Five areas where DeKalb school tax money will be spent
DeKalb school administrators, including Superintendent Steve Green, talked about the proposed education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Tuesday at a meeting with the Dunwoody Homeowners Association.
Some HOA members are troubled because there is no plan yet for where or how the money would be spent from the half billion dollars the proposed one-penny tax would collect.
Voters are being asked to trust the administration without a list of which schools would be improved or built or what programs would be beefed up. The vote to approve or deny the tax is May 24.
Green explained that the district was asked to join with other metro school districts on the May 24 vote. The alternatives would be to wait until the election in November, which would include the distraction of a presidential vote, or wait until the following spring. He thought it was better to seek approval sooner, even though the DeKalb district does not have a list of how the money ought to be spent.
A school staff administrator told HOA members that the money would be spent in five general areas:
• Safety and security
• New facilities and additions
• Facility improvements such as plumbing and renovations
• Technology improvements and upgrades
• School buses and equipment such as desks
Between March and December, the administration is working to finish and review needs studies, hold community meetings, come up with and approve the specific projects list.
About the Author
Christopher Quinn is a writer and editor who has worked for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1999. He writes stories on Veterans Affairs, business including high-tech growth in metro Atlanta, Georgia's $72 billion farm economy, and he oversees assigning and editing news obituaries.
