by Michael Leppert
The West Virginia Homeschooling atmosphere is growing, as the general state population shrinks. More people are leaving the state than entering, which means that the public school system is under siege. Estimates in 2024 from the State Superintendent and the West Virginia Home Educators Association, register that there are approximately 24,000 to 25,000 homeschooled students in the state.
The legal requirements for homeschoolers are broad and reasonable: Filing the One-time Notice of Intent with the county superintendent; parents possessing an 8th grade diploma or higher education degree; required subjects reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies; assessments for Grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 only; no immunization requirement.
Of course, homeschooling is not growing simply because public schools are diminishing, but because it provides a much better delivery of knowledge to children of all ages.
WV homeschooling parents have voiced the same beliefs that conscientious parents nationwide express: Parents know their children best and, given the flexibility of home teaching, can provide concentrated one-on-one academic instruction in a few hours per week. In addition, the absorption of knowledge in these households never stops. This gives homeschooled students a leg up in many fields of endeavor.
As proof, the SAT reports that homeschooled students score an average of 130 points higher than non-homeschoolers. This is a reflection of the power of a household where “learning” is not in a little box to open every day for a time and then close. Homeschooling families typically encourage curiosity and nurture the finding of answers to questions their children develop through being curious. It is good to know that despite the decrease of general population, homeschooling is alive and well in West Virginia and the U.S.
