News from the South - West Virginia News Feed

Hope Scholarship board says voucher can’t be used on ammunition, witchcraft herbs, animals and more

Published

2 days ago

June 2, 2025

westvirginiawatch.com – Amelia Ferrell Knisely – 2025-06-02 05:00:00

by Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
June 2, 2025

West Virginia’s school voucher program, the Hope Scholarship, is clarifying how students can use the money for education expenses after parents asked to purchase ammunition, gaming consoles, live animals, witchcraft herbs and more through the program.

“We had the request for witchcraft herbs and a cauldron,” said Amy Willard, assistant treasurer for the Hope Scholarship Program, at a May 16 scholarship board meeting. The request was denied.

The Hope Scholarship, which launched four years ago, provides roughly $4,900 per student in tax-payer funds to be used for private schooling tuition, homeschooling, microschools and more. Around 11,000 students used the program during the 2024-25 school year.

Parents who utilize the Hope Scholarship for homeschooling use a portal to purchase a wide range of educational materials, like curriculums, iPads, water tables, bee keeping materials under $200 and more from vendors. Parents are permitted to use the money for horseback riding lessons and dance studio fees. Hope Scholarship funds are not sent to the parents.

Carrie Hodousek, communications director for the State Treasure’s Office, said some items are pre-approved and don’t require a manual review by the board. Other items are reviewed by an individual or multiple individuals either in the Treasurer’s Office and/or the Office’s contracted program manager, she explained.

“These items are brought to the board for approval or disapproval,” she said.

On May 16, the Hope Scholarship Board issued an updated list of unallowable expenses based on parents’ requests. Along with witchcraft herbs, live animals and ammunition, the board said the funds may not be used on these additional items and more: travel sports fees; household furniture, including desks and couches; virtual reality equipment; athletic equipment in excess of $500; medications and supplements; chicken brooders; heat lamps and chicken coops in excess of $400.

“In none of these instances were these items successfully purchased without authorization from the board,” Hodousek said.

“If items are placed on the non-qualifying expense list, it means that the Treasurer’s Office did not allow those purchases to go through and then requested guidance from the Hope board as to whether they should be permissible expenses,” she added.

The Hope Scholarship program is expected to grow to 50,000 students by 2026, and the price tag has already raised concerns among the GOP-led Legislature, who largely back the program as part of their school choice push.

Lawmakers recently approved $97 million for the Hope Scholarship for the upcoming school year — up from this year’s $58 million in funding for the program. It was the largest funding increase requested by Gov. Patrick Morrisey in his first budget proposal.

In 2027, its price tag is expected to skyrocket to around $300 million, when the program will open up to all students in the state.

“We are leaving other vitally necessary programs underfunded because of an increase in this line item,” Del. Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette, said in April as the House debated bills that funded the program. Pritt, a public school teacher, noted the state’s public employee’s insurance program, which insures teachers, continues to struggle.

Democratic lawmakers in the House proposed a bill banning the use of Hope Scholarship funds at out-of-state schools, but the measure wasn’t taken up for consideration during the legislative session. More than $122,000 in Hope funds were used at out of state schools last school year.

Public school leaders have said the growing number of students using the program has continued to financial issues as the state is facing a wave of school closures. Under the current school funding formula, counties receive state funding based on the number of students. West Virginia is also experiencing an overall population decline.

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West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.

The post Hope Scholarship board says voucher can’t be used on ammunition, witchcraft herbs, animals and more appeared first on westvirginiawatch.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This article provides a detailed overview of the Hope Scholarship program in West Virginia, highlighting concerns from multiple perspectives including Democrats, public school advocates, and some Republicans. It acknowledges the GOP’s strong support for the program while focusing notably on controversies, budgetary concerns, and challenges faced by public schools as a result. The tone is informative but highlights the financial and policy tensions that lean slightly toward a critique of the program’s expansion and fiscal impact, reflecting a moderate left-leaning perspective without strong ideological language or partisan attacks.

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News from the South - West Virginia News Feed

Road Trippin’: The Blakeslee Center

Published

10 hours ago

June 3, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – WCHS Eyewitness News – 2025-06-03 17:00:35

SUMMARY: The Blakeslee Center in Middleport, Meigs County, Ohio, has been open for just over three years, offering various community services. A highlight is the upcoming bridal show on Saturday, April 26th, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring vendors, food samples, and beauty consultations with Seabolt Modern Apothecarian Spa. The center also operates a café serving lunch weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The facility accommodates events like weddings and receptions, with rooms seating 125 to 150 guests and an auditorium for up to 500. The center strives to meet community event needs.

Road Trippin’s Terry Burhans takes a trip to The Blakeslee Center in Middleport, Ohio.

MORE: https://wchstv.com/community/road-trippin/road-trippinthe-blakeslee-center-middleport-oh

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News from the South - West Virginia News Feed

Job Corps ‘pause’ will affect at least one West Virginia location

Published

22 hours ago

June 3, 2025

Staff Editor

westvirginiawatch.com – Lori Kersey – 2025-06-03 05:00:00

by Lori Kersey, West Virginia Watch
June 3, 2025

At least one of the West Virginia locations of a federal youth job training program will be affected by a “pause” in operations announced by the Trump administration late last week.

The Department of Labor announced last week it would “pause” operations at all 99 contractor-operated Job Corps locations nationwide by June 25. The DOL said it would arrange transportation and cover expenses for current students back to their homes of record by June 30.

The “pause” includes the Job Corps center at Charleston, according to news reports.

West Virginia’s other Job Corps location, the Harpers Ferry Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center, is operated by the U.S. Forest Service. While that office will not be affected by the announcement from the Department of Labor, a spokesperson for the federal Department of Agriculture said Monday it will also review operations at its 24 Job Corps offices.

“The Trump Administration is looking critically at the way we do business, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the best possible service for our customers, and the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars,” a USDA spokesperson wrote in an email to West Virginia Watch. “The Department of Labor has notified USDA of their intention to terminate Job Corps contracts and suspend operations for the Job Corps program. USDA is reviewing the program and will determine the status of our 24 centers soon. We continue to work closely with DOL and Congress to ensure USDA Job Corps facilities continue to prioritize the health and safety of program participants.”

Calls to the Charleston Job Corps center and the Harpers Ferry Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center were not immediately returned Monday.

The Department of Labor’s decision to suspend the Job Corps program came after an “internal review” of its outcome and structure, the agency said in a news release. The program has been in a “financial crisis” for years, the DOL said. The program operated at a $140 million deficit in 2024. The deficit is expected to grow to $213 million in 2025.

“Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training and community,” U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a news release. “However, a startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve.

“We remain committed to ensuring all participants are supported through this transition and connected with the resources they need to succeed as we evaluate the program’s possibilities,” she said.

The Department of Labor said that in 2023, the Job Corps program reported 372 cases of inappropriate sexual behavior and sexual assaults, 1,764 acts of violence, and 1,167 breaches of safety or security.

The program also has a low graduation average of 39% and has a cost of more than $80,000 per student per year, which is more than the $16,695 per year that the average student earns, according to the DOL.

Melissa Rhodes, program director for the Charleston Job Corps Center, told WCHS-TV Eyewitness News the staff is “hanging by a thread” and that students of the program are very concerned about the pause.

“The Job Corps program matters,” Rhodes told the news station. “The future of our youth matters and I would like to say we are going to continue to fight for this program because it makes a difference in the lives of young people in our country.”

Nationwide, there are 25,000 Job Corps students at 131 centers, according to the Department of Labor. The department said it would work with local workforce partners to help current students to connect with education and employment opportunities.

According to its website, the Job Corp program is a no-cost vocational training program that helps people aged 16 to 24 earn their high school education, train for a career and find work. It’s the nation’s largest residential career training program. The program has trained more than 2 million people since its inception in 1964.

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The post Job Corps ‘pause’ will affect at least one West Virginia location appeared first on westvirginiawatch.com

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This content presents factual reporting on a policy decision affecting a federal youth job training program, including statements from government officials and local program representatives. It offers financial and safety data, quotes from both government agencies and program staff, and background on the program without overt editorializing or partisan language. The balanced presentation and inclusion of multiple perspectives place it in the centrist category.

News from the South - West Virginia News Feed

Tribute paid to mother who died in UTV accident

Published

1 day ago

June 2, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – WSAZ NewsChannel 3 – 2025-06-02 22:09:07

SUMMARY: Emily Maynard, 46, tragically died in a UTV crash in Kits Hill, Ohio. Her twin daughters, junior student athletes at Raceland, remember her as their biggest sports supporter—always cheering loudly yet gently with a giant sucker in hand. On the day before her funeral, daughter Sophia bravely competed at the state track meet, finishing fifth in triple jump and second in hurdles, inspired by her mother’s encouragement to never give up. Both sisters plan to dedicate their senior year athletic performances to Emily. Emily and her boyfriend were to be engaged this summer, and he placed a ring on her at the funeral.