FAIRMONT, W.Va. – In Marion County, 55-percent of voters came out to support renewal of the Board of Education Levy. Marion County Schools Superintendent Donna Hage said the levy makes up 20-percent of their general fund budget.
“We have the longest continuous levy in the state of West Virginia, supported since 1947 by our voters,” Hage said. ” For them to go to the polling places to support us and public education is a very good feeling.”
The Marion County Schools Levy committee has traveled to several events leading up to the election like the Labor Day picnic at Hough Park in Mannington and also made several presentations throughout the community.
“Thank you to our levy committee, absolutely,” Hage said. “They are retired educators, local business owners and a former board of education member and they really came through for our community.”
Hage also noted voters sent a strong message rejecting Amendment 2 with a little more than 68-percent of the vote. The fear was if passed Marion County Schools, the largest employer in the county, would have been forced to make tough budget decisions that could have a negative effect in the community.
“Which is tied to our local funding and we’re very pleased that our voters went out in support of keeping local funds for local systems like ours,” Hage said.
Hage said her district is one of several in the state that have seen an post-pandemic test score increase. Recently, she was asked to meet with West Virginia State School Superintendent David Roach.
“Nine superintendents from counties in West Virginia who saw growth in student test scores,” Hage said. ” And the state superintendent wanted to pick our brains about what we were doing different.”