Stephens Co. BOE Approves E-SPLOST Resolution

The Stephens County Board of Education signs off on a resolution to call for a vote on renewing the one-cent E-SPLOST.

On Tuesday, the school board unanimously approved an E-SPLOST resolution.

Stephens County School Superintendent Bryan Dorsey said with the resolution having passed, the process now begins of doing everything necessary to hold a special election next year for the county’s voters to decide on whether to renew the one-cent sales tax for education special projects.

Dorsey said the resolution proposes that the next E-SPLOST, if approved by voters, focus on maintenance needs throughout the system.

According to the resolution, the school system could use the money for everything from CTAE renovations and HVAC work to purchasing technology, athletic and band field upgrades, purchasing buses or maintenance equipment or safety and security equipment.

The resolution would also allow the school system to use E-SPLOST funds to re-pay Stephens County School Building Authority bonds taken out this year by the school system to do maintenance work, such as the roof at the high school.

Dorsey said having the revenue from E-SPLOST is critical to making sure these needs are taken care of.

“These maintenance issues are going to face us, it is just how are we going to pay for it,” said Dorsey. “With an E-SPLOST, we are able to do that outside the property taxes.”

He said that if the E-SPLOST did not pass, those maintenance issues would have to be paid for with general fund dollars.

According to Dorsey, that could be quite “devastating” to the school budget.

Dorsey went on to say that the highest priority issues are the HVAC needs, especially at Toccoa and Big A Elementary schools, as well as CTAE facility upgrades.

According to the resolution, the school system could collect up to $18 million over five years beginning on January 1, 2018, though Dorsey says that figure is high and the school system would not budget on collecting that much.

The special election to decide on the E-SPLOST renewal in Stephens County is expected to take place in March.