Atlanta schools looking to voters for $546 million in SPLOST money

The Atlanta school district could ask local voters to approve a sales tax worth about $546 million to Atlanta schools, according to the outlines of a May 2016 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST, election plan the school board is set to discuss tonight.

That would be Atlanta Public Schools’ cut of more than $2 billion in potential SPLOST funding in Fulton and DeKalb counties.

The district has about $764 million in work on its to-do list, including school renovation and construction, technology purchases and upgrades, debt payments and new vehicles.

That includes:

• $202 million for schools in poor repair and to create more space for students in Grady High School and schools feeding into Grady.
• $346.6 million for heating and air-conditioning, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, roofing and other upgrades. This includes renovations at buildings currently leased to charter schools.
• $26 million to ensure all high schools have field houses and artificial turf and upgrades at Grady and Lakewood stadiums and Cheney Field.

The board could formally call for the SPLOST election next month.

The SPLOST would take effect in July 2017.