‘Grateful for this levy and everyone who voted’
Thank you, voters!
Thank you to everyone who voted for the excess levy. As a current student, I understand that this levy will help the education system immensely. Even though some say they see no benefit, there are so many that could be named that benefit from this levy.
One of these benefits is the technology given to students. With the pandemic, students are relying on their Chromebooks to complete work and contact teachers. It’s essential. I feel, as students, we will continue to rely on the technology given to us. With this levy, it will help to keep up with the technology needed for current schooling.
Another benefit of this levy is that it helps provide counselors for schools. Counselors are an important part of schools because they help students with several different aspects of school life, whether that be mental health discussions and resources, or resources for college. From personal experience, counselors have helped me from several perspectives for different reasons. I think that it is super important to make sure we always continue to have that extra support for counselors.
A third benefit that the levy brings is before- and after-school care. Before- and after-school care is a fantastic benefit for students and parents. Some parents work schedules that make it difficult for them to be at home consistently. Before- and after-school programs allow a chance for students to receive the care they need and the parents to work what they need.
So yes, there are people skeptical about the levy’s benefits. But even with that, we know that it helps so many who fall under the education system. So many students and other employees are truly grateful for this levy and for everyone who voted for it.
Michaela Johnson
Morgantown
‘Hope to have you on our side again’ in five years
I would like to thank the voters from the latest levy. You have provided another five years of support for many things in Mon County Schools. Even if you didn’t vote, you also helped out with allowing us to get the levy passed.
You’ve provided support for lots of courses, such as funding for the art classes, allowing some art classes that were not going to be able to be kept to stay in school. As someone who loves art and believes it’s important for kids to learn, it’s a good thing to me.
The levy also provides counselors to be in the schools. That is important because many students use them, including myself, and they also assist with lots of the things the students do.
The levy also pays for our extracurricular teachers to work, which are always nice to have. The extra classes give the students more to do than just the basic classes. There are lots of other classes that also benefit from the levy. It gives money to update things in the other classes. And for schools such as MTEC, it provides money to support do other things within the programs.
The levy also gives new furniture within all of the schools that need it, which is a big help. This is all important to me, because it will be the way my next two years of school will be affected and how my environment will be affected.
Again, I just want to say thank you for all the help on our new levy journey. In five years when we vote again, I hope to have you on our side again!
Autumn Bourne
Morgantown
‘Levy provides for my education and family’
I am a student at Clay-Battelle High School and the Monongalia County Technical Education Center. I am writing this letter to thank you, the citizens of Monongalia County, for supporting and passing our education levy.
This levy is so important to our county’s students and staff. This is especially important to me and my education because several of the opportunities I have at my disposal are made possible by this money.
First, the levy provides me with a school-issued Chromebook. This Chromebook has helped me as a student throughout the pandemic, because we attended school virtually for a span of time. This allowed me to contact my teachers and continue my education as normal despite the relentless pandemic. I wouldn’t even be able to write this letter to you right now if the levy didn’t provide me with this technology.
Second, the levy allows me to take dual credit classes. I am currently enrolled in a WVU algebra course that provides me with college credit. This is incredibly beneficial to me because I wish to pursue an education degree, and these courses will further my degree progress before my freshman year even begins.
Third, the levy provided school custodians with a pay raise. My mother, Patty, works as a custodian at Clay-Battelle High School. This raise allows my family to more comfortably pay our bills and have money left over to see a movie together or go out for dinner. In fact, we are planning a day-trip this month to de-stress from our normal routines of going to school and work.
Overall, this levy provides for not only my education, but also for my family. Therefore, I truly appreciate your contribution. Thank you!
Audrey Simpson
Blacksville
‘Everything the levy does for us as a community’
We the students believe that it is important to let Monongalia citizens know how much we appreciate passing the levy. We feel responsible to let everyone know the positive outlooks and how it affects each and every student. It starts as personal affects to community affects. I want to say thank you to each and every one of you who voted for that levy that went toward Monongalia County Schools.
Many schools wouldn’t have nurses or counselors. It is a big part of schools to have nurses and counselors. Many students wouldn’t have the opportunity to open up about their feelings without school counselors or wouldn’t be able to change in positive ways.
With the help of the levy, many schools have after-school and before-school programs. This takes stress off of parents who work later hours to support their families. After-school programs also help students with school work if they are behind or need extra help. It also gives students the opportunity to come out of their shell and help with social communication.
Without the levy, we wouldn’t have made it through last year’s school year. With there being a global pandemic last year, levy-supported Chromebooks and WiFi hotspots so students could get on and do class helped everything feel somewhat normal. The levy has done so many things for our schools, including funding librarians, arts, music, physical education, alternative education programs, foreign language classes and technology.
As you can see, the levy impacts everything that we call school. We appreciate everything the levy provides for us. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this and think about everything the levy does for us as a community.
Chyanne Shorter
Morgantown
‘Students are provided an excellent education’
Thank you to those of you who voted for the 2022-27 excess levy Sept. 25.
Monongalia County public schools have benefited from the excess levy for 48 years. The 2017-22 excess levy generated roughly $32 million annually to support the students, staff and schools in our county.
With the money from the levy, Monongalia County Schools are able to provide student health services, advanced placement (AP) and honors classes, alternative education programs, world language instruction and much more.
Without this money from the taxpayers, Monongalia County Schools would not have access to music, sports, quality education or properly maintained school buildings.
Students are provided with laptops to access school materials and assist with remote learning, which has been extremely beneficial throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
With this money, students are provided an excellent education, which allows them to be excellent citizens for our community.
Madalyn Adkins
Morgantown
Programs not possible ‘without people like you’
I am writing this letter just to say thank you for helping pass the levy. I am grateful that you saved all the programs like before-/after-school programs, the music programs and the counselors we have that help us succeed daily. Many people did not want it to pass, but I thank you for helping us get this opportunity.
These programs, like the before-/after-school programs and music programs, are extremely important to me because I have made so many connections through those things. Music programs have allowed me to express myself and show who I am without feeling ashamed. Also before-/after-school programs really helped me when I did not know people and was scared, and they helped me get out of my shell. These programs gave people like me the opportunity to be more excited about who we are.
Last, counselors are so important because middle/high schoolers’ lives are really hard. They give people like me who have anxiety and depression a chance to express how we feel. We can say how we feel because we know they are people who are going to do what they can to help us.
In conclusion, these programs would not have been able to be in our schools without people like you fighting for them. So I want to say thank you for helping children like me have a chance to be more successful.
Gabrianna Marshall
Morgantown
