ELKINS, W.Va. — Despite a strong showing of support in Elkins, the outlying areas carried the “no-vote” in the 2015 election, shooting down the effort to renew the standing education levy in Randolph County.
According to unofficial final results provided by county officials at approximately 9 p.m. Saturday in the Randolph County Courthouse in Elkins, the levy was voted down with 2,694, or 55.59 percent, voting against and 2,152, or 44.41 percent, voting for the measure.
Donna Auvil, a member of the Randolph County Board of Education, was one of approximately 20 school personnel and supporters who were present at the courthouse when the results were read. The room became increasingly solemn as more and more precincts reported in against the levy.
“I am very disappointed,” Auvil said. “But we live in America and this is why we have the right to vote. The people have spoken what they want.”
Of the 16,670 registered voters in the county, 4,846 residents, or approximately 29 percent, cast a ballot in Saturday’s election or during the early voting process. Two thousand seventeen ballots were cast during early voting, a figure that officials have referred to as “historic” for early voting in the county.
There are three voting districts in Randolph County – Elkins, Cheat and Tygart. One thousand four hundred four of 5,071, or 27.69 percent, of registered voters showed up to the polls in Tygart District, which includes the vicinities of Beverly, Homestead, Valley Head, Pickens and Mill Creek. The district voted overwhelmingly against the levy, with 910 residents, or 64.81 percent, voting against the measure and 494, or 35.19 percent, voting for the levy.
According to results, 1,581 of 5534, or 28.57 percent, of registered voters took to the polls in Cheat District, which includes the vicinities of Coalton, Bowden, Harman, Whitmer and Montrose. Cheat District also leaned heavily against the levy, with 977 residents, or 61.8 percent, voting against the measure and 604, or 38.2 percent, voting for the levy.
Elkins is the only district that voted in favor of the levy. According to results, 1,861 of 6,056, or 30.73 percent, of registered district voters practiced their constitutional right during the special election. Additionally, 1,054, or 56.64 percent, voted in favor of the levy and 807, or 43.36 percent, voted against the measure.
Randolph County Superintendent Pam Hewitt told The Inter-Mountain after the final results were read that she is disappointed in the outcome.
“I’m discouraged with the end result of the election, but I am appreciative of the fact that we had many citizens in our community who supported the levy and our children,” she said. “I would like to thank everybody for their help with this initiative.”
Hewitt added that moving forward, the Board of Education will have to review current finances in an effort to plan ahead for the reality that $2.8 million will no longer be available annually to county schools beginning with next year’s budget.
“Naturally, that’s going to have a significant impact on what we’ve been able to do for the past five years because we’re going to have fewer dollars to work with,” she said.
Hewitt noted she is particularly concerned students will no longer have access to state-of-the-art technology as the purchases made possible by the standing levy become outdated. She added addressing the many aging facilities in the county is also a concern.
“The Board is certainly going to have to evaluate carefully where we are and what we are going to be able to do,” she said.
Hewitt added she is “very appreciative” of the Say Yes to Children Committee, which was formed by current and former educators and community leaders in support of the levy, and the work they have done.
Bob Dunkerley, Co-Chair of the committee, told The Inter-Mountain if voter turnout were higher, the results could have been different. He noted only one third of registered voters hit the polls on Saturday.
That means for every three voters, two of those voices were never heard,” he said. “Of that third, according to the final percentages, and if you (do the math), the (vote differential) is marginal.”
Dunkerley added half a dozen more votes in each precinct could have made a significant difference.
“We still don’t have a real clear mandate from our voting base as to what they think and how we should best operate our schools,” he said. “People will say the public has spoken well, yes, a third of the public has spoken.”
Dunkerley said he hopes to keep a dialog going with people who voted against the measure by hosting public forums to allow county residents an opportunity to offer their perspectives on how to approach school funding.
“The good thing that came out leading up to the election is that there was more discussion about education in Randolph County in the last six weeks than in the last six years,” he said. “People now know more about what is going on in our schools and what our schools need to do to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”
Randolph County Schools officials hoped to raise the same dollar amount with the failed levy $2.8 million every year for five years as was raised by the current levy, which passed during the 2010 general election.
Of that, $1 million would have been allocated for schools and instruction, with $600,000 designated for student supplies, instructional materials and equipment, furnishings and professional development and $400,000 designated for the support of the ArtsBank program, public libraries, art and music supplies and student academic and athletic field trips.
Additionally, $1 million would have been allocated for maintenance, with $375,000 designated for upkeep of the county HVAC systems and $625,000 designated to lawn care, painting, exterior repair and equipment replacement.
A total of $800,000 would have been allocated for technology, with $500,000 dedicated to hardware, software, technology supplies, system upgrades, technician support and instructional specialist support and $300,000 dedicated to additional staff, staff development, materials and equipment.
