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Summers County board approves four‑year 20% levy order, outlines phased spending and transparency measures
Summary
The Summers County Board of Education voted to approve a proposed four‑year, 20% levy order to fund school‑level staff, transportation, playgrounds and medium capital projects; the board emphasized phased spending, public outreach and monthly reporting.
The Summers County Board of Education on Feb. 24 approved a four‑year levy order calling for a 20% increase aimed at funding school‑level service personnel, transportation needs, playground improvements and medium facility projects.
Board members voted to adopt the levy order after staff described community survey results and a phased plan for spending the estimated $990,000 a year in collections. Mrs. Farley moved to approve the levy order and Mr. Broen seconded; the minutes record the motion as approved by a 5‑0 vote.
The superintendents central office representative, Mrs. Crook, told the board the proposal was narrowed from earlier options and is intended primarily for school‑level personnel (bus operators, cooks, aides), transportation repairs and replacement vehicles, curricular and extracurricular trips, and prioritized facility projects at several schools. "It's not just football. It is for band, it is for [school level] activities," Mrs. Crook told the board, stressing the levy would fund a broad set of student services and activities rather than only athletics.
Officials described the levy as a multiyear, phased plan: some projects — such as a visible playground in the Hint area — were identified for early years to demonstrate progress, while larger items (including a safer secure entrance at Jumping Branch) were described as multi‑year projects that could require saved levy proceeds. Staff said the levy was structured so that carryover would be reported annually and that, at the end of the four years, the board would account for how funds had been spent.
Board members discussed outreach and voter education plans that would explain project phasing and legal limits on using district resources for promotion. The board agreed to produce public materials and pledged monthly public reporting and a dedicated fund to track levy revenues and expenditures so residents can see where money is spent.
The board did not identify a single fixed start date for individual projects; staff said implementation depends on tax collections and that if collections fall short, not all projects could be completed as described. The board moved to adopt the levy order as presented and recorded the approval in the meeting minutes.
