Crossroads program to move to Meadows; resident urges board to oppose Hope scholarship impact on funding

Lauren Hensley, a parent and educator, told the Cabell County Board of Education on Aug. 5 she supports the decision to move the Crossroads alternative program into the Meadows building and potentially to the former career center when that program relocates to the mall. Hensley said restoring Crossroads jobs after a previously proposed conversion to a mostly virtual program was “harmful” and that expanding the program in better facilities will support student success and career readiness.

Hensley also urged the board to be vocal about the state Hope scholarship, a voucher program she said diverts public dollars to private and charter schools. “The public needs to know that their public dollars are being taken from the public schools,” she told the board, and she asked the county to publish statistics showing revenue lost since the scholarship began, numbers of students who left the district, and students who briefly enrolled and withdrew to qualify.

The board and superintendent acknowledged the Crossroads move during the meeting and several members praised the decision as a good use of district property. No formal vote on the Crossroads relocation or additional funding measures occurred during the Aug. 5 meeting. Treasurer staff told the board the district would follow up on questions about whether private‑school payments and enrollment shifts changed since the Hope scholarship’s enactment.