment in which to focus, you may be interested in giving virtual school a try.
Virginia students can enroll in free, full-time online learning throughĀ Virginia Virtual Academy.Ā Additionally, K-12 students may be able to take part-time or full-time online classes through their local school in partnership with the stateās virtual school,Ā Virtual Virginia. Tuition is usually covered by the public or private school in which the student is enrolled, or the parents if the student is homeschooled.
In some areas, districts have also developed their own part-time or full-time online school programs. These includeĀ Prince William County Public Schoolsā Virtual High School,Ā Fairfax County Public Schoolsā Online Campus,Ā Loudoun County Public Schoolsā supplemental online courses,Ā York County School Divisionās Virtual Academy,Ā Chesapeake Virtual Academy, andĀ Virginia Beach City Public Schoolsā Digital Campus.
Virginia students are actually required to take at least one online course or blended learning experience to graduate. To read more about online learning in Virginia, check out the Digital Learning Collaborativeās state profile.Opens PDF in new tab
Virginia Homeschooling
In all 50 states, families can also choose to homeschool, which allows for high levels of customized learning and flexibility. Homeschooling is the process of parents educating students at home. AboutĀ 57,000Ā (4.0%)Virginia students are currently homeschooling!
Homeschooling Requirements:
In Virginia, families have four legal options for homeschooling: the home instruction option, homeschooling with a religious exemption, homeschooling with a certified tutor, or homeschooling under a private school. If you choose the home instruction option, you must provide notice of your intent to homeschool by August 15 or as soon as you decide to homeschool. A unanimous Virginia Supreme Court decision in 2020 emphasized that this step is a simple notification rather than a request to the school board. This court decision also ruled that school boards cannot establish their own demands for homeschooling families.
The state does notĀ require homeschooling parents to teachĀ specific subjectsĀ but may require some amount ofĀ standardized testingĀ depending on the homeschool option chosen. In general, children who are homeschooled may face roadblocks if they want to participate in public school sports in Virginia. However, you can always look for other sports leagues or co-ops near you.
If you choose homeschooling, it is recommended that you formally withdraw from your public school so your student is not marked truant. If you decide to return to public school, your school will review your homeschool records and may administer tests for placement.
To learn more, you may wish to check out theĀ Home Educatorās Association of VirginiaĀ andĀ Home School Legal Defense Association ā Virginia.
Virginia Microschools and Mix-and-Match Learning
Today, many Virginia families are mixing and matching school options to come up with new ways to personalize education.Ā MicroschoolsĀ are one of these ways. A microschool refers to students gathering together in a small group ā with adult supervision ā to learn, explore, and socialize. Microschools can take a variety of shapes and legal forms, from homeschoolers coming together at an enrichment center to a private school committed to small classrooms. What microschools share in common is a distinct commitment to small-group learning, close-knit relationships, and an emphasis on children as individual learners.
Here are a few real examples of microschools and related resources in your state:
- The Grand Magnolia School, a microschool in Richmond, has a cohort-based learning model and 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio, allowing children to receive an extremely customized, intentional education.
- Cultural Roots Homeschool CooperativeĀ is a learning community with programming around the diverse cultural attributes, traditions, and histories of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.
- Solstice Hybrid AcademyĀ provides homeschool-style learning with personalized guidance and creative opportunities in Norfolk.
- Aquinas Learning, based out of Manassas, offers a classical homeschool curriculum that some families use together at Aquinas Learning centers, either in-person or virtual.
- Richmond Primary SchoolĀ is a private microschool located in Richmond that offers education for students from kindergarten to fifth grade.
- RISE Hybrid AcademyĀ evolved from a small community homeschool program to a nationally accredited, K-12th grade private school. The school offers on-site learning options as well as homeschool curriculum.
- Dream Tech AcademyĀ in Hopewell was founded to give children a more personalized learning opportunity through small-group classes. The small school also offers tutoring and summer camp opportunities.
- Path of Life LearningĀ is a modern, God-centered small-group learning center. K-2 students use a classical homeschool curriculum while families of older students can choose the online or homeschooling curriculum that works best for them.
- Schole Center for Innovative EducationĀ is a hybrid school located in Arlington that prioritizes hands-on experiences and exploration in learning.
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Prenda Microschools supports hundreds of microschools all over the United States, including Virginia, with the mission of empowering learners.
Remember, microschooling is more a mentality than a specific legal distinction in most cases. Often, a family participates in a microschool while legally homeschooling, or being enrolled in a private or online school.
Virginia Laboratory School
In 2023, the Governorās Office announced plans to develop more than a dozen public ālab schools.ā While not charter schools, these lab schools share some common features. Lab schools are educational institutions that offer unique and innovative learning opportunities to students ranging from preschool to grade 12.
Lab school programs can be specifically tailored to the needs of a particular community or student population. Some even being customized to meet the individual requirements of students with special educational needs, gifted students, or other specific student populations.
Enrollment in lab schools is open to Virginia residents, but admission is based on a lottery system and depends on availability. Therefore, interested families should apply well in advance of the academic year if they wish to enroll.
Virginia’s first lab school is CodeRVA Regional High School, which prepares students for computer science careers.
Learn more at the Virginia Department of Education.
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