Published: March 25, 2008 11:04 pm         

Board OKs proposed rates for fiscal year ’09 levy

The Raleigh County Board of Education approved the proposed rates Tuesday for the fiscal year 2009 levy, which will go into affect on July 1.

The proposed rate was set at 100 percent of the allowable amount, and will raise about $17.5 million in excess levy funding, and $13.9 million in regular levy funding, to be used for a variety of educational needs, including text books, computers and athletic expenses.

By April 5, the board will have a draft of the 2009 budget available at the board office and on the Raleigh County Schools Web site. The board is holding a public hearing on the budget at 5:30 p.m. April 15. Residents will be able to comment on the budget and ask questions at the meeting.

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On March 18, board member Patricia Waddell made a presentation to the state School Building Authority, requesting $400,000 in matching funds to allow for the addition of four classrooms to Shady Spring Middle School.

The addition is necessary to ease crowding at the school, Waddell said, indicating the SBA would respond to the request by mid-April.

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The board approved a grant application to provide a Prevention Resource Officer at Woodrow Wilson High School next year. The costs of assigning the officer to the school would be paid by the grant and the board.

Assistant superintendent David Severt said the officer’s duties would include an educational component involving speaking with classes of students.

“We would like to have this (officer) in other places,” Superintendent Charlotte Hutchens said. “We would like to do this in all the high schools.”

— E-mail:

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