Catholic Schools in West Virginia Will Participate in State ESA Program

WHEELING—In March, Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia signed into law House Bill 2013, which creates the Hope Scholarship Program for state residents. The program will create Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs) to assist eligible families who are investing in educational options other than traditional public schools in the Mountain State.

Initially, families with children entering kindergarten or transferring from public schools to home schooling formats or non-public schools will be able to apply for Hope Scholarship accounts for the 2022-2023 school year through the State Treasurer’s office. Hope Scholarship funds in these accounts can then be used by those families for tuition at a private school or for educational services, tutoring, home school costs, online instruction, or other allowable expenses.Depending on the total number of families utilizing Hope Scholarship opportunities, families with children already enrolled in Catholic schools may be eligible to apply for Hope Scholarships in 2026. A board will be established by the State Treasurer to oversee and regulate the Hope Scholarship Program, including participation in the program by qualified private schools and other education service providers.

“The Hope Scholarship Program can truly serve as a blessing for parents who seek a Catholic education for their children,” said the Most Reverend Mark E. Brennan, Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston. “This program empowers parents and families to make decisions about how best to educate their children and in so doing is in keeping with a key tenet of the Catholic faith: that parents are the primary educators of their children.”

“Parents partner in a particular way with our Catholic schools in the education of their children, and the Hope Scholarship will help families secure a faith-and-values-based curriculum for their children that is built on centuries of excellence in our finest Catholic tradition.”

While Catholic Schools in the Diocese will not determine which families might be approved by the state for ESA accounts, all Catholic Schools within the Diocese plan to apply to fully participate in accordance with rules to be developed by the State Treasurer’s office. “The 6 high schools and 18 elementary schools in the Diocese of Wheeling Charleston will be carefully reviewing their school policies and reviewing the State Treasurer’s program rules in the coming months,” said Mary Ann Deschaine, Ed.S., Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Wheeling Charleston. “More information will be available as we proceed through the process, but as of now all Catholic schools intend to apply for inclusion as ‘education service providers’ under terms of the legislation,” said Deschaine, referring to the designation in the statute for institutions that are approved within the program to receive payments from Hope Scholarship accounts to provide educational goods and services to Hope Scholarship Students.

“Catholic schools in West Virginia are caring, diverse, values-based institutions that have historically outperformed their peer systems in academic outcomes at a cost that is a fraction of what other systems spend,” Deschaine said. “Our small classroom settings, Gospel-based programs, talented and caring educators, and investments in cutting edge technology combine with the legacy created by generations of religious brothers and sisters who helped our Diocesan Bishops make Catholic schools flourish in this Diocese.”

“The Hope Scholarship program will alleviate the financial stress for so many families who would like to choose a faith-based education but have struggled to afford tuition,” Brennan added.“On behalf of our lay faithful and the pastors and principals at our Catholic schools, I am very grateful to the state legislature and Governor Justice for this wonderful opportunity; we look forward to continuing to partner with parents and families to help form and educate tomorrow’s leaders.”