Coweta County’s legislators heard an earful from the school board Wednesday about priorities for the upcoming General Assembly session.
School spokesman Dean Jackson said board member Smith Pass presented the legislators a lengthy wish list. The first priority is more funding.

“We’ve really been hit hard the last few years with austerity reductions,” Jackson said.

In fact, the school system has lost nearly $13 million in state funding over the four years, which has been absorbed by the local system.

The school system would also like to see the General Assembly consider a resolution that would allow school systems to collect impact fees for capital projects.

“All other local governments and services are currently allowed to impose reasonable, cost-based fees on new home construction. Schools are most directly impacted by heavy residential growth and school systems must impose higher millage rates to existing homeowners to make up for growth,” claims a report provided to the legislators.

School officials also made it quite clear that they would oppose any efforts to replace property tax funding of schools with a 3 percent sales tax.

“Our board members are just concerned that it’s too unstable of a revenue source,” said Jackson.

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