News
Alexander Schools Ready to Move Forward After Passing of Levy
By: Benjamin Schwartz
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ALBANY (WOUB) — Alexander Local School District officials are ready to move forward after the passing of the Alexander School levy.
The levy vote was confirmed Monday by the Athens County Board of Elections after a recount of the May 7 primary election. The levy passed by one vote.
Alexander School Board President John Hutchison says the first order of business is to remove fees imposed on students.
“We had a classroom fee for every student, we had participation fees for all the sports and extra-curriculars,” Hutchison said.
The 1% earned income tax levy will bring approximately $1.6 million into the school district beginning next year.
With a large amount of positions and services needing additional funding, Hutchison stresses that none of the money brought in can be put to waste.
“We did not fill several supplemental positions last year, and we’re going to re-evaluate those and see what most needs filled,” said Hutchison. “But other than that, we are just trying to maintain the programs that we already have. We are not going to be rich. We are not going to have any money to waste.”
The May 7 primary was the sixth time the levy had been put to voters, and with the razor-thin margin of approval, Hutchison says there is a lesson to be learned.
“Sometimes we vote in elections and we feel like it didn’t matter, ‘my vote doesn’t really make any difference,'” Hutchison said. “But in this particular election we see that every vote made a difference.”
The levy will stay in place for five years, after which residents will either vote to sustain or increase the amount taxed.