By ANDREA LANNOM
The Register-Herald
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Legislators listened to information Monday on whether students who do not attend public schools should be able to participate in extracurricular activities and what effect an educational savings account program would have on the state.
Legislators from both chambers met Monday in the House chamber for the joint standing committee on education.
Michael Donnelly, director of Global Outreach, Home School Legal Defense Advocates, presented information relating to allowing home schooled children to participate in extracurricular activities.
People who favor this say because they pay taxes, they should be able to have access to public school facilities and want to have children as part of the larger community, Donnelly said.
Critics, however, say the state should be careful with looking at regulations for home school students and say since parents chose to opt out of the public school system, it is not appropriate for them to be at the school.
Donnelly said West Virginia effectively prohibits home school or private school students from participating in public school sports with rules established by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, which does not allow home schoolers to be eligible to participate.
If students want to participate in clubs, access is granted at the school board’s discretion.
Donnelly said lawmakers should consider questions such as eligibility for home education, academic eligibility, how to determine the grade level of a home-schooled student and whether homeschoolers should be allowed to go to activities such as prom or senior trips.
Heather Clawges, a parent from Greenbrier County, expressed her concern about not allowing private school and home-schooled kids to participate in sports.
“I want my children to feel like they’re included and given every chance possible to succeed in this state.”
She mentioned her 12-year-old son loves soccer but his private school does not offer the sport and she has to drive 120 miles roundtrip for a travel soccer club. She said there are no options for recreational sports in her area.
“We live in rural West Virginia. It’s 120 miles round trip to travel soccer,” she said. “Most parents cannot afford this opportunity. These students are part of the community. We are paying taxes, property tax, income tax and sales tax – my money is going into the public education system. To say we’re not part of the community and can’t participate in activities is not right.”
• • •
Committee members also took up the issue of a possible Education Savings Account program. During the last session, both chambers passed a study resolution on this topic.
Legislators are exploring the feasibility and potential effects this type of program would have for West Virginia families who want to choose how public funds are spent for education.
With an Education Savings Account, the state would give parents a restricted-use debit card loaded with a portion of their children’s share of per-student funds which they can direct to pay for pre-approved educational services and providers, according to a document from EdChoice.
These would include such expenses as private school tuition, textbooks, curriculum, online learning, individual public school classes and advanced placement courses, according to a handout by EdChoice. Parents fill out an expense report and document how they are using the card.
Students eligible for this program would include those who attended a public school the previous semester, enrolling in kindergarten or enrolling in West Virginia schools for the first time or if they participated in the savings account program in a previous academic year.
Typically, students in the savings account programs cannot enroll in public schools. Brittany Corona, director of state policy at EdChoice, said most states with this program have parents sign a waiver that says they will not send their child to public school when they accept the savings account.
Students are not allowed to attend public school and use the savings account funds at the same time and if they choose to return to public school, they forfeit the savings account and anything saved goes back to the state.
Corona said as far as who administers the program, ideally, it would be an agency not directly affected from policy. She mentioned in Nevada, the program is controlled through the state Treasurer’s office, and in Florida, two nonprofits administer the scholarships.
Presenters from EdChoice cited similar programs in Arizona and Nevada, where funding is set up for 90 percent of the state portion of school funding, with special needs children in Arizona eligible for a higher amount through the school funding formula.
“This program, if enacted, will have a positive estimated net impact of $3.8 million on the state General Fund and a positive estimated net impact of $37.1 million on school district revenue for fiscal year 2017-2018. There will likely be no impact on local property taxes. The net combined impact would be positive, equal to $40.9 million,” the fiscal impact statement from EdChoice said.
“The state would experience a decline in revenue of $39.8 million. This would be completely offset by $43.6 million in reduced state aid expenditures. After factoring this savings, we estimate there will be a net positive state impact of $3.8 million.”
Jonathan Butcher, education director of The Goldwater Institute, gave an example in Arizona of a family who saw benefits from this type of program. The family had a son, Nathan, who was diagnosed with autism and didn’t speak even after he was enrolled in speech programs.
The family applied for a program through the Education Savings Account to find a school for children on the autism spectrum and found a provider to help with the child’s speech delay.
“In about eight months in the Savings Account Program, Amanda (the mother) was sitting on the couch with Nathan reading a book,” Butcher said. “That’s the kind of life change happening in Arizona and Florida with education savings accounts.”
See more from The Register-Herald
