During the next eight weeks Marshall County residents who wish to learn more on the upcoming Marshall County excess school levy will have that opportunity as school personnel and others will be available to provide additional information.

Actually four groups have already had a chance to learn what the school district has listed on the Nov. 8 ballot of the operating levy.

Being a 5-year levy, it is actually not something new, as the levy was first voted on in 1959.

This past Thursday, Superintendent Shelby Haines, Board president John Miller and BOE vice president Christie Robison met with Tom Cook, Marshall County Health Department administrator, Lisa Ingram of the West Virginia University Service, and Susan Reilly and Jim Stultz, both of the Marshall County Public Library, outlining the different ways they provide service to staff and students throughout the year.

More information will be available at different locations prior to the election, or via the Marshall County Schools’ website at boe.mars.k12.wv.us

Samples of available information are:

– how funding will be used by the school district;

– the levy has been renewed by the voters of Marshall County every five years since 1959;

– the renewal will not raise taxes;

– the current Marshall County operating levy expires June 30, 2023, and the upcoming levy, if passed, will run for five years beginning July 1, 2023.

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The Marshall County Board of Education at a meeting on Aug. 9 was authorized to adopt the levy with purposes for which additional funds are needed during the term of this five-year levy, and the approximate average annual amount for such purposes after due allowances for discounts, delinquencies, exonerations, uncollected taxes and shrinkage, subject to variation from year to year.

The fiscal year for the levy would begin on July 1 each year beginning in 2023. The average amount of $35.15 million annually would be for the purpose of the payment of general current expenses.

The Marshall County Board of Education has put together 24 items for which additional funds are needed , along with the annual amount for each purpose per year that would be funded by the levy:

These are:

– Purchasing instructional equipment, teaching supplies, textbooks, and library books ($1,500).

– Continuing to provide counselors throughout the county and funding their benefits beyond the state funding formula ($300,000).

– Continuing to provide nurses throughout the county and funding their benefits beyond the state funding formula ($300,000).

– Continuing to provide social worker services to students ($150,000).

– Continuing to provide resource officers in the schools ($325,000).

– Providing for free breakfast and lunch for all students ($400,000).

– Continuing the Project Lead The Way/STEM curriculum for grades K-1 ($250,000).

– Providing funding to library services through the Public/County libraries of Benwood, Cameron and Moundsville ($500,000).

n Providing funding to the Marshall County 4-H through the West Virginian University Extension Service ($75,000).

– Providing funding to the Marshall County Health Department for county-wide health services ($100,000).

– Improving access to technology by purchasing hardware, software, infrastructure, repairs, training, and technical support personnel ($1,500,000).

– Providing maintenance on equipment and buildings, including extended employment for summer maintenance workers ($3,000,000).

– Supplementing special education services for identified students beyond the state funding formula ($300,000).

– Providing vehicle maintenance, fuel and county-wide bus replacement ($900,000).

– Contracting with various sites throughout Marshall County for the Pre-Kindergarten Program ($900,000).

– Providing supplemental funding for various renovations and new construction throughout the county including but without limitation; safety upgrades, renovation of Sherrard Middle School auditorium, new Moundsville Middle School auditorium, Sand Hill School facility upgrades, Cameron Elementary interior upgrades, a new McMechen/Benwood School; John Marshall High School and Cameron High School athletic facility improvements; Glen Dale Elementary renovation and Moundsville Middle School roof ($800,000).

– Funding employee salaries and benefits, including local salary supplements and fixed charges, such as dental and optical plans ($15,267,276).

– Providing for vocational supplies, equipment, and personnel ($300,000).

– Providing for music, band, strings equipment ($125,000).

– Providing for extended day learning, including personnel and supplies ($200,000)

– Providing for summer school remediation, enrichments, and vocational training, including personnel and supplies ($150,000).

– Continuing to provide for intervention specialists, including fringe benefits throughout the county’s elementary schools ($500,000).

– Providing extra duty salary supplements for curricular positions and athletic coaches ($700,000).

– Providing for Back to School Fair ($10,000).

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The Marshall County Health Department has a new employee –Jill Yoho-White, who has been a nurse for 40 years.

Yoho-White was a volunteer at the Fairgrounds when COVID-19 clinics were held there.

Also, the health department has a new board member as Jason Turner has been named to replace Jason Frohnapfel. His term will expire in May 2025.

The health board is comprised of five members selected and appointed by the vote of the county commission. No more than two members can reside in the same magisterial district, and no more than two individuals can be in the same business, profession or occupation. Also, no more than three members of a county board of health may belong to the same political party.

In addition to Turner, current members are Wesley Howsare, chairman, Michael Ferro, Kristy Menedez and James Stultz.

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At the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, you can hear some moving poetry from a new publication and help acknowledge the 10th anniversary of the appointment of West Virginia’s current Poet Laureate, Marc Harshman.

Monogahela Books published “Dark Hills of Home” in 2022 to coincide with Harshman’s anniversary. The collection includes a few poems from very early in Harshman’s career, as well as poems never before published in book form.

Harshman will have books available for sale and signing copies of this latest work as well as the new chaplet “Two Views of Oxford” and earlier poetry collections and children’s picture books.

Support for this event will be provided by the Robert Baker family.

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Don’t forget there will be some parking changes starting Monday around the Moundsville City Building for the next 13 months, as ground was broken Thursday afternoon for the new Municipal/Public Safety Building.

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A Rise & Shine 5K race will be held Sept. 17 at Grand Vue Park. Registration will begin at 7 a.m., with the race starts at 9 a.m. The event is sponsored by Relay for Life of Marshall County.

All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. Anyone wishing further information can call Susie Hinerman at 304-559-9183.

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I reached another milestone this past Friday, as on that date 70 years ago I first started working for Ogden Newspapers.