Two school levies to go before voters in February

POMEROY–The Pomeroy School District (PSD) Board of Directors passed levy propositions and hired wrestling coaches at their meeting on November 29.

The board passed resolution 309, Proposition No. 1: Replacement Educational Programs and Operation Levy, which will be put on the February 14 ballot for Garfield County voters. This is a four-year levy, which will collect $1.1 million per year, and will replace the expiring EP&O levy approved in 2019, if passed. The money will be used to fund the balance between state funds and actual costs of PSD student programs and services, including the student resource officer, athletics and extracurricular activities, and administrator salaries.

Also passed was resolution 310, Proposition No. 2: Capital Levy for Safety and Infrastructure Improvements. This will put a Capital Levy on the February ballot as well. It is a six-year levy that will collect $500,000 each year. These funds will be used for projects such as sidewalk replacements, replacing lights at the football field, lighting the baseball field, and a new roof on the elementary school.

The board voted to hire Mat Slaybaugh as head wrestling coach and Joel Steele assistant wrestling coach.

In further business, the board discussed the possibility of acquiring an electric bus with PSD business manager Kelly McKeirnan. Despite the opportunity of a $395,000 grant from Blue Bird, after discussing the $500,000 cost of the bus and $200,000 cost of infrastructural changes to accommodate it, the board decided not to move forward on the idea.