Friday, Apr. 15, 2005

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Voters to decide SPLOST extension in June

By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

Coweta voters will head to the polls June 21 and determine if they want to keep ponying up an extra penny in sales tax to help the school system deal with rapid growth.

With a unanimous vote Tuesday night, the Coweta County Board of Education called for the election that could raise an additional $130 million over five years for the fast-growing school system.

Projects funded by the sales tax would include:

• Three elementary schools.
• Three ninth-grade campuses.
• One middle school.
• An addition at Eastside Elementary School in Senoia.
• Additional school technology.
• New buses.
• Renovations to existing facilities.
• Acquisition of land for future projects.

“I think it’s important that people realize that this is an extension of an existing tax, not an additional penny,” said board member Brian Roy.

If the measure passes, the board would also be able to sell $58 million in bonds to get many of the projects started immediately.

As more residents stream into the county, the school system has been looking for a way to keep pace with the growth. The extension of the SPLOST offers the board a way to build the additions without having to raise property taxes.