On a five-acre homestead in Rappahannock County, about 20 minutes from Shenandoah National Park, Le Niza Arellano’s three children begin their school day by feeding the family’s pigs and chickens before opening their math books. Five years ago, Arellano never imagined she would be homeschooling. More than 66,000 of Virginia’s K-12 students are now educated at home — nearly 50% more than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to state data. Unlike many pandemic-era disruptions, the growth has held. Arellano’s family was living in Maryland when the pandemic hit and schools shifted to virtual learning. With three children sharing one working device, virtual learning quickly became...
