MORGANTOWN — In an academic landscape ever-shifting from COVID-19, one fact of life for the Monongalia County school district stayed constant during Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting.
By a 5-0 vote, the BOE approved levy rates for Fiscal Year 2021, in an action that amounted to what was basically the continuation of a same-old story.
That’s because the rates are basically unchanged from FY 2020.
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 voted to keep 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 cents per $100.
The excess levy traditionally makes up about 25% of the total operation budget for Mon Schools.
Its monies go for the purchase of Chromebook computers, which were critical when the county was on all-remote learning due to COVID.
Line items on the excess levy’s ledger help pay the salaries of school nurses, while bankrolling all those after-school and summer enrichment programs, which are beginning a slow return, while the local district continues to coexist during these pandemic days.
Now more than ever, BOE President Nancy Walker said, levy money in Mon is money well-spent.
“In reality, that’s what funds a lot of the programs,” she said.
“A lot of things, that – especially as we’re hearing this year – have a direct impact on student learning.”
At Morgantown High this afternoon, the district will make a direct jab to the above.
Some 700 doses of the Moderna vaccine are expected to be administered in a clinic at the school on Wilson Avenue, beginning at 3:30 p.m.
The call-out includes teachers and other staffers in line for their second shot, along with select family members in their households who are over the age of 18 and have yet to receive their first vaccine.
“This is more exciting than a Friday night basketball game,” Superintendent Eddie Campbell Jr. said.
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