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LET’S MAKE SOME (MORE) NOISE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION!

The House Finance Committee has originated a bill, HB Org: Hope Scholarship, that calls for a cap and sensible guardrails on the Hope Scholarship voucher program.

Status: The House Finance Committee was expected to take up the bill on Friday, but a vote was delayed while lawmakers continue tweaking the bill. The bill is on the House Finance Committee agenda Monday, Feb. 23, at 9 am.

Please take a minute to contact your Delegate and members of the House Finance Committee and urge them to support this legislation.

The Hope Scholarship is diverting public taxpayer dollars from public schools, leading to school closures and staffing/program cuts, and preventing the state from fulfilling its responsibilities to provide an equitable, quality public education for all students.

LWVWV believes that all schools should be accountable for ensuring our kids receive an adequate education. A quality public education is essential for a strong, viable, and sustainable democratic society and is a civil right.

The West Virginia legislature should be prioritizing funding for public schools and not diverting limited funds to charter schools!

ACTION: Contact your Delegate and House Finance Committee members you support the proposed cap and guardrails on the Hope Scholarship program.

Find your Delegate here: https://fastdemocracy.com/find-your-legislators/

Email list for members of the House Finance Committee:

bill.anderson@wvhouse.gov, trenton.barnhart@wvhouse.gov, jarred.cannon@wvhouse.gov, ray.canterbury@wvhouse.gov, roy.cooper@wvhouse.gov, vernon.criss@wvhouse.gov, lori.dittman@wvhouse.gov, joe.ellington@wvhouse.gov, bob.fehrenbacher@wvhouse.gov, marty.gearheart@wvhouse.gov, walter.hall@wvhouse.gov, michael.hite@wvhouse.gov, sean.hornbuckle@wvhouse.gov, charles.horst@wvhouse.gov, johnpaul.hott@wvhouse.gov, gary.howell@wvhouse.gov, dean.jeffries@wvhouse.gov, daniel.linville@wvhouse.gov, margitta.mazzocchi@wvhouse.gov, clay.riley@wvhouse.gov, matthew.rohrbach@wvhouse.gov, joe.statler@wvhouse.gov, chris.toney@wvhouse.gov, john.williams@wvhouse.gov, evan.worrell@wvhouse.gov

Please craft your own message, but here are some suggested talking points from Together for Public Schools:

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Hope Scholarship is diverting public taxpayer dollars from public schools -

Support guardrails and fiscal restraint -- like a cap on the Hope Scholarship program costs -

Lack of guardrails on this program has allowed public dollars to benefit the few, while public schools that serve the majority of students and families are suffering. -

The rising cost of the program is straining our budget — next year to more than $300 million. -

Alternate use of Hope monies could support more special education funding for schools, raises for staff, or prevent rural school closures. -

Nearly 32 million dollars went to private schools via the Hope Scholarship last year.