CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Voters in Kanawha County overwhelmingly approved the Kanawha County Schools excess levy on Tuesday in the General Election.
The votes for the five-year levy totaled 30,537, 64.79%, and against totaled 16,593, 35.21%.
The excess levy will provide the school district with about $61.7 million annually starting in the 2024-2025 school year.
Tom Williams, the Superintendent of Kanawha County Schools previously told 580-WCHS on Monday that the levy would not increase taxes. The levy has been in effect since 1937.
The levy funds will go towards maintenance, facility upgrades and some staff positions including funding school employee salaries, substitute salaries, and employee benefits. Other improvements will be school HVAC and roofing while allowing the school system to hire seven counselors, five nurses and maintenance staff members.
The levy also means a new weapons detection system will be installed in all nine of the county’s high schools.
“Unfortunately we see what happens at other schools. This will ensure that no one comes into our schools with weapons they should not have,” Board of Education President Tracy White told 580-WCHS Tuesday night.
Kanawha County voters approved the current levy in November 2018; the current levy will expire in June 2024.