HUNTINGTON -- Cabell County Schools Superintendent William Smith asked the school board to consider moving the excess levy election from next spring to this Nov. 4 general election.
Smith said it will save the county about $100,000 and will likely get more voters to participate because they'll already be at the polls for local and national elections.
The excess levy isn't anything new. Cabell County Schools treasurer Jody Lucas said the county has had one since 1954, and it's always been to the maximum amount. The last levy, voted into effect in May 2004, has generated more than $15 million annually through the 2009 fiscal year.
"If the levy passes, it would basically be the same," Lucas said. "It's not a new tax to the taxpayer."
The money goes toward salaries, classroom supplies, benefits, construction and contracted services, among other things. Smith said he would like to add the new random drug testing and middle school intramural activities to the list, although the amounts any of the categories would receive aren't determined. Only 50.1 percent of votes cast must be in favor of the levy for it to pass.
Board members also expressed interest in holding the election in November and could vote on the move at their Aug. 5 meeting.
In other news, the board approved change orders for the new Milton Middle School totaling more than $140,000. But the change orders were for utilities that, at the time of the construction bid, hadn't been given a definite location on the property, said Mike O'Dell, assistant superintendent of operations. He said they were planned expenses, and change orders are required.
The board also approved spending $600,000 on new computers from nCompass Networks Inc. The money comes from the annual computer replacement cycle funding, and the 670 new computers will be dispersed to all the elementary schools for use in third-, fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms. In addition, 17 of the computers will go to the new Martha Elementary School -- one for each classroom -- to accommodate the new SMART Boards and ceiling projectors that each classroom will have.
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