Enrollment in Virginia public schools dropped again this fall and is down more than 46,000 students since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The official headcount of students statewide plunged from 1,298,083 in fall 2019 to 1,252,756 in fall 2020 — and then dipped again to 1,251,970 this fall, according to data posted online by the Virginia Department of Education.

That means the state’s public schools have 3.6 percent fewer students now than before COVID-19 hit. … [My article for Virginia Mercury]