Frequently Asked Questions

1.    Q:  What is the school census?

A:  The school census is a statewide count of all children ages 4-19 born on or between January 1, 1989 and December 31, 2003.  All local school divisions in the Commonwealth of Virginia are required to conduct the census and report a summary count to the state.  This census count is valid for three years, and is used in computing the local share of state monies set aside for education.

2.    Q:  What is the purpose of the census?

A:  The state legislature has reserved a portion of the state sales tax for education, and each school division gets a share of this revenue.  Chesapeake 's share of this revenue is determined directly by the number of children identified in this census. Based on the last census count, it is anticipated that approximately $810 a year, for the next three years, will be paid to Chesapeake Public Schools by the state for each person identified in the 2008 census count in Chesapeake .  The $810 a year for each person counted in the census (or $42.5 million/year) can help ease the local tax burden.  You, as a taxpayer, will benefit from an accurate census count.

3.    Q:  What is the money used for?

A:  The money is applied directly toward the operating costs of the school system, such as teacher salaries, teaching materials, and building maintenance.

4.    Q:  Why is the census important to me?

A:  The more children we identify as living in Chesapeake , the larger Chesapeake ’s share of the state sales tax monies will be.  The more Chesapeake gets back from the state sales tax monies, the less the citizens of Chesapeake have to contribute in local tax dollars. 

5.    Q:  My children are in private school.  Why should I respond to the census?

A:  Even if your children are not in the public schools, you do pay taxes.  The more we can increase Chesapeake 's share of the state sales tax monies, the less we need to ask the citizens of Chesapeake to provide in local tax support.  We can increase Chesapeake 's share of the state sales tax monies by identifying as many children as possible.  If we do not include all our Chesapeake children, the money we could have received from the state will simply be given to another locality such as Virginia Beach , Richmond , or Fairfax.

6.    Q:  I do not have any children.  Why do I need to participate?

A:  In order to have an accurate census, Chesapeake Public Schools must receive a response from each household within the city, including those households with no children.  Otherwise, we will not know if our count is truly accurate.  As an example, the school division wouldn’t know you don’t have children in that age range unless you tell them.

7.    Q:  Who should be counted?

A:  Any child born between January 1, 1989 and December 31, 2003, even if the child has not started school, or is in day care, or is in private school, or is home schooled, or is in college, or has dropped out of school, or is in a school for special students such as the Virginia School for the Blind, or is in state custody (Tidewater Detention Home, Beaumont Reform School, etc.), or is married but still lives in their parents’ home, or is in the military but their legal residence is their parents’ home.

8.    Q:  How will the school system benefit from my participation?

A:  Your participation will help ensure that Chesapeake receives it’s fair and equitable share of state money set aside for the local school divisions.  Every eligible child that we count adds to our share of these monies.  Even if you do not have children, your participation will help us ensure that we have done a thorough job of contacting every household in the city. 

9.    Q:  What if I have already responded to the census?

A:  We are making a concentrated effort to reach every household through public schools, private schools, direct mailings, and census enumerators. Some occasional overlap may occur, and we apologize for the inconvenience.

10.   Q:  Is this the same census the federal government does?

A:  No.  The federal government conducts a census every ten years, most recently completed in 2000.  The school census is required by the state every three years and determines the amount of funding provided to the local school division.

11.   Q:  What is the time frame for the census?

A:  The 2008 Virginia School Census began January 1, 2008 and continues through July 15, 2008.  Responses received after July 15^th cannot be counted.

12.   Q:  How will this information be used?

A:  The information you provide is confidential and will be used by Chesapeake Public Schools for statistical purposes only.  Total counts will be reported to the state as group numbers (2,400 six-year-olds, 2,450 seven-year-olds, etc.).  We do not sell or give out any information.

 13.   Q.  How can I contact my state representatives regarding the school census?

A.  You can contact your state legislator either by phone or email. The phone number for the Clerk of the House is 804-698-1619 and for the Clerk of the Senate is 804-698-7400. They should be able to direct your call.  If you want to check the Virginia Assembly home page on the Internet and find out who your legislators are, the address is http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

For further information regarding the 2008 Virginia School Census, please contact our office at 547-0580.