Cast Your Vote! What is ESPLOST?
What is ESPLOST?
Educational Special Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST)
November 2, the voters of Fulton County will be asked whether they want to continue the ESPLOST.
ESPLOST V will end June 30, 2022, so the next one must be approved in November for it to continue the day after the old one expires.
According to a document posted to the district’s website, the next ESPLOST, if approved, will provide an estimated $1.8 billion in net tax proceeds for the Atlanta and Fulton school districts over a five-year period, with Atlanta getting $618 million and Fulton $1.2 billion.
It will pay for new school land acquisition and construction, existing school repairs and maintenance, facilities such as playgrounds and athletic fields, furniture, equipment such as computers and software and transportation. Marvin Dereef, the district’s chief financial officer, said Fulton has used ESPLOST funds to pay for capital plan costs since 1997, the year after the tax was approved by the Georgia General Assembly.
“Pursuing reauthorization will provide the most benefits and least burdens for taxpayers,” Marvin Dereef said.
Local improvements that would be made with ESPLOST approval:
The North Springs cluster has major school replacement and renovation projects, including a new North Springs High School.
Major renovations will also take place at Sandy Springs Middle School and Dunwoody Springs Elementary School, including roofing, flooring, ceilings, plumbing and restrooms, HVAC systems and LED lighting upgrades.
Spalding Drive, Ison Springs and Woodland Elementary schools have targeted infrastructure improvement plans including LED lighting, media center renovations and IT continuity projects.
In the Riverwood cluster, Riverwood High School, though relatively new, will get an upgrade to LED lighting, which was not in its original plans. The school district will install artificial turf on the practice field, something being done at every school in the district.
High Point Elementary School will have freezer cooler upgrades in the cafeteria, LED lighting upgrades and a media center renovation. Backup generators, air conditioning and IT network improvements also are scheduled.
Ridge View Middle School will have infrastructure projects including roof replacement, and Heards Ferry and Lake Forest Elementary schools also will have the energy efficiency upgrades and other infrastructure work.
Without voter approval of ESPLOST, the school district would need to raise its millage rate by approximately 5.68 mills. That would cost a homeowner whose property was valued at $250,000 another $567 per year for five years, he said. If a general obligation bond was used instead, the millage rate would still have to be raised. But in addition, homeowners would be paying about the same amount extra for five more years to pay off the bond.
The last bond issue the school district made was before 1997, and it was just paid off in 2020.