Not without a fight.
The first round of Hope scholarship dollars started going out across West Virginia last week, capping a pugilistic history that saw the school choice voucher enacted, overturned and then reinstated — after its backers took it to the state Supreme Court.
“Families are finally able to put the Hope scholarship to work for their children,” state Treasurer Riley Moore said.
Families and children were at the core of the early wrangling on both sides of the legislation.
When the legislation was enacted last spring, 3,000 families across the Mountain State qualified quickly.
Under the measure, a total of $4,300, the current school-aid formula for public students here, would be granted to those wishing to school their children elsewhere than the county district.
That includes private schools, faith-based schools, homeschooling — and charter schools, which are just now making their first inroads in West Virginia.
Going in, proponents said the legislation would give opportunities to families that wouldn’t have them otherwise.
Opponents, though, argued that public money would be used to pay for private education, which goes against the state Constitution.
Kanawha County Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit agreed when she overturned the Hope scholarship last July, saying then that it failed to provide “a thorough and efficient system of free schools” for all.
The state’s high court, however, overturned the lower court ruling this past November.
Supreme Court Tim Armistead said in the 49-page majority opinion that the scholarship can, indeed, coexist with the Constitution.
State-aid dollars are still there for the advancement of education, he said, no matter the delivery system.
The original qualifying families weren’t required to reapply for the scholarship, Moore said, even if some still needed to do some other paperwork.
Checks in the full amount were distributed last Friday to 1,610 students, the treasurer said.
Another 187 received pro-rated payments of varying amounts, depending on the point in the school when they transferred out of the public district.
Payments are pending for 466 accounts while officials work through their data entered into the West Virginia Education Information System.
Same for another 619 households yet to respond to a mandated questionnaire updating their child’s enrollment during the injunction period, Moore said.
“We appreciate the patience they have displayed as we continue to work through the litany of issues,” he said.
In the meantime current scholarship recipients can renew for the 2023-24 school year starting Feb. 15, Moore said.
First-time students can apply March 1.
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