CABELL COUNTY, W.Va. — The Cabell County Board of Education has voted to supply its library and parks with partial funding in it’s proposed excess levy in the total amount of $1.5 million
On Monday afternoon, board members accepted a recommendation from Cabell County Schools Superintendent Ryan Saxe to amend the levy and add $1,373,771 for the CCPL and $200,000 for the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District.
“We recognize that it is not the full funding figures they received in the past, but as a school board we are not receiving the total money we think we need also, so you had to make cuts on both sides,” said School Board Member Coy Miller.
Kathy McKenna, Executive Director of the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District, said they’re glad they’re seeing some funding come in but it’s not at the level they were hoping for.
“We are grateful for any funding, however, we were extremely disappointed in the amount of $200,000,” said McKenna.
“This amount is 42% less than the last offer and 20% less than the first offer they made to us. GHPRD will have to reassess expenditures for services and programs to determine how we will continue to provide the level of services and programs the community expects,” she added.
The $200,000 given to the parks system is the highest amount any school district in the state has given to a parks system in West Virginia, according to Saxe.
In February, the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the school district is not required to fund the CCPL or the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District. An approved levy budget in August 2023 showed the budget for the libraries and parks was going to be cut by 90%. Supporters for the libraries and parks filed a petition the following month to try and prevent a major slash in funding from happening.
Voters will take up the levy on the May ballot.