EDITOR’S NOTE: Students from MTEC’s Careers in Education program, taught by Carrie Lacy, wrote letters to the editor thanking the community for passing the Monongalia County Schools excess levy and explaining why the levy is important to them. As Nataleigh Bowers wrote: “It means so very much to us that there are so many supporters of our education.” See the rest of the letters next Sunday.
‘Our education relies on you and your vote’
I, along with many of my peers, would like to thank the Monongalia County citizens who voted to pass the levy from the bottom of my heart. It means much more to our school system than many are aware of.
The levy isn’t the only important thing — you are. The voters, citizens, everyone. You hold the power to ensure that our education continues to be good enough to make sure that we learn everything needed to be able to attend college if we choose and to make sure we have much needed counseling services in a time like this. You voted yes for our futures, and for that we thank you.
This levy gives $32 million to boost our schools and education. Something you may not know is this levy makes it possible for us to have school nurses. The nurse is a very important part of a school because it is such a high volume cluster of people, accidents are bound to happen, and imagine if there was no medical professional to help when those accidents occur.
The money helps to set us apart in every way in academics, environment, community relationships and so much more. We are so appreciative of your support of our present education and our futures. Your support is priceless, and our education relies on you and your vote.
The Chromebook I’m using to write this letter is paid for by the levy. I use this every day. Imagine if there was no levy, and we weren’t able to have these computers. Our education would be completely different. You voted yes for continuing to provide support staff for us and for our AP classes to give us an edge when being considered by colleges.
Overall, my classmates and I are extremely grateful for the opportunities the levy has provided us. Thank you all.
Nataleigh Bowers
Morgantown
‘County is incomparable to any other in the state’
Every student that I know or have ever met has benefited from the excess levy — or would have if they were in Monongalia County. The amount of opportunity we have in this county is incomparable to that of any other in the state because of the excess levy, which provides $32 million to the county’s school budget.
Through this, high school students have access to more specialized and advanced classes to take. These classes can be anywhere from foreign languages, music classes, advanced placement and honors classes to special needs classes all across the county for those who need extra assistance to succeed in life and prepare them for the future.
This levy gives schools the funds to afford occupational and speech therapists who are always there to help any student in need of specialized assistance.
I can tell you from my own experience in high school that the majority of the classes I have taken and am taking would not exist without this levy. Things like AP music theory, AP language arts, and a variety of foreign language classes would not be able to be provided to students without the levy.
If you want the next generation of workers and leaders to be educated and intelligent, then why would you not support the levy? That helps us build students to be those leaders and workers that our country needs desperately.
The Chromebook I am using to write this would not be provided to me if we did not receive the levy. Monongalia County Technical Education Center would not have many of its programs remaining and the funds to operate them without the levy, as well.
Really, I wanted to thank everyone for voting for the levy and try to persuade those who were against it to be for it.
Elijah Riggleman
Morgantown
Mon schools ‘the best of the best for education’
For the citizens of Mon County that voted for the recent levy, I wanted to say thanks to all of you. Because of all of you, the levy was passed, and now we can continue to have a wonderful learning experience.
With the levy, we can have all of the technology that we use on a daily basis. Without our Chromebooks, we couldn’t do half the things we do at school, that’s including when one of us is in quarantine for two weeks. I remember last school year how we had to learn at home. Without the technology that the levy provides us with, it would’ve been extremely difficult to learn and do our work.
Right now I’m looking into some colleges that I want to be in, since I’m a junior in high school getting ready for the adult world. I want to have a scholarship, since money is a huge factor with the school. So I’ve been taking some AP/honors classes that the levy supports.
Also, the most important thing for me in my opinion are the student health services, since students get ill and hurt every day. Without our nurses, students and teachers would be on their own when it comes to a medical emergency. Nurses help us with an injury or illness; they also teach us about preventing injuries or illnesses.
So, once again, thank you for helping us students and teachers have the things we need, which the levy gives and provides for us. Because of this, I believe that Monongalia County Schools are the best of the best for education.
Please remember all of this for the next levy, so the next upcoming students can have a great experience, like my fellow students and I are having right now.
Emma Johnson
Morgantown
‘It will help bring more success for students’
First of all, I would like to thank you for passing and saying yes to the 2022-27 excess levy. This will benefit so many of us. And I do believe this will bring so much success to all of us. By passing this levy, students will be able to have more access to many other resources that will help with schoolwork.
This excess levy will last up to a minimum of five years, which is really great in my opinion. Also, this levy will pay for much needed items that will benefit the public citizens. This excess levy will fill in the financial gaps between the funding Mon County Schools receive from the state and the actual cost of the instruction, supplies, equipment, facilities and programs that county residents currently provide for the county’s public school students.
I feel even more encouraged by this levy because it will help bring much more success for students and for many Mon County citizens.
Overall, thank you so much for passing and voting yes for this 2022-27 excess levy that will bring so many needed resources to help improve students’ learning. These funds will allow Mon County Schools to provide students enhanced instructional opportunities and valuable support services beyond those required and/or funded by West Virginia state code.
Alanna Williams
Morgantown
‘Teachers and students appreciate you a lot’
I wanted to thank you for voting yes on the Monongalia County Schools levy. It’s important, because it helps schools and the kids that attend get the materials they need and have a successful school year!
One of the things the levy helps is the before- and after-care of students. For parents that have to work late or go in early, it helps them in such a huge way. It’s completely free. During summer, there is a program called “Summer Snowflakes” for grades pre-K through 12 that is all free. The Summer Snowflakes program is such a beneficial way to let your kids interact with other kids while having fun at the same time. Plus, it puts less stress on the parents trying to find a sitter during the summer.
The levy gives students the option to take a world language class. They can start taking the class in elementary school and continue all the way to high school, where it is required. In elementary school, you can take Chinese or Spanish; middle school you can take French, Spanish, Chinese and Italian; then in high school, you can take Chinese, German, Italian, French and Spanish plus AP instruction. It’s very important for kids to learn another language, especially with all the other nationalities that live in America.
Funds from the levy give all students grades 1-12 a Chromebook and every student pre-K/K a tablet. With COVID going on, it’s important all students had a chance to get their education from the school. For families that struggled during the pandemic, the Chromebooks helped a lot, especially so they wouldn’t worry their children couldn’t get the education they needed.
The levy is a super big part of the schools and it helps not only staff, but the children with so many things, whether it’s financially, mentally or physically. Students wouldn’t be able to get the education they need without help from the people of our community.
To everyone who supports the levy, it’s extremely helpful and all the teachers and students appreciate you a lot.
Alexis McBee
Morgantown
When the levy passed, ‘we were so happy’
First, I’d like to say thank you for voting on the levy. Voting and saying yes to the levy gives more resources to the students. I am able to use one of the resources (Chromebooks) for everyday use and also be able to send you this letter. The levy is important for many reasons.
Because you said yes to the levy, we are able to have resources such as counselors, nurses and, of course, technology. The counselors are paid using the levy, and they help the students by organizing our school affairs and making sure we have a good mental state. Nurses are being used now more than ever due to COVID-19, so having access to such resources is a huge help. Especially during these times of need of such good resources.
We use the Chromebooks for basically everything now in class, and we also have them for the use of online schooling. When the students found out that the levy was passed, we were so happy to hear that the schools would be provided the money needed for vital resources. We are able to have the things necessary for us students to learn better and have a good education.
Samantha Gerard
Morgantown
