DeKalb County Schools wants voters to approve a one-cent sales tax in May that will raise half a billion dollars for schools.
But they cannot yet tell voters what, exactly, they will spend that money on. School officials have come up with a general list that includes spending:
• $15 million on safety and security
• $230 million on schools and additions
•$100 million on facility improvements
• $65 million on technology improvements
• $40 million on buses and capital equipment
• $50 million for management and contingencies
The DeKalb County Board of Education approved a resolution in early February to move ahead with the vote May 24. The school system will conduct facility planning and feasibility studies between March and June of this year to figure out where the money needs to be spent specifically.
In July and September, it will hold public meetings. A detailed project list for the spending won’t be available until November, six months after voters are being asked to approve the tax, expected to raise $500 million over its five-year life. The list will be finalized in December, according to DeKalb schools planning documents.
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