By Beth Sergent, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — “I don’t know if the support’s there, I really don’t.”
That was Gov. Jim Justice’s short answer about whether he feels there’s sufficient Republican support in the West Virginia Legislature for changing or strengthening homeschooling oversight.
The backstory
The answer came during the governor’s media briefing on Tuesday, referencing circumstances surrounding the case of 14-year-old Kyneddi Miller, who was found dead in a “skeletal” state in April in her Morrisvale, Boone County home.
Miller had been homeschooled, and questions have arisen concerning the state’s interactions prior to her death. Her mother and two grandparents have been charged with child neglect causing death and have each pleaded not guilty.
“If we don’t watch out, a lot of these kids are just going to fall through the cracks and everything, we’ve got to have a little oversight,” said Justice, who has been a proponent of school choice. But, he added, “Nobody wants to be infringed upon our freedom, I am absolutely standing on top of the mountain, saying I don’t want that.”
The governor said organizations need to work together to come up with reasonable, logical solutions.
