For Immediate Release July 16, 2026
West Virginia Democratic Party Stands with Mingo County Families Fighting to Save Dingess Grade School
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Democratic Party today voiced its strong support for the parents, educators, students, and community members in Mingo County fighting to keep Dingess Grade School open, saying the threatened closure is the latest consequence of years of decisions by Republican leaders in Charleston to underfund public education while diverting taxpayer dollars to the HOPE Scholarship voucher program.
The Party also praised the leadership of Mingo County Democratic Executive Committee and their Chair Johnny Nick Hager, State Senate candidate Wyatt Lilly, House District 29 candidate Wendy Coleman, House District 34 candidate Tara “BabyT” Sexton, and County Commission candidate David Sartin for standing with families and educators during the ongoing fight.
“The people of Dingess aren’t asking for special treatment—they’re asking for their children to have the same opportunities as every other child in West Virginia,” said Wyatt Lilly. “For years we’ve watched Republican leaders in Charleston refuse to properly invest in our public schools while shifting millions of taxpayer dollars into a voucher program that benefits private interests instead of local communities. Schools like Dingess are the heart of our communities. When you close a school, you don’t just eliminate a building—you weaken an entire community. Mingo County Democrats will continue standing with our parents, teachers, school employees, and students to fight for the future of public education.”
West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin said Mingo County Democrats have demonstrated exactly the kind of grassroots leadership needed to defend public education.
“Mingo County Democrats have been relentless advocates for their schools and their communities,” Pushkin said. “Wyatt Lilly, Wendy Coleman, Tara ‘BabyT’ Sexton, and David Sartin have been on the front lines of this fight. They have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with parents, educators, and students because they understand what’s at stake. Public schools are the backbone of communities across southern West Virginia, and Democrats will continue fighting to ensure every child has access to a quality public education close to home.”
Pushkin said the closure proposal reflects years of Republican education policies that have redirected public resources away from neighborhood schools.
House Candidate Tara Sexton said, “For more than a decade, Republican legislative leaders have steadily underfunded public education while expanding the HOPE voucher program. Every dollar diverted away from our public schools makes it harder for counties like Mingo to keep neighborhood schools open, retain teachers, and provide the educational opportunities our children deserve.”
House of Delegates candidate Wendy Coleman said lawmakers have failed to provide meaningful accountability for the voucher program despite its growing cost to taxpayers. “The Legislature has allowed the HOPE Scholarship program to spend taxpayer money without the traditional oversight that comes with public expenditures. Public money deserves public oversight. If taxpayer dollars are being spent, taxpayers deserve transparency, accountability, and proof that those dollars are serving the public interest—not weakening the public schools that educate the overwhelming majority of West Virginia children.”
Pushkin criticized the priorities behind the voucher program saying, “West Virginia taxpayer dollars are flowing through the HOPE Scholarship scheme to pay for expenses outside our state and others are being spent on dance classes, jujitsu lessons, and a host of other questionable uses. “Imagine what those dollars could do if they were invest in our neighborhood schools—keeping schools like Dingess Grade School open, supporting teachers, reducing class sizes, and giving our children the resources they need to succeed right here at home.”
House District 34 candidate Tara “BabyT” Sexton said the state’s spending priorities simply don’t add up. “If they can spend $3 million on the Washington Center at WVU to educate just one student, surely they can come up with the funding to keep Dingess Grade School open in Mingo County.”
County Commission candidate David Sartin said, “The problem isn’t that West Virginia lacks resources—it’s that Republican leaders have chosen the wrong priorities. Our children deserve better than watching their community schools disappear while millions are spent elsewhere.”
The West Virginia Democratic Party said it will continue standing alongside Mingo County families and communities across the state in opposing policies that undermine public education and advocating for fully funded neighborhood public schools that remain the cornerstone of West Virginia communities.
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