EdChoice Legal Advocates has asked a court to let two West Virginia families join a lawsuit as defendants and defend the state's Hope Scholarship program. Eleven Mingo County parents filed the suit in September, challenging the program's expansion to all West Virginia students. Since the expansion took effect this school year, the program, enacted in 2021, has nearly doubled and provides an average of about $5,435 a year to over 26,000 students. The funds can cover tuition, tutoring, curriculum, therapies and other qualified educational expenses. The two Martinsburg families, who use the scholarships for their homeschooled and private-school children, say losing them would be a major financial burden.
The Professional Charter School Board (PCSB) is considering asking lawmakers, in the 2027 session, to let charter schools in border counties accept students from neighboring states and receive tuition for them, as traditional public schools can. Executive director Barry Holstein said current state code appears to bar this for charters. Board members raised questions about how out-of-state tuition would be billed, since counties handle it differently. House Education Committee Chairman Joe Statler said he was alarmed by the idea of unpaid tuition, and that West Virginia taxpayers should not pay for out-of-state students if those bills go unpaid. A potential new Huntington-area charter school, WISH Academy, applied by the Aug. 31 deadline, and a public forum and board interview are being scheduled.
State officials have asked the West Virginia Supreme Court to delay consideration of an ACLU-West Virginia lawsuit over the state's school funding formula until next April, saying lawmakers should first take up the issue. The lawsuit, filed in September, asks the justices to order the Legislature and state officials to reform the entire public school funding system. The Department of Education has delivered a proposed overhaul of the formula, which the Joint Standing Committee on Education plans to hear on November 9. The Legislature convenes January 13, 2027, with school funding expected to be considered. The Department's proposal estimates
90 million to bolster special education. Gov. Patrick Morrisey said school funding will dominate the next legislative session, though he did not specify his approach. Education officials have warned that 8 to 20 schools face closure or consolidation in the coming year.
West Virginia Treasurer Larry Pack defended the Hope Scholarship, which gives families $5,400 per student for private school or homeschooling. He said the program may contribute "a teeny bit" to the state's 3.5% enrollment decline, while demographic shifts such as lower birthrates, people leaving the state and an aging population play a larger role. Some county superintendents blamed the program in part, but Pack said his office doesn't ask applicants whether they are leaving public schools, and he hopes to work with local officials on better data. Pack estimates a couple thousand of the nearly 15,000 participants in 2025-26 may have left public schools. He said he wants lawmakers to shift their focus to improving public schools.
West Virginia's Hope Scholarship served 14,486 students in the 2025-26 school year, a 37.6% increase from 10,530 the year before, according to the program's annual report released Monday. The award amount rose to $5,267.38 per pupil. Nonpublic schools remained the main choice at 62.36 percent, while 37.59 percent of families used funds for Individualized Instruction Plans covering homeschooling or microschools, a 6.5 percent increase in that category. Most funds stayed in West Virginia, and 96 percent of surveyed parents said they were satisfied. Starting in 2026-27, the scholarship becomes universally available to all students, including those already in nonpublic schools or homeschooling.
West Virginia's public schools enrolled 226,687 students this year, down 8,270, or 3.5 percent, from last year, according to certified figures released by the state Department of Education. The department did not elaborate on reasons, but it noted this was the first year of universal Hope Scholarship eligibility, the financial aid for families whose students pursue education outside the public school system. About 15,000 students used the scholarship in 2025-26, and statewide population loss is also a likely factor. House Education Chairman Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, asked where the students went and said answers are needed to see what can slow the exits.
A malnourished 12-year-old girl was found alone at a Charleston doughnut shop on Oct. 15, more than a mile from home, and her parents were charged with child neglect creating risk of bodily injury. Five children in the home were enrolled in the Hope Scholarship, Kanawha County Schools confirmed. The case has raised questions about how schools follow up on the more than 25,000 students using the program, since the withdrawal form asks only for "participating school" and attendance is reviewed at year's end. The State Treasurer's Office says current law protects information about individual participants. Del. Kathie Hess Crouse says there may be gaps to fill, and Del. John Williams says lawmakers must do better at keeping track of these children.
Monongalia County Board of Education president Shawn Smith told local lawmakers that calling the Hope Scholarship a "scholarship" is misleading and that it is really a voucher program. He said the program has grown from about 2,000 participants since its 2021 start to more than 26,000 for the 2026-27 academic year, at a cost of about
55 million, or about $5,400 per full voucher. Smith cited a Rand Corporation recommendation to target eligibility by income. House Education Committee Chairman Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, responded that families must apply to the Hope Scholarship Board, led by State Treasurer Larry Pack, which verifies vendors before money is sent to the organization rather than the family. Statler acknowledged that some funds go out of state, noting the public system also buys some materials there, and said committee staff are reviewing those expenses.
West Virginia's state school board voted today to take an official position to the state Supreme Court that the current school funding system is unconstitutional. Board member James Paul objected, saying the board should examine the claims more closely before conceding a failure, and that the remedy is ultimately with the legislature. Earlier, the state Department of Education unveiled a proposal to update school funding, including enrollment smoothing, weighted funding for needs such as special education, and integrating public charter schools into the state aid framework. The proposal is meant as a starting point for lawmakers. Respondents in the lawsuit are due to submit their brief by the end of this month.
Reporters from ProPublica and local newsrooms in three states tested how easily they could open private schools and found the process required little effort. In Arkansas, a few online clicks and a $45 fee registered a school, and the state suggested ways it could accept public money. In West Virginia, a handwritten notice was delivered to the Education Department. After officials asked for a fire marshal's letter, the team turned to the microschool route, where state law includes no oversight mechanism. The reporters say they have no plans to enroll students or run the schools. For families in these states, the story highlights few startup requirements and limited state oversight of new schools.
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