Rockdale Citizen | Rockdale school officials to call for $83.6 million E-SPLOST

CONYERS — Rockdale County voters will be asked to go the polls in November to cast a ballot in favor of or against a 1-percent sales tax to be used for the local school system.

Speaking to a group of business leaders who gathered at the Rockdale Career Academy on Tuesday to learn more about volunteer opportunities in the school system, former Rockdale County School Board member Darlene Hotchkiss presented the list of projects that, if approved, the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or E-SPLOST, would fund.

The 1-percent sales tax can be used for capital expenditures and to retire debt.

Hotchkiss, who served on the Rockdale County Board of Education for 16 years before deciding not to seek re-election last year, said she had been very proud of the work the BOE did in controlling costs with the previous three E-SPLOSTS.

Hotchkiss pointed out that the first E-SPLOST resulted in Rockdale County Public Schools being debt-free, and it remains so today.

“One of my proudest accomplishments as a board member was to see that all the projects on the first three SPLOSTs were completed,” she said. “The school system does a great job watching how the funds are spent. Even with the last SPLOST where not all funds were collected as anticipated, all the projects will still be completed. It shows you that what they put out to be accomplished truly will be accomplished.”

The previous E-SPLOST expired at the end of March, reducing sales tax in Rockdale County from 7 percent to 6 percent. The sales tax brought in a total of $71.1 million for the school system over the previous five years. It was projected that the sales tax would generate $94.8 million during that time period.

via Rockdale Citizen | Rockdale school officials to call for $83.6 million E-SPLOST.