Gwinnett seeks funds for school construction

Gwinnett County voters may vote in November on a plan to raise an estimated $950 million through sales taxes to pay for new schools and improvements to facilities in the county and the Buford city school districts.

Administrators in the two school districts want to extend a 1 percent sales tax to fund a variety of school construction projects and other improvements. The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax would begin in July 2017 and end in June 2022. Gwinnett, the state’s largest school district, would get about $928 million from the tax. Buford would collect about $22 million, according to school system projections.

Gwinnett school board members are scheduled to approve an agreement Thursday with Buford for the voter referendum.

About 90 percent of Gwinnett voters approved the last sales tax in November 2011.

Gwinnett’s current project list included plans to build four new schools, technology or maintenance improvements to other schools as well as additions or renovations to some schools. Most of the work has either been completed or under construction.

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