Raleigh voters asked to support school levy

Jackie Ayres

Raleigh County school officials will ask voters to renew an excess levy in a special election next Saturday.

If passed, the five-year levy would continue from July 1 through June 30, 2014, and generate more than $17 million annually for Raleigh County schools.

Shady Spring Middle School principal Gary Nichols said people need to realize how much Raleigh County students will lose if the levy doesn’t pass.

“I don’t know if people are aware of how critical it is for the benefit of our students,” he said.

“Free textbooks are in the neighborhood of $800,000. Schools would lose a tremendous amount of instructional materials and benefits if the levy doesn’t pass.”

Nichols said there would be no money to pay for athletic coaches anywhere in the county without the levy.

A lot of the levy money goes toward student security and upgrading the entry systems, cameras and security locks for the buildings to make students as safe as possible, he said.

“All art, music and instructional supplies come through the levy money. If the levy doesn’t pass, the students will lose every bit of those benefits because the county cannot afford to pay for those things.

“The state doesn’t give you enough money to run your schools. They do the best they can with the revenue, but it’s not enough to get all of the extras for the students.”

Raleigh County Education Association president Marie Hamrick stressed that the county has traditionally supported the levy and she hopes they will do so again.

“These funds go through the entire county. Whether you’re in the Shady area, Sophia, Marsh Fork ... You want to be able to support your area, and this is one way to do it. When you travel to some of the surrounding counties and see those schools, it really makes you appreciate the voters of Raleigh County and how we’ve been able to manage.”

Crescent Elementary principal Danny Pettry said he deems the levy one of the biggest benefits students have received since 1941,

“At Crescent Elementary School, monies from the special levy help provide student athletic programs, transportation for field trips, library books, student health services, school repairs, technology integration. These are only a few of the benefits realized by our students and certainly not where it stops.”

As the world changes, the needs and opportunities of students change, and it’s necessary that Raleigh County continues to prepare its students to compete in a global society with 21st century skills, Pettry said.

Stanaford Elementary principal Dreama Bell said the approximate cost of textbooks for a fifth-grade student is $356.

“Looking at today’s economy, this is a cost parents don’t really want to have to deal with when they’re already losing jobs and losing income. I think parents have to know that there will be no tax increase with this levy — it’s just a continuation of what we already have. It will provide additional monies for things such as music and technology, which is greatly needed,” she said.

“It’s so important to our kids and the general workings of our schools. I’d hate to see us go backwards for not having this levy.”

“We’re obligated to provide a safe school for our students,” county pupil services director Miller Hall said.

Hall said the levy allows school officials to train students and staff on necessary safety issues. He says the county has begun work on the exterior of county school buildings with access safety money and the school district hopes to utilize levy money to work on interior building safety.

“The levy is extremely balanced and will help provide Raleigh County students with necessary 21st century skills. If you don’t have this money, your going to go backwards as opposed to going forward. I think our county is in progression mode. However, you still need money to progress to where you need to be.”

Hall considers the levy a community project and says he doesn’t think anyone in the county wants to see the educational system go down.

“Raleigh County takes pride in education. You’re voting for the progression of Raleigh County as a whole to help our young people and our teachers build up the foundation we’ve already developed and take it to the next level so that wherever they go, our students will be proud to say, ‘I went to a Raleigh County school and got a great education.’”

— E-mail:

jayres@register-herald.com