MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Declining populations, school consolidation, and more education choices are pushing the state public school system to reform. Growth of the Hope Scholarship, homeschooling, and the emergence of the charter system have steadily chipped away at public school enrollment. “A lot of people believe the state legislature is trying to do away with public education altogether,” Statler said. “I don’t know of anyone that has that feeling, but I do believe there is a lot of support out there for school choice.”President of the State Board of Education, Paul Hardesty acknowledged the financial pressure the options have placed on the public school system and called for changes to the state funding formula and the state code that governs public education. The long overdue reform of West Virginia Code Chapters 18 and 18A, governing the operation of public schools, just hasn’t been addressed by the state legislature, according to the president of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Steve Roberts.