LUNENBURG COUNTY, Va. — The number of families choosing to homeschool their children in Virginia is increasing, with nearly 63,000 students learning from home during the 2024-25 school year, according to a report from the Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV).
"Homeschooling allows you to tailor it for each child as they as they need it," explained Shannon Lewis, a Lunenburg County resident.
Lewis has been teaching her four children at home for more than two decades, beginning at a time when homeschooling was much less common in her area.
"22 years ago, there were no other people in Lunenburg that I knew there were homeschooling," she said. "The internet was around, but it wasn't what it is today."
The Lewis family initially chose homeschooling for religious reasons when their oldest son would have started kindergarten and has continued this educational path for all four children.
"What works for one does not always work for the other, which is part of the beauty of homeschooling," said Lewis.
Meaghan Montana, a Mecklenburg County mother, shares similar sentiments after teaching her son second grade at home for the past year.
"He did very well this year, perfect attendance, very good with math," explained Montana. "His reading scores came up. He basically caught up with the other kids, where he was lacking when he was in the school environment."
Montana's decision to leave the public school system stemmed from her son's diagnosed disabilities and being held back. She explored alternative school options before deciding on homeschooling.
"It really works for him, and I think a lot of kids that have hyperactivity and disabilities and stuff they should be able to try to do homeschool," she said. "It's really important to accommodate for your children."
The trend extends beyond Virginia.
Nationwide, homeschooling grew from 3.7 million students in 2023 to 4.3 million in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Homeschooling has only been legal in Virginia for less than 50 years.
Families didn't have the choice to educate their children at home until the law allowing for religious exemption changed in 1976.
"It's pretty cool to think that actually in Nottoway County is where the first person fought the home school law," said Mary Childress, a longtime Nottoway resident.
Childress' relatives chose to homeschool for religious reasons in the 1940s and were convicted by a local judge and eventually the Virginia Supreme Court for not sending their children to public school.
"I think they were fined $5 in 1948," explained Childress. "There's a schoolhouse that is located right now at the end of my family farm where my I've always lived. My dad remembers going to the school house, and so they sort of set the precedent for homeschooling to be able to happen because of religious reasons."
When the law changed, her family's story was mentioned as one of the first to pave the way for educational freedom.
Childress and most of her family members have chosen public schools for their children, but she appreciates that her family helped make homeschooling available for others like Lewis and Montana.
"The best way they can get their education is the best way that they can do it, and it works for them," said Montana.
Lewis also noted that homeschooling offers various curriculum choices and social opportunities, including a homeschool volleyball league. She emphasized that homeschooling hasn't been a barrier to higher education, with two of her sons already attending college.
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