CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The House of Delegates passed a pair of bills Thursday that total nearly $62 million for the Hope Scholarship.
The first, HB 3356. proposes taking $28 million from the state’s general revenue fund surplus while HB 3357 would take $33.8 million from the lottery fund surplus.
Delegates debated the bills before approving them and sending them to the Senate.
“We have thousands of parents now utilizing this,” Del. Kathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, said. “They have wanted better educational outcomes for their children and they are finding that with this Hope Scholarship.”
Lawmakers created the scholarship program four years ago. Qualifying families who don’t have their children in the public school system receive $4,400 a year per child. More children will be eligible beginning next fall.
Crouse argued the funding is not a blank check. She items that parents want to purchased have to be approved by the program first.
Del. John Williams, D-Monongalia, said Hope is now an entitlement program that will get out of hand unless the legislature steps in.
“My fear is that we continue to do this with one-time money and it’s just going to grow and grow and grow and get out of control,” Williams said during Thursday’s floor debate.
The cost of Hope is expected to exceed $100 million next fiscal year. It cost $52 million this year. State Treasurer Larry Pack told lawmakers earlier this session the cost to the state could be $300 million by the 2026-27 school year as more parents pull their kids from public schools.
House Finance Committee Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood, acknowledge Thursday the future price tag is a moving target.
“All indications are there are going to be more people involved in this program—to what degree we don’t know,” Criss said.
Later in the debate Criss predicted the legislature would have to set some financial parameters for Hope in the years to come like it did for the merit-based Promise Scholarship 20 years ago.
“Now the program (Promise) is where we seem to be able to afford that and I think where we’re headed here with Hope Scholarship is the same situation,” Criss said.
The state spends approximately $42 million annually on the Promise Scholarship.
House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, said the continued growth of Hope is negatively impacting public schools because they are losing per pupil funding from the state.
“Every time a student leaves it is hurting our local schools,” Hornbuckle said.
The bills passed Thursday make funding available before school begins in August–the rest of cost of the program’s money will come out of general revenue funds in the new state budget.
The bills now head to the state Senate with less than three days before the end of the 60-day regular legislative session.