West Virginia Executive Fall 2025 | Page 54

9 %

36 %

9 %

Parent Preferences

2024 Schooling in America Survey 2025 EdChoice Share

Public District School

39 %

and outdoor, hands-on learning, Vandalia is emblematic of the personalized, community-driven education many families are seeking and now finding.

Even more encouraging, starting in fall 2026, the requirement that a student must first attend public school before accessing a Hope Scholarship will be lifted, opening the program to thousands more families from the start of their educational journey.

That’ s good news for families who have long experienced a gap in what they want for their children versus what they are getting. While approximately 90 %

2 % 0.3 % 0.8 %

4.2 %

4.4 %

Actual Enrollment in West Virginia

90.3 %

Private School Charter School Homeschool N / A

of students in West Virginia attend a traditional public school, roughly half of parents say they would choose a nonpublic option if given the chance— and policies that stand to bridge this gap are popular. Polling data collected by EdChoice and Morning Consult show that 64 % of all West Virginia adults support ESAs like Hope, and that number jumps to 69 % among school-aged parents.

As this gap between parent preferences and actual enrollment closes, it will result in happier, more satisfied families. Parents of students in private schools and homeschools consistently report the highest satisfaction levels, with roughly 80 % saying they’ re pleased with their child’ s learning environment.

Families aren’ t the only ones who experience positive outcomes— communities do too. EdChoice’ s analysis of over 200 empirical studies finds that private school choice produces positive results in every area examined.

Eighty-four percent of reviewed studies found that private school choice programs have positive effects on participant outcomes, public school students’ performance, taxpayer resources, school safety and more.

Thirty-one out of 33 studies on parent satisfaction show families are more satisfied with their child’ s education after accessing school choice programs. Twentyseven of 30 studies show that competition from school choice programs leads to improved academic performance in public schools.

Perhaps most significantly, long-term studies find that students who use school choice programs are more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college. In Florida, for example, students in the state’ s scholarship program were 19 % more likely to enroll in college compared to their public school peers.

That means the Hope Scholarship isn’ t just offering a better learning environment for today; it’ s building a stronger foundation for tomorrow. Milton Friedman, the father

Nearly 80 % of private school and homeschool parents are satisfied with their child’ s schooling experience. They are more likely than district school parents to say they are satisfied.

% of Current School Parents having any experience with school type

Public District School

28 % 41 % 20 % 12 %

2024 Schooling in America Survey

Very Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied

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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE