West Branch Schools announce levy to improve safety, remove pay to play

The West Branch Local School District wants to improve safety district wide, increase career tech offerings, and remove pay to play- but they'll need a proposed levy to pass to get it done.
“Over the past few years, we have made many decisions to make our district fiscally sound, including evaluating our district’s buildings and staffing and making adjustments to responsibly use the funds we receive,” says Micki Egli, West Branch superintendent.
Pay to play charges students who are in band or sports a fee to participate. The district implemented this model in 2019, in attempt to cut costs while it faced operational deficits of more than $850,000.
In addition to removing pay to play, money from the levy would go toward more security and technology education.
“Technology is constantly evolving and student needs change,” says Egli. “This levy would provide the ability to enact a number of initiatives supporting student mental health and well-being, offering additional career pathways for graduates, and significantly advancing the safety measures in our district.”
The November levy seeks an increase of .5% earned income tax. The district plans to release more details about the levy at upcoming community informational meetings.