He tried to set limits on West Virginia's school vouchers. Billionaires helped bankroll a campaign to unseat him.
Reported byMountain State SpotlightBy Henry Culvyhouse
AI-assisted summary
Republican Delegate Vernon Criss, who chaired the West Virginia House Finance Committee, proposed capping payouts from the Hope Scholarship, a state program that sends public money to private education and homeschooling. His cap would have been a little over $5,000 a year. Criss says he wanted to keep the program sustainable over the long term, citing its fast growth and a series of tax cuts. Families, lobbyists and organizers opposed the plan, and some said it would end the program. Lawmakers dropped the effort within days.
The article, produced with ProPublica, reports that Criss then lost his 2026 primary. Three political action committees, one tied to the Koch family and two that received money from billionaire Jeffrey Yass, spent more than $145,000 to help a 23-year-old challenger beat him. The groups targeted 10 Republican incumbents and ousted four. The head of one group said Republicans who oppose school choice would face political consequences.
Hope began in 2021 as the first program of its kind with no income requirement. Enrollment grew from a little more than 2,300 students to 26,000 today. Its cost rose from $9 million in the first year to a current projection of $150 million for 2026-27. The article also says 70 public schools have closed since 2019 and up to 20 more could close.
Why it matters
The story shows how the cost of a universal voucher program, public school closures and enrollment losses can collide in state budget decisions. It also shows how outside political spending can shape whether lawmakers debate limits on such programs.
- School vouchers
- School choice
- State legislature
- Election results
- School closures
- Enrollment decline
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
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- How should lawmakers weigh the growing cost of a universal voucher program against funding for public schools that are losing students?
- What kinds of safeguards or spending limits, if any, would be reasonable for an education savings account program?
- How should communities think about the role of outside political spending in state legislative primaries over school policy?
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