Hope Scholarship is declared constitutional - Both sides react

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) - The West Virginia Supreme Court declared that the Hope Scholarship is constitutional. The decision reverses an earlier circuit court ruling.

The Hope Scholarship gives qualified students funding to move out of public schools and into homeschooling or private education. It helps out with expenses like tuition and textbooks.

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said the scholarship empowers families with more opportunities they otherwise couldn’t afford.

However Jack Tinney, the lawyer on the other side of the case, believes the scholarship takes away public school funding.

He said it negatively impacts students with disabilities.

Tinney said, “Children who have special needs or other disabilities that cannot be served by private schools will be siloed into public schools while we are also diminishing their funding.”

Tinney explained that private schools are not required to accommodate for students with disabilities, lowering their chances of getting in.

He also said some lower income students are negatively impacted since some still won’t be able to afford private education or homeschooling, even with the scholarship.

Morrisey does not believe the Hope Scholarship takes away from public school funding.

“This is a huge day for families and educational freedom and it’s going to set a great precedent for West Virginians,” he said.

For a more in depth look at both sides, click the link below to read our previous coverage on the issue.

Empowering to families or harmful to public schools? The Hope Scholarship case (wtap.com)

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