Hall County Schools, Gainesville City Schools and Buford City Schools will ask their individual school boards to pass a resolution to let voters decide on an extending a special purpose local option sales tax for education -- or E-SPLOST.
The funds, should voters approve it in a March 2020 election, would be utilized for capital expenditures such as the construction of new facilities, renovation of existing facilities and land acquisition.
“Working together with our sister systems to bring these propositions to our community is an exciting and humbling experience,” Will Schofield, Hall County superintendent, said. “We respect the will of our stakeholders. If E-SPLOST VI passes, the Hall County School District will utilize funding to move forward with our 10-year facility plan and to further provide a quality of education for the boys and girls of Hall County.”
"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," Jeremy Williams, the Gainesville superintendent, said. "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."
Gainesville City and Hall County will vote tonight at their respective board meetings, while Buford City will vote at its December 9 meeting.
“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,” said Dr. Robert Downs, superintendent of Buford City Schools. “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.”
Gainesville and Hall County will additionally recommend utilizing the sale of general obligation bonds for capital funding.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2019/11/852144/hall-county-gainesville-buford-schools-ask-boards-to-pass-esplost-vi-resolution