CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – There are more concerns that West Virginia’s school closures and consolidations aren’t over yet.
The issue will likely take center stage when the Legislature convenes in February. Many people blame a particular program.
So far this year in West Virginia, school boards have voted to close or consolidate eight schools, and Nicholas County just increased that number to 11 on Monday night. But the state school board says the number could rise to 26.
The West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy blames the introduction of Hope Scholarships, where families can reclaim education tax dollars and pay for private education. While conservatives favor choice, critics say the scholarships have already taken an estimated $50 million away from public schools.
“Pull public money out of the public school system and send it to private schools or other educational alternatives. So it’s very concerning what you’re seeing now, but it’s critical to know, Mark, that if the Legislature doesn’t do something to curb this.” “It’s going to get a lot worse,” said Seth DiStefano of the WV Center on Budget & Policy.
“I have no regrets at all about supporting Choice and the Hope Scholarship and so on and so on and so forth,” said West Virginia Governor Jim Justice on November 1, 2024.
Critics say the Legislature and Gov.-elect Patrick Morrisey will need to address the funding deficit when the legislative session begins in February. But Morrisey and the Republican supermajority are strongly in favor of keeping the Hope scholarships.
In fact, Patrick Morrisey’s office as attorney general defended the constitutionality of the Hope scholarships in the state Supreme Court and won.
