Hall Co. voters approve E-SPLOST

GAINESVILLE - Voters in Hall County have voted to extend the one penny sales tax for education, SPLOST IV, for an another five years.

Voters approved the one penny sales tax for education with 66 percent of the vote. Thirty-four percent voted against the measure, which has passed three different times in the past. Voter turnout was 8.3 percent.

The money generated by the extension of the tax will be used by the Gainesville, Buford, and Hall County school systems.

In the past, the funds generated from the E-SPLOST have been primarily utilized to pay off existing long-term bond debt, build new schools, purchase classroom technology and fund classroom additions and renovations in both the city and county schools.

Hall County Schools Superintendent Will Schofield has said these E-SPLOST dollars would be used to pay off existing debt, construct permanent classroom space, including new school construction and associated land acquisition. Schofield said the funds would also be used for school additions, renovations and repairs to related items such as library books, furniture roofs, HVAC systems, floors and security systems.

"It appears the voters of Hall County will vote to extend the Education Sales Tax," Schofield said in an e-mail Tuesday night. "We will do all that is within our ability to utilize these funds wisely for the benefit of our community's boys and girls. On behalf of our board of education, thank you to the electorate."

Gainesville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Merrianne said she was very grateful to the voters for passing the E-SPLOST, especially during tough economic times.

"There were so many people who helped us," Dyer said. "It's a very tough time for many people and we're very grateful right now."

Dyer said the funds generated from SPLOST IV will not necessarily be used for building as many new schools as it has in the past. She said this time the funds would be primarily used for much-needed repairs to the system's older facilities, especially Fair Street Elementary.

"Fair Street will be rebuilt because it is more cost effective to do that than repair it," said Dyer.