Funding | July 6, 2022

Cour⁠t⁠ Issues Prel⁠i⁠m⁠i⁠nary Injunc⁠t⁠⁠i⁠on Block⁠i⁠ng Educa⁠t⁠⁠i⁠on Scholarsh⁠i⁠ps for Wes⁠t⁠ V⁠i⁠rg⁠i⁠n⁠i⁠an Fam⁠i⁠l⁠i⁠es and S⁠t⁠uden⁠t⁠s

Ruling leaves 3,000 families who applied for the Hope Scholarship program in the lurch

CHARLESTON, WV. – Today, the Kanawha County Circuit Court issued a preliminary injunction, blocking families and students from using the state’s new Hope Scholarship program. In response to this ruling, Executive Director Andrew Clark issued the following statement on behalf of yes. every kid. foundation.:

“Since the Hope Scholarship program passed last year, over 3,000 West Virginian families have already been approved to receive Hope scholarship funds. Families were already planning their educational opportunities for the coming school year at the time of this injunction.”

“We are disappointed that the court is blocking families from accessing the resources that could make a meaningful difference for students. Despite the court’s ruling on the Hope Scholarship program, we remain hopeful that the lawsuit will be dismissed and that the decision will be appealed by the state Supreme Court of Appeals. All families should have the opportunity to pursue the education that honors the needs of every kid.”

Background

The Hope Scholarship program was passed last year by the West Virginia legislature. The program gives eligible public school students and parents access to approximately $4,300 for each student annually to customize their learning experience. Allowable uses provided by the law include blending their learning experience between their existing public school and out-of-school experiences, such as tutoring, exam prep, and private vocational courses. Parents can use the resources for education resources such as individualized curriculum, tutoring, learning devices, education materials and more.

About yes. every kid. foundation.

yes. every kid. foundation. is devoted to unlocking the extraordinary potential of every kid. We are committed to the discovery and development of an education system that serves kids’ unique needs. We promote the open dialogue, education efforts and agreed-upon needs of parents and teachers working together to build a more open and diverse educational system.

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