Mon County Schools Gets Levy Renewed, More School Construction

By Evelyn Ryan and, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Jan. 1–The top news for Monongalia County Schools in 2006 was the vote of confidence county residents expressed by overwhelmingly passing a fiveyear extension of the excess levy. The excess levy is a local tax that accounts for about 20 percent of the board’s $74 million budget. The excess levy supports many of the extras in the system, including music and sports programs. Excess levy renewed The excess levy will bring in about $16 million a year for five years to help fund school programs. About $9.1 million from the levy goes to salaries and benefits for teachers, service personnel and professional staff. This includes a $500 across-the-board annual raise for all employees, plus a $500 lump sum payment in mid-year. Other big-ticket items include $1.1 million a year for instructional materials, about $1.3 million for building maintenance and $1.1 million for operations. The levy also pays for technology, after-school programs, arts and theater programs, and athletics. Schools under construction Monongalia County’s $65.5 million school construction program got into full swing in 2006, with board members dealing with cost increases ranging from higher steel prices to unexpected grouting costs to competition from other building projects in the area. Board member Joe Statler observed when bids for the new University High were opened that early bids were 30 percent above the original estimates. The UHS bid, he was told, was 25 percent higher. By the end of the year, the new Mylan Park and Skyview elementary schools were getting ready for students in January, while Mason-Dixon Elementary was enjoying its new classroom wing, completed before August. At Clay-Battelle High, the new commons area and kitchen, and office wing opened in October, while certain renovated classrooms were ready by the start of school in August. The gym is under roof. Building contracts for more than $28 million were issued in July for the new University High School building, off Bakers Ridge Road. Before work could begin, abandoned coal mines on the site had to be filled with a concrete grout. These costs were high because the caves were larger than expected. Four chosen for board seats For the first time anyone can recall, Monongalia County residents had to choose four members for the school board at May’s election. Three incumbents were up this year, but a fourth seat was on the ballot because Mike Yura resigned in mid-term. Incumbents Barbara Parsons and Steve Cook were elected to four-year terms. The third four-year term went to retired educator Clarence Harvey, who had served on the board in the past. Incumbent Joe Statler, as the fourth highest vote-getter, was elected to Yura’s two-year unexpired term. Westover resident Mike Kelly was appointed to fill Yura’s seat until the election, but he failed to gain enough votes to keep the job. Newspaper sues over tapes The Dominion Post went to court to gain access to a school bus videotape of an incident at Mountainview Elementary School in 2005 that’s evidence in a lawsuit against the school district. Monongalia County Chief Circuit Judge Russell Clawges Jr. closed court hearings in the case and sealed all records. The incident involves a special-needs student. In January, The Dominion Post filed a Freedom of Information Act request for access to the videotape. That request was denied by School Superintendent Frank Devono, who said the tape is personal in nature, the subject of litigation and contains information involving students, which is protected from disclosure. The Dominion Post believes bus videotapes should be considered public records, and sued in February to obtain a copy. Clawges ruled against the newspaper in August, saying the videotape was not a public record and was protected from release because it was part of the student’s educational file. The newspaper has taken the issue to the West Virginia Supreme Court. In December, the high court was asked to review whether the newspaper has a right to see the videotape under the state FOIA. A ruling is expected sometime in 2007. Jake Mullett retires Assistant Superintendent Jake Mullett, who has been with the school system for 39 years, announced his retirement Oct. 24. During his career at Monongalia County Schools, he has been a teacher, a principal and an administrator, overseeing everything from personnel to transportation. Colleagues said his extensive knowledge makes his leaving a great loss to the system. School board President Nancy Walker described Mullett as “just an exemplary man.” As assistant superintendent, he dealt with a wide range of changes in policies and hiring practices, and with school consolidation resulting from school construction.

School board member Clarence Harvey said Mullett has always been someone the district could count on for whatever needed to be done.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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