Metro Atlanta school districts seek sales tax renewals

Voters in DeKalb, Cobb and Fulton counties will decide Nov. 2 whether to keep paying a penny sales tax over five years for capital projects in county and city school districts.

Ballots ask voters to approve or reject a county-wide E-SPLOST, or education special purpose local option sales tax. School districts must use E-SPLOST revenues for capital expenses and are not permitted to use them on operations for things such as salaries.

If the measures pass, here is the amount each school district would receive and what they propose to spend it on:

Atlanta Public Schools

Estimated revenue from tax: Up to $650.8 million

Proposed projects include:

• Construction and renovation at 10 sites, with the largest investment of $27.7 million at Peyton Forest Elementary School, which would get more classrooms
• A bus depot on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway for $13 million
• More bleachers at 10 high school stadiums, for about $9 million
• Updated theaters and auditoriums at Washington, Mays, Douglass and South Atlanta High Schools and the building shared by B.E.S.T. Academy and Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy, for $5 million
• Up to $62.4 million for technology, including new computers
• About $23.3 million for more secure entrance areas at 53 schools
• General infrastructure work
• Transportation
• Kitchen equipment
• Demolition of six buildings

City Schools of Decatur

Estimated revenue from tax: $40.8 million

Proposed projects include:

• New construction and building renovations
• School technology replacement and upgrades
• Security and safety system upgrades
• New roofs and HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems
• School bus and other vehicle purchases

DeKalb County School District

Estimated revenue from tax: $742.8 million

A project list will not be finalized until the district’s comprehensive master plan is complete, but will generally include:

• New and improved facilities
• New and improved technology
• Buses and other vehicles

Cobb County School District

Estimated revenue from tax: $895 million

Proposed projects include:

• Rebuilding parts of Sprayberry High School
• Improvements at Bells Ferry Elementary, North Cobb High and Tapp Middle Schools
• New elementary school in south Cobb
• A second career academy in the north Cobb area
• New annexes at Kincaid, Mount Bethel, Murdock, Sope Creek and Tritt Elementary Schools
• Athletic and stadium facility upgrades

Fulton County Schools

Estimated revenue from tax: $1.2 billion

Proposed projects include: