CHARLESTON – Speculation continues at the state capitol over the fate of a bill that would refine the Hope Scholarship, capping the annual payout and restricting the use of funds to families seeking education opportunities outside the public school system.
The bill was first introduced on February 18 in the House Finance Committee and was met with passionate opposition from families who receive the Hope Scholarship and special interest groups that support school choice.
Jason Huffman, State Director for American For Prosperity, said on Metronews Talkline the goal of the Hope Scholarship is to provide families with educational opportunities and flexibility that are not available within the public education system. He believes the bill, as proposed in the Finance Committee, undermines those objectives.
“It takes away the flexibility of the Hope Scholarship board to be able to bring in new and emerging ideas and educational pathways without having to come back to get something put in code,” said Huffman.
Huffman also expressed concerns about testing requirements that could negatively impact special needs students. This bill bumps up the requirements for student assessments to maintain eligibility.
Students in an Individualized Instruction Program must provide annual confirmation that they have either:
- taken a nationally normed standardized achievement test in reading, language, and mathematics (plus science and social studies if available for their grade level)
- taken the comprehensive statewide student growth assessments that are required for public school students
- or undergone a certified teacher review of their academic work
“I know that lawmakers are concerned about the cost, but quite frankly, once we get through this automatic expansion to all school-age children, I don’t think there’s going to be continuing ballooning costs unless there are a tremendous number of people who move to our state,” said Huffman.
Since the rollout, the bill has appeared multiple times on the House Finance Committee agenda, but is yet to be taken up again by the committee. Committee Chairman Vernon Criss said during his committee’s meeting on Wednesday that he expected the bill would come before the committee on Thursday.
Work has reportedly been going on behind the scenes since the bill’s rollout to both address the concerns of Hope Scholarship families and the concerns of other members of the House of Delegates. The bill that is presented to the House Finance Committee could include several changes, such as removing the cap on annual payouts as well as restrictions on how and where funding is spent.
“Every child deserves access to the right education for them, regardless of their income or their zip code,” said Huffman.
Changes to distribute funds on a quarterly basis rather than twice a year will reportedly remain in the bill.
The House Finance Committee meets on Thursday morning.