Ohio County School and Library Levies Get Town Hall Discussion

WHEELING - There are more than 1,500 uncertified educators teaching in West Virginia schools - but less than 10 of them are employed within Ohio County Schools, the public heard Monday night.

Ohio County Board of Education President Andy Garber cited the figures from the West Virginia Department of Education on Monday night while speaking about the upcoming renewal request of the Ohio County Schools excess levy on the May 14 ballot. Money from the excess levy directed toward bonus pay for teachers helps to attract certified teachers to Ohio County Schools, he explained.

The school district's excess levy and a second levy put forth by the Ohio County Library - which would draw upon the excess levy's funds - were the focus of a town hall discussion Monday night at West Virginia Northern Community College. The event was organized by the Ohio County Education Association.

Amy Kastigar, director of the Ohio County Library, presented information on behalf of the library, while Garber and Ohio County Schools Superintendent Kim Miller spoke for the school district.

The excess levy generates $23 million for the school district annually, with the library levy generating just over $1 million if passed.

The extra funding coming into the school district helps pay for providing the 23 advanced placement programs at Wheeling Park High School, as well for the robotics program and the theater and speech programs there, she continued.

The money also makes it possible for the school district to place school resource officers in each school building, as well as security cameras. The levy also provides for bus maintenance, parts, fuel and driver training, according to Miller.

The levy dollars also make it possible for many extracurricular activities to exist, and for those academic and athletic programs to travel to competitions and tournaments.

That's not the case everywhere, Miller noted.

"We have several counties in West Virginia now where if their team is going to travel, they travel in their parents' cars," she told those present. "Morgantown (High School), their basketball team came up with parents.

"So it is happening around the state. We just don't want to be one of those places."

Garber spoke of how Ohio County Schools has been able to hire interventionists with the excess levy money, and also pay teachers above the state's base pay.

"And technology is not cheap," he continued. Every student in Ohio County Schools now has a Chromebook.

"They have their own, and that is fantastic. They can do their work using technology," Garber continued.

He also spoke of how the Ohio County Library previously received funding from Ohio County through the excess levy. But in 2021, the board reduced that funding by a third - dropping the rate from 3 cents per $100 in appraised property values to 2 cents. The move reduced the library's funding from about $884,547 annually to $589,698, according to data provided by the school district at that time.

The library now has its own levy on the May 14 ballot to reinstate the funding to pre-2021 amounts.

Kastigar told those present the library wants to continue to provide more children's programming, and further develop its play area.

It also wants to continue its "Lunch With Books" program for adults on Tuesdays if the levy passes, she continued.

"The way you can support the library levy is simply get out and vote," Kastigar said. "Check with your friends, check with your family, check with your friends. This is your opportunity to show your support for the library in a very public way."

Neither levy would cost taxpayers any additional money.

Candidates for public office this year present at the town hall discussion each were permitted three minutes to address the crowd. Those present included three mayoral candidates - Denny Magruder, Rosemary Ketchum and Chad Thalman.

Two candidates for Wheeling City Council took the podium, and they were Anthony Edmond in Ward 1 and John Prather in Ward 4.

Sheriff Tom Howard, a candidate for Ohio County magistrate in Division 4 spoke, as did Roger Bise in Division 1. Current Magistrate Kevin Stryker, also a candidate in Division 1, had to leave to return to magistrate duties but he had organizers read a message from him to the crowd.

Circuit Judge Ron Wilson took the podium.

Three House of Delegates candidates also addressed the crowd. They were Democrat David Cantrell in District 3; Delegate Diana Winzenreid, R-Ohio, in District 4; and Democrat Johnny Haught in District 4.