Virginia’s Triennial Census - How Applied Demography Resulted in Public Policy Change

Susan Clapp, University of Virginia

In 2008, the Weldon Cooper Center at UVa undertook a study of Virginia’s Triennial Census of school-age children. The Triennial Census was required by law and was conducted by school divisions. The resulting counts of school division residents ages 5-19 determined each district’s appropriation of state sales and use tax for public education. The study by the Cooper Center identified major problems related to the methodology of the triennial census and the accuracy of the counts. The Cooper Center shared report findings with Virginia state legislators, school divisions, and policy makers. Our work, along with the work of many others, resulted in a change to the Code of Virginia. The law now commissions the Cooper Center to produce yearly estimates of the school-age population for Virginia. These estimates constitute a significant improvement over the accuracy and timeliness of the former triennial census, and save Virginia’s school divisions millions of dollars.