SPLOST - New Growth in Cobb County

2003 was an excellent year for the School District's building program, culminating with overwhelming public support to extend the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). On Sept. 16, 2003, a five-year extension of the sales tax was approved with 78 percent of voters supporting the measure.

In 1998, Cobb County voters first approved SPLOST, a one-cent tax on most retail goods, to provide revenue to build new schools and fund school improvements. The five-year program generated nearly $600 million that was used for more than 1,200 construction, renovation and technology projects, in addition to a $115 million property tax rollback. SPLOST I resulted in the addition of 12 new schools and a total of more than 1,000 new classrooms. Best of all, the entire SPLOST I program was managed more than $30 million under budget projections.

But as SPLOST I expired on Dec. 31, 2003, the School District's needs continued to grow. By the start of the 2003-04 school year, enrollment had topped 102,000 students. That's why the extension of the SPLOST was critical to meeting the facility needs of students in the coming years, and why the Cobb County community stepped forward once again to show its support for quality public education.

Revenue from SPLOST II has been designated for the following purposes:

• Property Tax Rollback: $69 million (elimination of debt);
• Nine New Schools: $205 million - Elementary schools (4), Middle schools (3), High schools (2);
• Classroom additions: $173 million - 31 projects, a total of 347 classrooms;
• Maintenance/Renovations: $81 million - Electrical, HVAC, roofing, painting, etc.;
• Curriculum/Technology: $76 million - New workstations, servers, network, etc.;
• Safety & Support: $75 million - School access controls, security fencing, surveillance cameras, etc.;
• Land: $18 million

If construction goes according to plan, five new schools will open in the fall of 2005, and four will open in the fall of 2006 — all in the western part of the county where the growth needs are greatest. SPLOST II will expire on Dec. 31, 2008. A complete listing of projects can be found here.