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District previews 2029–2034 excess levy with new CTE and playground proposals
Summary
District staff presented a draft excess levy ballot that would run 2029–2034, proposing middle‑school CTE, expanded robotics, elementary playground upgrades including accessible equipment, continued employee dental/vision and coaching supplements, plus turf replacement; board will review and vote in August.
District finance and leadership staff presented a draft excess levy ballot to the Kanawha County Board of Education at the July 6 meeting, outlining proposed projects and the timeline for voter approval.
Staff said the levy would, if approved, run from 2029 through 2034. The draft reorganizes the levy into clearer categories—instruction/student services/operations, facilities/safety/technology, and athletics/extracurricular—and includes several items new to this ballot: middle‑school career and technical education (CTE) programs, additional robotics program supplies, elementary playground improvements (including accessible equipment), and cyclical replacement of high‑school football field turf. Staff emphasized the draft preserves continuity with traditional levy items, continues free employee dental and vision coverage, and retains coaching supplements.
Staff described the method used to estimate revenues—10‑year averages of county tax collections, historical expenditure trends and projected costs for new items—and warned that inflation may outpace assessment growth. The draft also includes language giving the board limited flexibility to reallocate surplus collections among approved categories and an explicit prohibition on contributing levy funds to charter schools.
If the board approves the draft at a later meeting, staff said they plan to return the ballot for a final vote at the August board meeting and file it with the county clerk the next day. Staff noted public outreach is planned, including a levy FAQ and community meetings. Board members asked clarifying questions about categories, flexibility to amend the levy, and the outreach plan; staff committed to circulate a revised draft before the August vote.
