Resident urges board to renew supplemental levy, defends school employees

At the West Jefferson School Board regular meeting, a public commenter identified as Scott asked trustees to treat district employees as people rather than spreadsheet percentages and urged renewal of the local supplemental levy that funds employee compensation and programs.

Scott, who said he has worked for 29 years serving students in the West Jefferson School District, criticized reducing staff to “percentages on a spreadsheet” and emphasized that in a small rural district staff often “wear multiple hats,” supervising programs, managing operations and filling roles that would be separate positions in larger districts. He said support from voters has been critical and that the levy “is not about enriching employees. It is about supporting the people who make our schools work.”

The superintendent told the board she will prepare a proposal to seek renewal of the supplemental levy in November and will present the proposal and supporting materials at upcoming board and public hearings; the board clerk noted the timeline requires action by early August to put questions on a fall ballot if necessary. The superintendent also said the district will prepare a response to patron input submitted after the prior meeting and will outline outreach plans as part of the levy renewal work.

Why it matters: West Jefferson relies on supplemental levies to supplement state funding for salaries, programs and operations; in a small district the loss of levy-supported recruit-and-retain supplements or program funding can mean immediate reductions to specific pay categories or program offerings.

Next steps: The superintendent will return with a formal renewal proposal and timeline; the board will discuss and set any ballot timing at a future meeting.