Suburban school districts, such as in Cherokee, Douglas and Henry counties, are seeking voter approval this November to renew their penny sales tax for education. In Forsyth County, voters already renewed a SPLOST, but some residents remain upset that the county school board also increased its levy.
Cherokee County: Plan to resume building program
After the economy descended into recession, county budget cuts included freezing part of a building plan from the 2006 sales tax initiative. Renewing the SPLOST would revive that program, and this time, district officials hope to generate $155 million in sales tax revenue over its five-year term through 2017. The tax is capped at $170 million.
The district has collected more than $208 million in sales tax money since 2001. That funding has gone toward construction of 12 elementary, four middle and two high schools and a host of other renovations and additions.
Among the major projects on tap this time around, the school district plans to use the money to replace Teasley and Dean Rusk middle schools, install a new softball field and field house at Cherokee High, perform technology upgrades and training, buy new school buses and make a slew of other renovations. A portion of the tax would also be used to reduce the district's bonded indebtedness.
School officials say voters knew the SPLOST would have to be renewed when they passed it because the funds were needed to build schools and keep pace with Cherokee's population, which grew by 73,000 from 2000 to 2010. But there has been some vocal opposition to renewal, part of it backlash against the school board for opposing a county charter school.
The school voted down a charter school three times before the state stepped in with funds so Charter Cherokee Academy could open in August. SPLOST supporters say the charter school and the sales tax are separate issues.
Forsyth County: Renewal settled, tax fight isn't
Voters extended the Forsyth school sales tax by an overwhelming 80 percent in March, and school officials project the tax will generate a maximum of $195 million, with $141 million going toward bond payments and $54 million for capital improvements. The bond money was committed to acquiring land for future schools, technology upgrades, school buses and renovations.
Although the election is over, the dust hasn't settled.
This summer, the school board passed a property tax increase of 2 mills, raising the levy to 18.9 mills. It also raised the ire of residents such as Mark Weiss who voted against the sales tax.
"They told us they needed this sales tax to build these schools and refinance bonds," he said. "Then three months later [after the sales tax passed], they raised the millage rate 2 mills."
School districts always lure voters into supporting sales taxes by telling them "it's for the children," he said.
"It's the best marketing product out there," Weiss said.
School officials argue that, with an enrollment of more than 37,000, Forsyth is the ninth-largest school system in the state and continues to grow by about 1,700 students a year. The district is undertaking its second redistricting since 2009 to allocate its growing student population.
Douglas and Henry counties: Also looking at extensions
Sales tax issues are also on the ballot in Douglas and Henry counties.
Douglas schools are seeking a five-year sales tax that is expected to raise $122 million. Half the money generated would go toward bonded indebtedness. The other portion would be used primarily for upgrades in technology and school renovations.
In Henry, SPLOST IV is a five-year continuation of an education SPLOST first passed in 1997 and renewed in 2002 and 2007. These sales taxes have funded the construction of 18 schools since 1997. The proposed sales tax would generate an estimated $145 million over five years. Funds are earmarked for the construction of one high school, renovations to four schools, technology upgrades and replacement of buses.
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