DANVILLE, Va. (AP) - The number of home-schooled students in Virginia is rising.
The Danville Register & Bee reported Tuesday that the state's home-schooled population saw a 12 percent increase in the last five years.
There were nearly 39,000 home-schooled students during 2013-14 school year. That's compared to about 43,500 students last school year.
Scott Woodruff, a lawyer for the Home School Legal Defense Association, said a few factors are at play.
There has been a relaxation in state regulations as well as an increase in the amount of quality and affordable academic materials that are available.
He added that parents who aren't strongly motivated by religion have also become more comfortable switching to home schooling. It's become a more mainstream form of education.
