Virginia
State Government
Governor
Glenn Youngkin (R)
State Senate
21
Democrats,
19
Republicans
State House
49
Democrats,
51
Republicans
Economic well-being - Virginia
Extreme poverty rate
0.06
Food insecurity
0.121
Minimum wage
12.4
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.241
Poverty rate
9.7%
Unemployment rate
3.6
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
6.9
Poverty by demographic - Virginia
Child poverty rate
0.12
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
18000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
164000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
121000
Senior poverty rate
9.5 %
Women in poverty
4,360,482
The Roanoke Times, February 18, 2012: Senate approves bill to help needy students attend private school
"Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling's tie-breaking vote enabled Republicans to deliver a legislative victory to Gov. Bob McDonnell on Friday, as the Virginia Senate passed legislation to award tax credits for contributions to private school scholarships for needy students."
The Virginian-Pilot, February 2, 2012: (Editorial) Expand school choice in Virginia
"Imagine a law that would enable low-income, academically at-risk children to receive improved educational opportunities, save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars a year and improve public schools."
Hampton Roads, October 21, 2011: Virginia won't seek federal pre-K funding
"The competition is aimed at ensuring children - especially those with disabilities or other challenges - are prepared for kindergarten. Grants range from $50 million to $100 million. Virginia was eligible for as much as $60 million."
The Washington Post, October 6, 2011: Fairfax charter school an impossible dream?
"Welcome to Fantasyland. Eric Welch just sent me a detailed plan for a public charter school in Fairfax County. He and several other people on the board of what they call the Fairfax Leadership Academy say they want to help low-income families with a school unlike any that local students have had before."
The Washington Post, September 6, 2011: Bullying tied to lower test scores in Va. high schools
"Test performance is influenced by many factors, and researchers controlled for characteristics such as school size, student poverty, race and ethnicity. Cornell said that in many instances, the level of bullying in a school mattered as much as poverty."