CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – After weeks of fierce public debate involving several West Virginia government branches and officials, the state’s House Finance Committee passed a singular proposed change to the HOPE Scholarship.
The HOPE Scholarship is the state’s school voucher program, which allows parents to spend state money on non-public school education expenses, such as private school tuition, homeschooling, and tutoring. In the coming year, it will open up to all West Virginia families.
The only proposed change moving forward is putting the scholarship money payouts on a quarterly schedule, whereas currently, they’re paid out twice a year.
Lawmakers don’t expect the change to have a significant effect on families – they will still get the same amount of money in total – but they say it will help ease the strain on the state budget.
Several previously proposed changes were left out of the bill that passed Thursday. Those proposals included:
- Changing the annual scholarship amount to a flat $5,250, rather than it being based on state school aid
- Requiring a participating school to be located in West Virginia
- Eliminating certain expenses from being paid for using the scholarship, including: tutoring services; fees for advanced placement examinations, college admission, and after school or summer education programs; and instruments of equipment for music classes
Those changes drew sharp criticism from across West Virginia. Parents and their children packed the hearing room when the changes were on the agenda to protest, holding signs reading “I am HOPE.”
“[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 at the time. “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.”
House Finance Vice Chair Clay Riley (R-Harrison) said the pared-down version of the bill is a reflection of the House hearing system working the way it should.
“It’s important that we have the opportunity to get feedback, from not only from committee members, but other delegates, but the 1.8 million citizens of the state of West Virginia – because that’s who we all represent,” Riley said in the hearing Thursday.
State Treasurer Larry Pack, who administers the scholarship, applauded the decision to put aside the changes.
“We appreciate Chairman [Vernon] Criss’s decision on reconsidering changes that were previously introduced to the Hope Scholarship Program,” Pack wrote in a statement. “We understand the need to thoroughly examine all government initiatives and look forward to having future conversations with the leadership of both Houses on this program. The Hope Scholarship has had a tremendous impact on thousands of students in West Virginia. We want to ensure the longevity of the program for years to come.”
Criss previously told WSAZ the original proposals were made “so in the long term the program can survive.”
Del. Sean Hornbuckle (D-Cabell) and Del. John Williams (D-Monongalia) both proposed amendments to the new bill Thursday, such as policies that ensured less wealthy people got more from the scholarship and making it so brick-and-mortar schools had to be in-state to be eligible for the fund. These amendments, they said, were in an attempt to add guardrails to the scholarship.
“I would also caution the body that by not addressing a responsible guardrail system in regards to the HOPE scholarship program is simply irresponsible,” Hornbuckle said to the committee, after saying he supported the bill.
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