Homeschool family looking 2 move to VA (Richmond, Roanoke: to rent, co-op, transfer)

[homeschoolingmommy]

Hello,
We have 4 kids and are planning a move to VA. We have no idea where..looking for suggestions. Schools are not important as we loving teach our kids at home. However to be near a home-school co-op would be important.
Where we currently live, our co-op has approx 200 kids and we meet for classes once a week. The co-op offers fun and important classes for ages 5-18. If we can find something similar in VA, that would be wonderful.
We are also looking to rent for our first year to make sure it's definitely the "right" area for use. Want to spend under $800/month if possible.
We want to be in an area where kids can safely play outside with neighbors, or can safely ride bikes on the street. Not an area too busy/lots of traffic. Also not too barren either-nothing to do, no neighbors in sight.
My husband is a residential/commercial painter & powerwasher and we are looking to transfer his company when we move. We would need to be within a 45 minute drive of a busier area, that could use his services. I do mural painting on the side to supplement my husband's business-don't know if there is a need for that in the country. (As long as he can find work-that's fine)
Any advice you can provide would be great!

[Imtoooldforthis]

Originally Posted by homeschoolingmommy

Hello,
We have 4 kids and are planning a move to VA. We have no idea where..looking for suggestions. Schools are not important as we loving teach our kids at home. However to be near a home-school co-op would be important.
Where we currently live, our co-op has approx 200 kids and we meet for classes once a week. The co-op offers fun and important classes for ages 5-18. If we can find something similar in VA, that would be wonderful.
We are also looking to rent for our first year to make sure it's definitely the "right" area for use. Want to spend under $800/month if possible.
We want to be in an area where kids can safely play outside with neighbors, or can safely ride bikes on the street. Not an area too busy/lots of traffic. Also not too barren either-nothing to do, no neighbors in sight.
My husband is a residential/commercial painter & powerwasher and we are looking to transfer his company when we move. We would need to be within a 45 minute drive of a busier area, that could use his services. I do mural painting on the side to supplement my husband's business-don't know if there is a need for that in the country. (As long as he can find work-that's fine)
Any advice you can provide would be great!

Virginia is a commonwealth, Which means residents are still treated like slaves.

Expect 60-70 percent of folks you come across civilian or not to crucify you for homeschooling your kids.

I'd choose an Urban area to settle in if I were you.

[kloop]

Welcome to Virginia! Virginia is a WONDERFUL state in which to homeschool--there are currently more than 30,000 homeschoolers here, and there are a LOT of resources and support available.

A homeschool graduate myself, I work with the Home Educators Association of Virginia, and would invite you to take advantage of the resources on our website, www.heav.org--you'll find a list of local homeschool groups/co-ops on the website arranged by county/city that might help you in choosing a home location. I'd also suggest signing up for the HEAV Virginia Homeschool Update, a weekly e-newsletter filled with cool sites, field trip ideas, and more. You should find the cool sites of interest even now, and the rest especially valuable once you settle in.

The yearly Virginia Homeschool Convention is coming up in June--it's a mega event with more than 10,000 participants. Don't know if you'll be in town by then, but if you are, I think you would definitely find it a blessing!

Anyhow, welcome!

Katherine

[Anders15]

Originally Posted by Imtoooldforthis

Virginia is a commonwealth, Which means residents are still treated like slaves.

Expect 60-70 percent of folks you come across civilian or not to crucify you for homeschooling your kids.

I'd choose an Urban area to settle in if I were you.

I have to agree with this. You're going to be looked at like you're crazy if you tell people you home school your kids here.

[homeschoolingmommy]

ok, that makes no sense..Aside from NJ, we were told that VA is the easiest to home school in. With over 30,000 homeschoolers in the state. Are you saying this because you are unfamiliar with homeschooling? With the way the public school system is going down the drain, almost everyone I know is a home-educating family. That doesn't mean we shelter our children and are religioous freaks..lol We're not Amish or Mormons..just looking to give our kids a great education...How could people look at that as crazy in VA, a mainly Christian state?

[coffeehousegrl]

I know quite a few homeschooling families( none of which are christian fundamentalists or anything like that) and am considering homeschooling mine in the fall when my daughter starts school. It's becoming increasingly popular among our friends and I have never seen any strange looks from others when told. My husband was homeschooled here 20 years ago and there was strong support then. It's only gotten more mainstream since. And I don't live in a big city. I live in Staunton. A small town in a rural area.

[winelover107]

We live in Williamsburg, VA where there are plenty of home-schooled kids. I was talking to one mother a few weeks ago who told me that there's a great support network and plenty of activities. I think that Colonial Williamsburg even offers home school activities/classes. No one here will think you're crazy!

[homeschoolingmommy]

thank you to all the home-school supporters. I am finding that pretty much anywhere I move to in the state, I'll be able to find home-schooling families

[RVAtoCNC]

Originally Posted by homeschoolingmommy

thank you to all the home-school supporters. I am finding that pretty much anywhere I move to in the state, I'll be able to find home-schooling families

Our daugher went to Christian school in Roanoke 8 - 12. There are so many home schoolers in the greater Ronaoke/Lynchburg/SW VA area, that they had their own sports teams, even varsity, that played other Christian and private schools in Central and Southwest Virginia.

You should have no problem

[onevthoki]

I have friends and family that homeschool in the Richmond and Fredericksburg areas. They belong to a group called Classical Conversations (one meets in Fredericksburg and the other goes to Midlothian) that they really like.