Enrollment in Virginia public schools has seen a dramatic decline since the onset of the pandemic, and new census data suggests a shift from public to private school has driven some of the drop.
By the numbers: Statewide 15.7% of Virginia students attended private school in 2022, compared with 14.4% in 2019.
That translates into nearly 17,500 more students
Metro Richmond private school enrollment also jumped post-COVID, from 13.3% in 2019 to 13.5% in 2022.
Why it matters: Virginia's public school enrollment is projected to continue shrinking through the end of the decade, and at a rate faster than initially expected.
Zoom in: Home schooling has also surged in Virginia.