The Hope Scholarship Program was established in West Virginia in 2021 as an expanded school voucher-style program which diverts taxpayer funds from the public school system to families who can use them for private school or homeschool-related costs. Research shows that these programs primarily benefit families whose children were never enrolled in public schools. After…
Education
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - Last month West Virginia Board of Education members learned the state has not received state-required assessments from many homeschooling families. Barely a third of the state’s homeschooled 11th graders submitted the paperwork last year. Assessments are required in 3rd, 5th, 8th and 11th grades. Read the full article. At the board’s October…
Overview In 2021, the West Virginia Legislature established the Hope Scholarship Program, which proponents refer to as an “education savings account” (ESA), but is more accurately described as an expanded school voucher. Recipients of the scholarship can apply the funds toward a variety of costs including but not limited to tuition, fees, tutoring services, transportation,…
For Immediate Release: September 17, 2024 Contact: Jeff Biddle Jr., Executive Director, Midian Leadership Project, midianleadership@gmail.com, (304)-382-8288 Charleston, WV – West Virginia’s criminal legal system for children is at a crossroads. Juvenile reforms implemented in the 2010s led to decreases in the number of criminal cases filed against youth. But as West Virginia emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend…
This report was co-released by the WVCBP and the Midian Leadership Project. Introduction In the spring of 2023, we at the Midian Leadership Project teamed up with the American Friends Service Committee to host listening sessions with young adults who had spent part of their childhood in the criminal legal system. Read the full report.…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - School is officially back in session for children across the Mountain State — with the vast majority (90%) receiving their education in our public school system. The new school year brings excitement and opportunities, but this year in West Virginia it also brings challenges as school districts face serving their students with…
Beckley Register-Herald, Fayette Tribune - Gov. Jim Justice, as he does, was acting like he did us all a big favor on Thursday when he announced that the state would increase funding for state programs that help pay for in-home care of those who have a difficult time caring for themselves, primarily lonely and homebound…
West Virginia News - The West Virginia NAACP has filed a lawsuit against three state departments, accusing them of failing to collect crucial data intended to improve the juvenile justice system. The lawsuit, filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court, targets the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Human Services, and the Department…
West Virginia Watch - The state NAACP has filed a lawsuit against three West Virginia departments, alleging they failed to collect data meant to improve the juvenile justice system. Read the full article. The organization filed the lawsuit Thursday in Kanawha County Circuit Court. The complaint lists as defendants the state Department of Homeland Security,…
WBOY - The Hope Scholarship offers $4,921 for families who would like their children to be educated outside of the public school system. Currently, it’s only available to students entering kindergarten, but in 2026, it will be opened to all students in West Virginia. Read the full article. State Treasurer Riley Moore says that as many as…