Depending on future Randolph County Board of Education action, voters could be considering an excess levy during the 2010 primary election. Discussion about the levy process occurred days after Superintendent Dr. Jim Phares received word that the county will be removed from a state of emergency status.

The decision to add an excess levy must be made by March1. By March 2, the BOE must provide a copy of the excess levy ballot to the Randolph County Clerk and submit a request to place the decision on the Primary Election ballot to the Randolph County Commission, Director of Finance Brad Smith explained.

Before the excess levy is placed on the ballot, Phares and BOE members think the community should be involved in the process of determining what it would entail. Phares explained that a surveying firm could gather information from county residents about their thoughts on an excess levy and what percentages they would be likely to support. He also said community discussions could take place within the upcoming months because the public has said they would like to provide input on the excess levy.

"This gives us enough time to sit down with all the stakeholders in order to take input as to what should be in the levy and come out with a sound levy that the citizens will support, that our employees will support and governing bodies will support," Phares said. "I think we ought to trust the voters. If we put the right call together, they'll support it."

Services from a surveying firm would cost between $25,000 to $30,000, but the data it would gather would be worth the investment, Phares said. He added that if a special excess levy election were to be conducted, the cost would be approximately $48,000 to $50,000.

"The question you've gotta ask is do you just want to run the levy, which is all the OEPA (Office of Education Performance Audit) is recommending ... or do you want to win the levy, do you actually want it to be approved," Phares said to board members.

BOE member Hollis Vance said an excess levy is needed if Randolph County schools are to maintain their current operations

The BOE must also submit a schedule of proposed levy rates between March 7 and March 28 and the meeting will stand adjourned until after the canvass of votes in May.

Phares will provide a recommendation about the excess levy and information from surveying firms to the board at a later date.

Last week the OEPA visited the county. Phares said reviews were positive and members noted improvements in all aspects of the county school system.

"My goal was to hopefully get them to acknowledge the massive amount of work that had been done at the school level and at the central office level in reaction and response to the original OEPA visit," Phares said. "As to what our approval status will be, I know that we will no longer be under a state of emergency."