Challenge members believe that state education policy which has resulted in the closing of more than a fourth of West Virginia's small schools during the 1990s does not serve the best interest of many children, especially those from low-income families who live in rural areas.

The organization's goal is to change state education policy through a sustained grassroots movement which helps parents become full partners in the education system and which creates a future where our children believe in themselves, value their communities and receive the best possible public education.

Challenge West Virginia publishes a monthly newsletter devoted to education issues. The organization also has released Whatever Happened to Pauley vs. Bailey, The Story of the Politics of Education in West Virginia, a 100-page study which examines the impact of state education policy decisions on communities across the state. Challenge West Virginia is sponsored by WV Covenant House and works with the Policy Program of the Rural School and Community Trust, www.ruraledu.org

Challenge students meet their representatives at the WV Legislature.

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