Homeschooling nearly doubles since 2014

State figures released: Very few RCPS students are drop outs

Homeschooling in Rappahannock County has nearly doubled from 2014 to 2019 — from 34 to 62 students, a jump of 82 percent.

Meanwhile, of the students who do attend public schools in Rappahannock very few are drop outs, according to new figures.

An estimated 7 percent of the county’s student-age population are now learning their lessons in a home setting, according to new statistics from the Virginia Department of Education.

Given the uniqueness of education in Rappahannock County, where unlike much of Virginia the student population is declining, how much of a concern is it to the school district, which relies heavily on state funds, that more students are being homeschooled? We put that question in recent days to Dr. Shannon Grimsley, superintendent of Rappahannock County Public Schools.

“Am I concerned about declining enrollment? Of course,” she replied. “We've come a long way with increasing services and programs to our students and families and that is very hard when you have to make cuts based on enrollment while the state funding formulas continuously hit rural districts at inequitable proportions.

“At the same time, we truly respect parents' rights to provide the type of education that makes the most sense for their children and their family. We are very fortunate to serve a community that truly values the education and well-being of its youth and families. I have no doubt that creative solutions will continue to be discussed as we grapple with new challenges as a county.”

Right now, Dr. Grimsley said the RCPS enrollment hovers right around 800 — PreK-12.

“Once we receive numbers from our student record collection reports from the state, that gives us a better picture of how many students we serve, regardless of enrollment and ADM [average daily membership] — i.e. foster, outplaced students, alternative ed., etc.,” she stressed.

Dr. Grimsley pointed out that “homeschool numbers are climbing here and throughout the state as internet access and fully accredited programs become readily available. It was collectively indicated on a recent homeschool survey we gave last year that the choice to homeschool in Rappahannock had very little to do with public school or public education, but much more to do with personal family values, faith, or the desire to provide alternative curriculum.

“We, of course, will continue to reach out and invite our homeschool families to certain events as well as maintain our connection with them through the annual homeschool application process,” she said. “I presume the uptick in recent school tragedies and mental health concerns contribute to this, but I do not have clear data to support this assumption.”

In addition, Dr. Grimsley compared Rappahannock with other school districts in the state between 2014 and 2018 and it “looks as though all districts averaged an increase of about 32 more homeschool students. If you look at the data of the surrounding counties as well as other rural districts, it appears to be a common trend.”

DROP OUT NUMBERS

Rappahannock County Public Schools can be proud for having an extremely low student dropout rate.

In the just concluded 2018-19 school year, RCPS had a graduation rate of 94.8 percent, with a coinciding dropout rate of only 1.3 percent, according to new data from the Virginia Department of Education.

While the county’s graduation rate isn’t quite as impressive as three similar small rural Virginia school districts, which experienced 100 percent graduation rates this year, it is the polar opposite of the nearby City of Manassas, which had among the state’s lowest graduation rates of 77.9 percent, with a 15.7 percent dropout rate.

For comparison, Madison County in 2019 had a 3.1 percent dropout rate, Culpeper 7.8 percent, Fauquier 2.4 percent, and Warren 2.8 percent.

Page County, meanwhile, graduated an impressive 99.6 percent of its student body in 2018, with only a 0.4 percent dropout rate. That number fell a bit this year to 96.8 percent graduating, with 1.1 percent dropout rate.