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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022 | SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Home schooling spikes during pandemic Jordyn Brown Eugene Register-Guard | USA TODAY NETWORK When the pandemic closed schools in March 2020, it also created a wave of change upending the education system. It forced people to bring learning home beyond regular homework and work- sheets, and for some, reevaluate what they wanted for their children entirely. For the past five years, more Oregon families have been turning to this op- tion, especially since the pandemic be- gan. “There’s just a huge, huge growth in home schooling,” Rosalyn Newhouse, president of the Oregon Home Educa- tion Network board, said. “Now that we are seeing a return to in-person school, there are still challenges with the pan- demic. We probably all know schools that have had to take a two-week break because of an outbreak or difficulties with protocols. “There are parents who said, ‘You know, home school really worked for us, we’re just going to keep doing it,’ “ she said. “There’s a big change in our educa- tional methodology because people have been exposed to home schooling in ways that they hadn’t been before.” Growth by the numbers Home schooling has been gaining popularity nationally for decades. Between 1999 and 2016, the number of home-schooled students doubled in the U.S., according to the National Cen- ter for Education Statistics. In 2016, nearly 1.7 million students were home- schooled, making up 3% of all students, according to the center’s most-recent data that was released in 2019, pre-pan- demic. OU T B R E A K E X H A U S T I O N O r e g o n c a r e f a c i l i t y r e s i d e n t s e n d u r e r e p e a t e d fl fla ar e s o f C O V I D - 1 9 c a s e s The pandemic only accelerated this growth — interest in home schooling has jumped significantly. In April 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau found 5.4% of U.S. households with school-aged children reported home schooling, and by fall 2020, 11.1% of households with school-age children reported home schooling. The calcula- tions represent true home schooling families and do not include distance learning. “That change represents an increase See HOME SCHOOL, Page 3A How hot is Mid-Valley real estate market? Sean Lahman USA TODAY NETWORK Home values in Marion and Polk counties have spiked over the past couple of years. The median sales price for a single-family home in Marion County during October was $381,900. That’s an increase of 12% compared with October 2020, according to a USA TODAY Network localized analysis generated with data from Realtor.com. The number of houses sold rose by 5.1% from a year earlier. A total of 496 houses were sold coun- tywide during October. During the same period a year earlier, 472 single-family homes were sold. Home prices in Polk County have risen even higher. The median sales price for a single-family home in Polk County during October was $392,000, an increase of 14.6% compared with October 2020. The number of houses sold fell by 8.5%. A total of 119 houses were sold countywide in October. During the same period a year earlier, 130 single- family homes were sold. Real estate sales can take weeks or months to be recorded and collected. This is the latest data made available through Realtor.com to the USA TODAY Network. How hot is the real estate market? Claire Withycombe Salem Statesman Journal | USA TODAY NETWORK N orma Cochran understood early on that COVID-19 was going to be a problem. h Cochran, 88, a retired nurse, had lived at Capital Manor Re- tirement Community in West Salem for more than seven years when she first started reading in the newspaper about the new coronavirus. h The news reminded her of the polio epidemic, a threat throughout her childhood. h “Being a nurse, I thought, ‘This is not good,’” Cochran said. “And I didn’t think people really See OUTBREAKS, Page 4A were paying attention to it at first.” Information on your local housing markets is available through the USA TODAY Network, with more data from Realtor.com. The top 10% of the properties sold in Marion County had prices of at least $595,000, up 6.2% from a year before, and in Polk County had prices of at least $575,000, up 11.7%. In October, five Marion County properties sold for $1 million or more: four single-family homes and one condominium or townhome. The median home sale price — the midway point of all the houses or units sold over a period of time — is used in this report instead of the av- erage home sale price because experts say the median offers a more accurate view of what’s happening in a market. In finding the average price, all prices of homes sold are added and then divided by the number of homes sold. This mea- sure can be skewed by one low or high price. The USA TODAY Network is publishing local- ized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Realtor- .com. The story was written by Sean Lahman. Norma Cochran, a resident of Capital Manor and retired public health nurse, spends time at her home at the independent living facility in West Salem. Capital Manor has experienced seven separate outbreaks during the COVID-19 pandemic. ABIGAIL DOLLINS/ STATESMAN JOURNAL Oregon to get $200M for broadband Connor Radnovich Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Over the nearly two years since the pandemic be- gan, a lack of broadband internet access has hampered many Oregonians from participating fully in a more virtual world. Lack of high-speed access has meant challenges working remotely, helping children keep up with virtu- al classes, and even connecting with friends and fam- ily. Oregon officials for years have promised to work to- wards improvement. Proponents say their latest leg- islative proposal on this issue will allow the state to take advantage of millions in federal funds for the construction of a comprehensive broadband net- work. House Bill 4092 is a bipartisan, bicameral bill with broad support from interest groups, including the Oregon Telecommunications Association, Oregon Health and Science University, Oregon Rural Health Association, Oregon Library Association and League of Oregon Cities. See BROADBAND, Page 4A Vol. 141, No. 8 Online at SilvertonAppeal.com News updates: h Breaking news h Get updates from the Silverton area Photos: h Photo galleries Serving the Silverton Area Since 1880 A Unique Edition of the Statesman Journal ©2022 50 cents Printed on recycled paper QEAJAB-07403y Several sold and for sale signs line the streets of a new housing development Salem. ABIGAIL DOLLINS / STATESMAN JOURNAL
