West Virginia
Early childhood education trap for families
The West Virginia legislature has passed a bill requiring all counties to offer "early childhood education" (ECE) to children who are age 4 by September 1. The program is voluntary—no one is required to enroll a child in ECE. However, if you voluntarily enroll, you cannot remove the child from the program unless you formally enroll him in a home or private school. If you do not, you may be subject to prosecution for truancy.
Near the end of this year's legislative session, the West Virginia legislature hastily tacked the ECE provision on to Senate Bill 247, legislation originally written to give public school employees raises. Counties have until 2012 to implement ECE.
Currently, only two things can bring a child under the compulsory attendance law in West Virginia: reaching his 6th birthday by September 1, or his parents enrolling him in a publicly supported kindergarten. S.B. 247 creates a third: enrolling a 4-year-old in ECE.
We encourage you to pass this information on to others in West Virginia. Families must be warned about the hidden danger of S.B. 247 so they understand the consequences of voluntarily enrolling
in the ECE program.
- Scott A. Woodruff
* Editor's Note: Name changed to protect family's privacy.
