GAINESVILLE –Hall County voters will be asked to approve an extension of the existing one-penny sales tax dedicated for the advancement of education in the county, and for approval for the Hall County and Gainesville City School Systems to raise funds through the sale of government obligation bonds.
Education – Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax version six, or eSPLOST VI, will be on the March 24, 2020, presidential primary ballot. If approved, those revenues will be divided according to a complicated formula among the three school systems that provide for students in Hall County: Buford City, Gainesville City and Hall County.
On a separate ballot item Hall County Schools will be asking for permission to sell $250-million in bonds; those revenues will be used along with eSPLOST funds to construct a new middle school and replace antiquated existing school facilities.
The first school district to vote on the resolution authorizing eSPLOST Monday evening was Hall County, where Superintendent Will Schofield opened discussion by saying, “Mr. Chairman, this is a big night for us. We are asking for an approval of a resolution that…gives this board the authority to put two items on the March 24, 2020, ballot.”
Schofield continued, “One is an extension of eSPLOST, which has been a real lifeline for our school district and Gainesville and our other sister system, Buford…and the second…will allow the Hall County School District to issue up to $250-million of government obligation bonds to fund the ten-year facility plan.”
Unanimous approval was given to both resolutions by the Hall County School Board.
Across town the Gainesville City School Board of Education met shortly after Hall County and was asked by Superintendent Jeremy Williams to approve eSPLOST VI. According to an email from Dr. Williams the school board approved that request; the board also approved a ballot item to be decided by Gainesville residents for the sale of $83-million in government obligation bonds.
Buford City Schools will put the eSPLOST question to its board when it meets on December 9.
Earlier in the day Schofield said in a media release, “Working together with our sister systems to bring these propositions to our community is an exciting and humbling experience. We respect the will of our stakeholders. If eSPLOST VI passes, the Hall County School District will utilize funding to move forward with our ten year facility plan and to further provide a quality of education for the boys and girls of Hall County.”
In that same release Williams said he also appreciates the teamwork approach among the systems. "When the school systems of Buford City, Hall County, and Gainesville City come together and plan for the future of our respective educational communities, it continues to show why Gainesville-Hall County will continue to thrive. We are fortunate to live in a community that has supported eSPLOST for many years, and we now ask the community to support the needs at the middle and high school levels."
Likewise, Dr. Robert Downs, Superintendent of Buford City Schools, echoed in that release the sentiments of his colleagues. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with our neighboring school districts to build the strongest educational environment for all students residing in Hall County so that they can compete on the global stage. Our stakeholders have always been a tremendous asset in our growth and their continued support of eSPLOST will allow our schools to provide excellent educational opportunities for the students.”
Hall County School System Attorney, Tread Syfan, attended Monday’s meeting and told board members that he advised getting an opinion from the Georgia Attorney General, Chris Carr, over the specifics of how the three school districts would share the eSPLOST revenues if they receive voter approval.
“There’s some ambiguity in the eSPLOST statute, the (Georgia) constitutional amendment that allows for eSPLOST…where there’s an independent school district that’s in two counties (Buford City Schools),” Syfan explained.
He said the effect on revenue division was miniscule but it was his opinion that the time had arrived to formally clarify the issue. “It’s not going to make a big difference in the division of the proceeds. We just want to make sure we get it right; what the law is.”
