CHARLESTON (Hinton News) — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey on Wednesday said his office will appeal a ruling from a Kanawha County Circuit Court judge who granted preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to the challengers of the Hope Scholarship Program.
The ruling by Circuit Court Judge Joanna Tabit enjoined the state from implementing the program, finding it violates a provision of the state constitution that requires the state to provide a thorough and efficient system of free public schools.
“I am disappointed with this ruling. We will appeal because this is an important law that provides parents greater freedom to choose how they educate their children,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “Our kids deserve the best educational options—we will fight for our kids and the hard working families of our state to retain this law and uphold its constitutionality.”
The Legislature passed and the Governor signed the Hope Scholarship into law in 2021. It provides money for students leaving the public schools system—the scholarship allows families to use the funding for a variety of expenses, including tuition and fees at participating private schools and other extracurricular activities.
