School Sales Tax: What DeKalb Voters Need to Know

When DeKalb County residents hit the polls in November, voters will decide whether to approve a special purpose local option sales tax for DeKalb County schools — known among educators as SLPOST.

This penny sales tax has funded thousands of projects for public schools since 1997, including roughly 22 new schools in DeKalb and hundreds of major renovations to schools around the county.

This round of the sales tax — known as SLPOST IV — would collect roughly $475 million from taxpayers between 2012 and 2017 and would pay to replace and redesign among hundreds of other projects. The replacement of the historic Druid Hills school would cost about $20 million, according to a school district spokesperson.

Roughly $144 million of the money collected from the special tax would replace seven elementary schools in the county including Fernbank. About $10 million would pay for stadium renovations and $90 million for renovations to existing buildings, which would include renovations at and .

Nearly $39 million would fund technology upgrades including smart boards and wireless Internet, and about $2.5 million is earmarked for ADA compliance.

These projects are just a portion of $2.2 billion in replacement and renovation projects school officials say are necessary in the district.

“The fact is that here are huge needs in the system,” Marshall Orson, co-president of the Emory LaVista Parent Council told parents in a meeting on Wednesday.

The history of SPLOST in DeKalb

To date, the special tax has raised more than $1.2 billion for DeKalb County Schools.

From 1997 to 2002, $415 million was collected and used to build 10 new schools and improve classroom technology, among other renovations and upgrades.

The second round of the special tax put $457 million into the school system. The money funded construction of 11 new schools and renovations of 10 existing schools.

The current special tax has collected $402 million and helped to replace on high school, complete 12 major renovations and 140 minor renovations. This special tax expires June 12, 2012.

For more information about SPLOST IV, visit the DeKalb County School System website.