Members of the Monongalia County Board of Education (BOE) played ball with some familiar-looking numbers Tuesday night.
That’s because the proposed levy rates for fiscal year 2019, which were tentatively approved by the board, will stay the same as last year.
District treasurer Nicole Kemper presented two sets of rates for the board’s consideration.
For the statewide levy, the BOE voted in the affirmative for 19.40 cents per $100 of assessed value for Class I property, which is used for farming or livestock.
Board members also agreed to the 38.80 cent rate for every $100 assessed for Class II properties, which are owner-occupied homes.
The board also voted to keep the rates the same for the Class III properties — which are not used or occupied by the owner and are outside a municipality — and Class IV, the same as Class III but within a municipality.
Class III and Class IV rates will stay at 77.60 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Under the excess levy, which is used to pay for expenses such as textbooks and the salaries of school nurses, the BOE voted to keep those rates the same as well.
The Class I rate is at 16.75 cents per $100 of assessed value. The Class II rate is 33.50 cents per $100.
As with last year, Class III and Class IV rates are 67.00 cents per $100.
The excess levy makes up about 25 percent of the school district’s budget.
The BOE will reconvene at 7 p.m. April 17, at its administrative board offices at 13 S. High St., to hear public comments before formally agreeing to the rates, which will then be sent to the state for approval.
Take me out to the ball game
In other business, the BOE heard about ball-playing of the literal kind.
Monongalia County Commissioner Sean Sikora and Don Robinson, a chief financial officer with MVB Bank, came out to discuss a baseball triple-header that will take place May 4 at the Monongalia County Ballpark, featuring teams from area high schools.
Morgantown High School will match up with Bridgeport for the first game of the day, followed by University High and George Washington.
Clay-Battelle High and Notre Dame will complete the bill that evening.
Robinson said his bank will be among several locals bringing the games to the park with the help of the commission.
There will be no admission charge to the games, Robinson said.
“Our goal is the have the full scoreboard, walk-up music … everything you’d experience at a minor league game,” the banker and baseball enthusiast said.
BOE President Barbara Parsons was ready for the on-deck circle.
“I love the idea of kids playing in that ballpark,” she said.
