1. I’ve lost my census form. How can I send you my information?
Please send us an e-mail and we will help you complete your census form.

2. I will be living in Virginia Beach for just one more month. Should I still complete the census form?
Yes. If you are a Virginia Beach resident anytime from January 1, 2008 through July 15, 2008, a census form is required for your address.

3. How can I be sure you won’t “sell” my information to a company or a government agency?
Census information is not shared with marketers or any government agency such as, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Immigration, free and reduced lunch programs, or any other agency. The only information that is submitted to the state is the total number of children, ages 5-19, in Virginia Beach. No names are submitted on our census report.

4. I received two census forms. What do I do?
Just complete and submit one form. You may discard the additional form. Provisions have been made in the system to prevent duplicate counts for the same child.

5. I am moving into the area shortly. May I submit a census form?
If you are a resident of Virginia Beach anytime between January 1, 2008 and July 15, 2008, you may submit a 2008 Virginia School Census form.

6. Why do I have to submit a census form? My children are in private school. How does this census benefit my family?
A complete and accurate census benefits EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY. How? By completing a census form, you, as a taxpayer, ensure that the proper entitlement of state sales tax revenue goes to Virginia Beach. As a Virginia Beach resident, you contribute to the sales tax revenue and your community is entitled to its fair share of that revenue in return, for education.

7. Why do you need to ask for my children’s dates of birth?
The 2008 Virginia School Census form requests minimal information while obtaining the necessary data required to apply for state funding. Dates of birth are requested in order to insure those children listed on the census form meet the 5-19 age requirement and date of birth data is a further assurance that duplicate children cannot be counted in error.

8. May anyone in my household complete the census form?
Yes. Any responsible adult may complete and submit the census form on behalf of the household.

9. What happens if I don’t submit a census form?
If you do not respond to the census, additional mailings to your address will be necessary. This is an additional expense to you, the taxpayer. If you do not respond to the mailings, census takers will be sent to your address to interview you for census information. These additional methods-follow-up mailings and census taker visits- are a very costly and are an unnecessary additional expense to you, the taxpayer.We are required, by law, to conduct this census.

10. I am a senior citizen. It seems a waste of taxpayer money to send everyone in the city a census form. Why do you mail a form to everyone in the city?
Forms are sent to each address because we cannot know if a child resides at an address unless we send a form to verify this. Certain senior complex addresses such as Westminster Canterbury, which has its own zip code, are exempt from our mailing, as we already know no children reside in that complex.

11. I have a post office box and a mailing address. I received a census form for each location. What should I do?
While every effort to eliminate duplicate mailings has been made, duplicate mailings may occur in isolated instances. Just discard the duplicate mailing and submit one census form.

12. My ex-wife and I both live in Virginia Beach? Who submits the names of our children on the census form?
Either of you may submit the info. It doesn’t matter who has custody, visitation, IRS deduction, etc. If both parents submit the children’s names, duplicates will be extracted from the final count prior to submitting a final report to the State in August.

13. Why do you need to have this information?
One and one-eighth percent of state sales tax is earmarked for education. The portion of that state total that comes to Virginia Beach is relative to the number of children ages 5-19 we count in the census. This census total stands for three years, when another Virginia School Census will be conducted. We are mandated by the state to conduct this census.

14. I just “uncovered” my census form under a stack of mail and the deadline has passed. Should I still submit the census form even though the deadline has passed?
Yes! Please submit the form as soon as you “uncover” it! Hopefully, the timing of the second mailing will exclude your address in its universe.

15. What will happen to me if I refuse to provide the information?
Refusing to provide census information benefits no one. In fact, when you do not submit census information, revenue that Virginia Beach is legally entitled to, gets diverted to other cities in Virginia. Good schools -- be they public, private, or home-school -- benefit all Virginia Beach residents. It is Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ legal obligation to provide an education to all children, some who come to us with very complex and intense educational, physical, and emotional needs and disabilities. Our doors are open to every child. Through the accuracy of this census, we are able to secure funding for our students.  Good schools make good communities – creating brighter futures for everyone!

16. Why does the return envelope have a Norfolk post office box if this is a Virginia Beach School Census?
The Norfolk post office box is a main postal hub, which provides efficiency to process the hundreds of thousands of forms that are received.
 
17. My children attend public school. Virginia Beach City Public Schools already has my information.  Why can’t you just save the postage and use that information?
The scope of the census includes ALL children ages 5-19. The school division has no way of knowing whether any other children in your household within this age group do not attend public schools unless we ask. For instance, if one of your children is 19 and in the military and one is 10 years-old and home-schooled and two of your children are in public school, we would need information that includes ALL of your children ages 5-19.

18. I sent in a response to the first mailing of the census that was due on March 31. It is now April and I just received a second mailing! Why are you wasting money to send me a second request?
Unfortunately, on rare occasions, responses may cross in the U.S. mail while a second mailing may be en route to your home. We apologize for this inconvenience. You may discard the second mailing if you responded to the first, which was due by March 31.

19. I’d like further information about the census. Who can help me?
Please direct your questions to Mrs. Fran Thomas, Census Coordinator, at 757.263.1163, or by e-mail at census@vbschools.com.