BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – “Let’s do a bill signing.”
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey spoke at Greater Beckley Christian Academy in Beckley on Friday to promote West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship Program and sign House Bill 5686. The Hope Scholarship is a state program that funds educational savings accounts for individual students to use towards public, private, or homeschool education.
The new law transitions scholarship payments to a quarterly schedule to strengthen the program for the future.
“Hope is incredible. West Virginia was the leader in Hope Scholarship, and we’re continuing that leadership, and we’re not going to stop until every child has the opportunity that he or she needs to succeed and thrive.”
Senator Rollan Roberts of WV Senate District 9 says the Hope Scholarship gives parents more say over where their tax dollars go to pay for education:
“I realize that we are focused on cutting taxes. We are focused on controlling spending. But the Hope Scholarship is different. The Hope Scholarship takes taxes that are collected for education of children and appropriates it across the board without restriction. Now, for the first year, we are able to have that open for everyone…We’re not trying to destroy public education, but also a portion of that money stays now with the child that those education tax dollars follow the child. That’s what they’re meant for.”
Governor Morrisey says education is vital for the state’s economic development plans:
“Our young people who are going to go to four-year colleges, two-year colleges, technical colleges. They may come out and be construction workers. They may come out to be plumbers or electricians. That’s critical.”
