GAINESVILLE - School officials in Hall County, the city of Gainesville and the city of Buford have been seriously discussing a new penny sales tax referendum to benefit the three systems.<br />
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After a school board meeting in Hall County Monday night, Superintendent Will Schofield said the school systems all want to see an extension of E-LOST.<br />
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"We are in 100-percent agreement that we'd like to come before our voters again in November of 2015 and ask them to extend the E-LOST, for what would be E-LOST V, for an additional five years," said Schofield. <br />
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Schofield said the additional penny in sales tax for education has been what he called "an incredible shot in the arm" for all three school districts.<br />
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Schofield said he is not concerned that voters may be weary of the local option sales tax, at least when it comes to education.<br />
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"When we take a look at what we've done with that one penny, when it comes to educational technology, when it comes to building classrooms and getting kids out of portable trailers - when we put before voters, as we have in the past, what we've done with that one penny - I think we overwhelmingly agree as a community, it's been a good thing," said Schofield.<br />
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Should the E-LOST be extended, Schofield said Hall County would like use revenues to add permanent classroom space and to continue enhancing technology, although he acknowledged a firm project list has not yet been put together. He also did not says what the Gainesville and Buford districts might have in mind for future E-LOST projects.<br />
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Schofield said public meetings on the referendum would be scheduled starting after the first of the year. <br />
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