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Coalition touts strong support for Education Savings Accounts in 2021

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Advocates of Education Savings Accounts hope to have momentum for the 2021 regular legislative session.

“I believe educational freedom was on the ballot in 2020,” said Jason Huffman with Americans for Prosperity West Virginia. “There was a considerable effort by opponents of creating more educational options to try to spend a lot of money to take out folks who are in support of more options and those efforts failed resoundingly,”

Backed with Republican super majorities in both chambers Huffman believed the support for the change was there.

It’s unclear exactly what the 2021 legislation will be, but Huffman believed it would be similar to other states who have deployed the Hope Scholarship and enabled parents to drawn down on 100 percent of the statewide average spent on a child’s education annually. The amount is believed to be roughly $4,500 and would enable parents to make the choices they believe best fit their child’s education needs.

“Education savings accounts work to actively empower people who are disenfranchised. Regardless of income or zip code and to step away from a one-size-fits-all system,” Huffman said.

The programs could range from private school options to home schooling or to other public school or vocational programs. All would need state approval for educational expenditure and according to Huffman it’s a program which is aimed at giving parents additional choices. He also suggested despite opposition the EDA’s are not a threat to public education. In fact, Huffman suggested in other states the programs have served to improve the public schools.

Huffman hosted a Zoom press event Tuesday to rally support for the program amid a coalition backing this year’s bill. Included were Senate Education Chair Patricia Rucker and Delegate Kayla Kessinger.

“It shows we care about every student, doesn’t matter where they are, where they live, doesn’t matter what their income or background is. We want to be certain every child has an opportunity at a good education,” Rucker said.

Kessinger likewise believed the ESA’s gave parents in difficult circumstances options instead of one-size fits all.

“Nothing in life, especially education, can be a cookie cutter approach. What’s best for one student may not be the best for another. Right now the majority of West Virginia parents have one option and when their circumstances vary from family to family that one option doesn’t work best for every single family dynamic,” Kessinger said.

Advocates also shared the stories of a couple of parents.

Katie Switzer and her husband live in Morgantown. She has three children and one o n the way.  One of her children has a speech disorder which she said is difficult to get the proper educational needs.

“ESA’s would be a huge game changer for us in terms of flexibility for not just our whole family, but for our individual children,” she said.

Sammi Thacker is the mother of a child on the autism spectrum and said her best option was to leave her career and home school her son. According to Thacker her family had several good options, but only one great option where her son could thrive. Her family was able to take the step, which she called a privilege.

“I don’t think that should be a privilege. It seems like all parents, regardless of financial position or circumstances should be able to choose whatever option fits their child best and not just the option that’s good enough,” she said.

Huffman said ultimately that’s what his organization and the coalition of support they have built behind the idea in West Virginia want to see.

“Parents are able to receive a portion of their tax money back to customize their child’s education in a myriad of ways. When we’re talking about funding students instead of funding systems arbitrarily based on zip codes, ESA’s are the best way to accomplish that,” he said.