I believe our public schools are the heart of our communities. We must invest in them, not undermine them. Every child deserves a strong, well-funded school in their community that meets their needs.

The Hope Scholarship program, which allows parents to use public funds for private schooling, has drained our school system of the funds they need to maintain strong, well-qualified educators.

Requiring little more than an application and a WVEIS (ID) number, parents can access funding for private schools and homeschooling. There are no performance standards or income limits for the education these children are receiving. This has to change.

As your delegate, I will propose legislation to make the Hope Scholarship comparable to other state benefit programs with income eligibility requirements and strict performance standards. People who have trouble putting food on their tables must provide income verification to demonstrate their need. People who need housing assistance must meet income guidelines to receive benefits. I firmly believe that people who request assistance paying for their choice of education, when there are public schools available, should demonstrate a need and clear value for the taxpayers' investment in this benefit.