CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – In a packed House Finance Committee room Friday morning, the committee adjourned before discussing the proposed changes to the HOPE Scholarship on the agenda.
Upon adjournment, parents in attendance – some of whom were sitting on the floor with their children – vocalized their irritations.
“We’re paying attention and we’re here,” one said. “You can’t ignore us.”
“We’ll be back and we’ll come with more families,” said another.
The HOPE Scholarship is an education savings account program that allows parents to spend state dollars on non-public school expenses.
Some of the proposed changes include making the scholarship a flat $5,250 – rather than it based on school aid – and preventing the money from being used to pay for out-of-state schools and other expenses like tutoring.
House Finance Committee Chairman Vernon Criss (R-Wood) previously told WSAZ the changes were proposed in an effort to keep West Virginia tax dollars in the state.
Criss told reporters Friday he pulled the proposed changes from the agenda because they aren’t ready yet.
“One of the things that we’re trying to do here is bring in line the things that we want to provide through HOPE Scholarship so in the long term that the program can survive,” he said.
House Finance Vice Chairman Clay Riley (R-Harrison) said taking items off of agendas is common.
“It’s very common for agendas to be fluid,” he told reporters. “One of the things in the process that we have in the House is we have a committee hearing so that we can get the information out there, we can get feedback from committee members, we can get feedback from the rest of our colleagues in the House, [and] we can get feedback from the 1.8 million citizens of the state of West Virginia. So it’s not uncommon that agendas are changed and adjusted as feedback comes in.”
Members of the public expressed their frustrations, both about the proposed changes and the delayed discussions.
“[The changes] are extremely detrimental to our kids and many other special needs kids that are in the state,” Katie Switzer, a Cabell County parent, said. “Most of the families using HOPE are just trying to do the best for their kids. They have had problems in their local public school, or it’s just not a good fit for their family. And they’re trying to do right by their children.”
Switzer told WSAZ that public schools weren’t providing the care that her children with special needs required.
“[HOPE] gives us the flexibility and the funding to pay for those interventions that the public schools just can’t. It’s too much for them,” she said. “So it’s been amazing for our kids. They’re getting caught up.”
Dr. Jaimee Szymanski, a speech therapist for kids with dyslexia, said she drove from Weirton to see the proceedings because she’s worried about her patients.
“I’m really disappointed it didn’t run today. It hurts my heart, she told WSAZ. “As long as I don’t have clients, I’m going to be here.”
The change Szymanski is most concerned about, she explained, is one that would no longer allow the funding to be used to pay for tutoring, like the service she provides.
“Unfortunately, the public schools are not equipped to handle dyslexia,” she told WSAZ. “Kids with dyslexia need a minimum of two hours of one-on-one tutoring a week. And that’s not possible. With the HOPE Scholarship – which is money they would already be giving if they were in the public school -they are able to get this money.”
The changes have come under scrutiny from public officials in other parts of the West Virginia government, including Treasurer Larry Pack – who administers the program – and Sen. Patricia Rucker (R-Jefferson) – who introduced the original piece of legislation that began the Scholarship.
Criss said the Committee will continue receiving feedback before restarting deliberations at a later date.
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