New Year, New Policies As the calendar nears its annual turnover, the Cardinal Institute will be turning its attention to new endeavors as well. While education will continue to be a major priority for us, the fact remains that West Virginia has many more mountaintops of policy reform that must be summited before the state…

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West Virginia Should Consider Refundable Education Tax Credits in 2022 The future of education is strong in West Virginia. The Hope Scholarship is heading towards full implementation in July, and five charter schools will be operational for the 2022-2023 school year. With these two victories achieved, what’s next for education in West Virginia? One option…

Seizing Freedom On February 19, Nevada police pulled over Stephen Lara. Lara consented to a search of his vehicle, where police discovered almost $90,000 of cash in a backpack. “I don’t trust banks, so I keep my own money,” he said. “I have nothing to hide from you.” Police did not arrest or charge Lara…

WVU is Making Smart Choices in Its Program Review Last month, West Virginia University (WVU) announced that 15 programs had been recommended for merger or discontinuation following a program review. Generally, these decisions are consistent with the Cardinal Institute’s report in September, Bad Returns, which focused on graduates’ debt and income two years after graduation,…

History of the Opioid Epidemic in West Virginia Over the last decade, the rate of overdose-related deaths and illnesses due to opioid use has skyrocketed across the country. However, this tragedy has impacted the Mountain State more than any other. West Virginia has reliably had the highest overdose rate in the nation.   In 2015,…

On Wednesday, November 10, 2021, West Virginia officially approved the first three charter schools in its history. Schools will open in the Nitro, Morgantown, and Eastern Panhandle areas of West Virginia. While it is much too early to know whether these schools will be successful – that’s up to families in those respective areas –…

Here’s to the parents who made education choice possible before it really was there A little more than 18 years ago, I was wrapping up middle school and getting ready to start high school. At the time, I was supposed to go to Herbert Hoover High School near Clendenin. My mom didn’t think that Hoover…

Introduction In August of this year, I moved from Northern Virginia to Charleston. I had accepted the position of Education Outreach Coordinator with the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy. My job is to promote the Hope Scholarship in West Virginia. During my two months on the job, I have had the privilege of connecting…

Improve Quality & Access - Not Insurance Coverage Rising health care costs, lack of access, and a pandemic have helped to solidify a belief that health care is, or should be, a right. But this monumental shift from seeing health care as a right rather than a good has failed to provide any favors for…