Dear Kanawha County Board of Education Members;

            We write to you as concerned citizens of Kanawha County.  Recent discussions concerning the growing needs of many schools in our county -- and the apparent lack of state and county funding needed to address these concerns -- are very disheartening to us as citizens, parents, and taxpayers.  We believe that all schools in our county deserve to have the best possible facilities in order to better serve the children of Kanawha County. 

While we are willing to work together in order to raise necessary funds if possible, we also fully support the idea of raising the cap imposed by the Board on the county excess levy for school funding, as well as passage of a school bond.  The excess levy cap has taken a total of $148,235,000 in possible funding from our schools since 1999.  Assuming that a taxpayer owns a $100,000 fair market value home and $15,000 in fair market value vehicles, it is estimated that elimination of this cap would cost such taxpayer only an additional $117 annually. 

We also understand that the School Building Authority is not motivated to fund improvement to any schools in our county because we do not contribute 100% of our excess levy funds.  Many other counties in our state, however, contribute 100% of their excess levy toward school funding.  We believe that we have a better chance of obtaining SBA funding in the future to allow for improvements to all Kanawha County schools by eliminating the levy cap, or by increasing it to allow more than 90% of these possible funds to reach our schools.

Now is the time for our citizens and the Board of Education to come together in order to pursue necessary funding lost through the levy cap and the lack of a school bond.  There is no better investment in our county’s future than through our children.  We hope by supporting an increase in the levy cap, and supporting any necessary bonds, that we will be a catalyst in providing the much-needed repairs and improvements to all schools in our county. We appreciate your consideration.

                                        Sincerely,

                                        Your Undersigned Fellow Kanawha Countians

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