GAINESVILLE - The Hall County School Board prepared for the upcoming ESPLOST referendum vote at their work session Monday afternoon.
A video and a new webpage was presented to the board for final review. The web page and video highlights what the past ESPLOST funds have accomplished. The district's first goal was paying off long-term debt, and with ESPLOST I-IV, that goal was accomplished.
"We think that one of the greatest investments this community has made in the educational system over the last 18 years has been the one penny sales tax," said Superintendent Will Schofield. "It will be our intent, along with our sister systems in Gainesville City and Buford to come back to the voters in November of 2015 and ask them to extend in to ELOST V, which will go for an additional five years."
Now, the second goal is to build new schools, renovate older schools and add technology to existing schools. The money would also go towards acquiring land for future school sites and upgrading buses.
"We've done some great things with the penny for the first 18 years of SPLOST, probably the most exciting to me is that for the first time in over 50 years, this district is out of debt, so that's a good thing for the tax payers and the residents of Hall County."
The ESPLOST cannot be used on teacher salaries or benefits. Since the debt is paid off, the repairs, renovations and new buildings would begin where the student need is greatest.
Afterwards, the board discussed the intergovernmental agreement with the new Sardis compactor site. "The Sardis Compactor site in the county is not big enough to accommodate what the needs are so we've been working with some land near Chestatee High School and trying to work out a swap," said Schofield. He expects to come to a resolution with the county soon.
The board also approved a testing calendar and chemical vendors, and updated the class size waiver agreement for the upcoming school year.
