RICHMOND — The homeschooling population has been back on the rise in Virginia for the past two school years.

The number of students receiving an education at home increased last school year by 4.3%, according to the Virginia Department of Education . The year before saw an almost 6% increase.

Last year, just over 56,000 students received their education at home. That is compared to nearly 1.3 million full-time students enrolled in the state’s public schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an almost 56% spike in the number of students who were homeschooled during the 2020-21 school year. The next two school years saw a drop.

When looked at over a 20-year period that starts with the 2004-05 school year, the number of homeschooled students grew by 221% in Virginia.

The top reasons for

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