Latest news with #EducationalSpecialPurposeLocalOptionSalesTax
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
All is quiet on the voting front: 5.81% of Savannah-Chatham County voters pass ESPLOST
Despite Chatham County polling stations being nearly as quiet as childless playgrounds during Tuesday's special election turnout, voters greenlit $705 million in additional tax revenue over the next five years for the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System. The district's fifth Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) referendum received the third highest percentage of yes votes (64.37%) compared to previous ESPLOST referendums. ESPLOST V also lays claim to the lowest overall voter turnout of any ESPLOST with 12,240 votes counted out of 12,251 ballots cast. Chatham County Elections Supervisor Billy Wooten noted that the numbers are still unofficial until the reconciliation process has been fully completed. The passing of EPLOST V continues the one-cent sales tax that began after voters first passed ESPLOST I on Sept. 19, 2006. Chatham County had 211,005 registered voters for Tuesday's election, which means only 5.81% chose to participate. Early voters accounted for 3,165 ballots between Feb. 24 and March 14. Election day voters made up the remaining 9,075 votes. Wooten shared that only 1,522 voters had cast ballots across the county between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., which set the tone for slow-going at polling locations. With the referendum, Pooler stood to gain a new estimated $55 million K-8 school and its first high school, estimated at $95 million, to address overcrowding at other West Chatham schools. The new West Chatham Complex is set to house both schools and could also contain an athletic complex estimated at an additional $20 million. Together the three projects equate to nearly a quarter of ESPLOST V's total budget. Yet, only 696 of Pooler's 15,828 eligible voters (4.39%) cast ballots. Poll workers and the manager at West Chatham County YMCA said only 22 people had shown up by 12 p.m. They did say that six people wanted to vote, but had to be redirected to their assigned precincts, which was noted as a common occurrence because the YMCA draws people from all over the town to its recreational facilities. At the Pooler Recreation Center Gymnasium, its poll manager said between 20 and 30 people had voted by lunch time. By the close of the polls, 281 voters across two of Pooler's precincts (which are both assigned to the gym) had voted. Historical ESPLOST election data shows that the fourth ESPLOST vote on Nov. 2, 2021 had yielded the highest percentage of yes votes while having the previous lowest voter turnout of 22,612. The pattern of lower turnouts yielding higher success rates was noted by District 3 School Board Representative Cornelia Hall as a factor to consider back during the school board's August retreat. The special sales tax funds, by law, cannot be spent toward curriculum resources, teacher or staff salaries, or schools' daily operational expenses. ESPLOST funds can only be used for capital improvement projects such as constructing new buildings, advancing security technology, repairing and upgrading facilities as well as purchase of furnishings, buses and computers. Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@ and JoeInTheKnow_SMN on Instagram. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Voters support extending Savannah-Chatham public schools special tax
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Savannah-Chatham school's ESPLOST referendum vote happens Tuesday
For nearly 20 years, buying dinner at the famous Olde Pink House downtown or purchasing a large Moon River Mocha Cutter's Point in Sandfly has contributed to public education. So, too, have a myriad of other sales purchases as a result of the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System's Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST). Next Tuesday, March 18 marks citizen's final day to vote on whether or not the school district should enter into the fifth iteration of the sales tax. Superintendent Denise Watts noted at a Wednesday press conference that historically over $400 million ESPLOST funds have been invested back into the community through contracts with local builders, suppliers and other service providers. Chamber President and CEO Bert Brantley also spoke at the event, citing the district and school board's "commitment to our students, in particular, your focus on literacy, absenteeism and math" as influencing the Chamber's endorsement. He said Chamber members experience those issues "every day in the workforce" as well and welcome a community effort to address them to ensure a "ready-made workforce that will meet the needs, not only of today, but also tomorrow and in the years to come." Here is what voters should know before heading to the polls. Early voting started on Feb. 24. The ESPLOST special election will be Tuesday, March 18. Mail-in early voting ended on March 7. In-person early voting ends on Friday, March 14. The school district's ESPLOST V would raise approximately $705 million through a continuation of the 1% penny sales tax for Chatham County. ESPLOST V funds would be used for: Property acquisition for and building of new public schools; Existing school projects that could renovate, reconfigure, and equip schools and athletic facilities; Safety, security and technology upgrades and enhancements; Various technology and facilities projects for three of the district's five public charter schools: Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School, Savannah Classical Academy and Tybee Island Maritime Academy. The school district has listed specific proposed projects for voters to review. Many projects remain in the early phases of design and development since they rely on the funding to move forward. Key highlights include replacing the facility for the STEM Academy at Bartlett Middle School, reimagining 208 Bull Street as both administrative offices and an educational space dubbed the Bull Street Center for Architecture and Design, and Pooler's first high school (as part of a larger educational complex in West Chatham on Pine Barren Road). An extensive list of county-wide projects can be found within the Dec. 18, 2024 resolution for the referendum approved by the school board. Here's exactly how the ESPLOST question will read on election day: Shall a one percent sales and use tax be imposed in the Chatham County School District for a period of time not to exceed twenty consecutive calendar quarters in order to raise not more than $705,000,000 for the purpose of (a) constructing new schools and additions to schools; (b) renovating, reconfiguring, and equipping schools, support facilities, and athletic facilities; (c) modernizing and improving system-wide administrative, and site improvements, property acquisition, upgrading and replacing mechanical systems, HVAC, and roofing; (d) providing safety, security, and technology upgrades and enhancements; (e) providing Charter School capital outlay projects to Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School for equipment/buses, site improvements, technology and secure facilities; Savannah Classical Academy technology and campus security improvements and repairs to roof and HVAC systems; and Tybee Island Maritime Academy equipment and technology improvements. If imposition of the tax is approved by the voters, such vote shall also constitute approval of the issuance of general obligation debt of the Chatham County School District in the maximum principal amount of $200,000,000 for the above capital outlay purposes and for the payment of capitalized interest. ( ) YES( ) NO Groups in support of ESPLOST tend to cite its focus on providing high-quality facilities to meet modern learning and workforce development training needs in the county. Proponents such as the Savannah Chamber of Commerce have also highlighted that visitors to Savannah have contributed over 40% of past ESPLOST revenue, so the burden does not fall squarely on county residents. Brantley encouraged the public, regardless of their position, to show up at the polls next Tuesday. "This is your chance to have your voice heard in the way that your government operates," he said. Opponent groups such as the Chatham County GOP have stated that ESPLOST burdens citizens with yet another tax coupled with the rising cost of living and inflation increases. Such groups argue that the school district should focus on improving use of existing fiscal resources such as millage rate tax revenue and other forms of state and federal funding. They also advocate for more exploration of private partnership opportunities. Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@ and JoeInTheKnow_SMN on Instagram. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah public schools special tax election will be Tuesday, March 18
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Community Corner: Early voting underway for Savannah schools' ESPLOST V
Early voting is now underway for Chatham County to continue the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST).Savannah Chatham County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Denise Watts and Megan Davidson, SCCPSS Chief Operations Officer sat down with WSAV's Kim Gusby in today's Community Corner to talk about the measure and why it's important. Click the arrow in the video box above to watch the interview. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Liberty, Chatham Counties to hold ESPLOST vote in March 18 election
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Liberty and Chatham Counties will hold a vote on continuing the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST). The vote is for or against continuing a one percent use and sales tax for the funding of projects for educational purposes. Hundreds of millions of dollars of school safety projects will be decided by this election. The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) highlights ESPLOST's achievements on their website: Over the span of the ESPLOST construction program, the district has replaced 22 schools, provided technology improvements for teaching and learning, and added safety and security enhancements at nearly every school in the district. SCCPSS has administrative oversite over 50 schools, plus a number of other sites and administrative buildings. Every facility requires upkeep and some buildings are much older than others. Liberty County has already shared their sample ballot for the measure, which includes the specific number of net proceeds by the tax, $112,000,000. That ballot can be viewed below. LIBERTY-COUNTY-SAMPLE-BALLOT-3-18-25-ESPLOSTDownload Early voting has already begun for the special election. To find your precinct, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ESPLOST 5 program gains support from Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has endorsed the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST 5) program. The Savannah Chatham Public School System (SCPSS) put the program up for a public vote on the March 18 special election. The Savannah Area Chamber explains that ESPLOST 5 is expected to generate $705 million in local funding for school construction and renovations in the span of the next five years. This marks the fifth program presented to voters for approval since the initiative first began in 2006. 'Our board had the opportunity to hear a detailed presentation from School Board President Roger Moss and system staff about the ESPLOST 5 program,' said Brad Harmon, Chairman of the Savannah Chamber Board of Directors. 'Following a thoughtful and thorough discussion, we reached the conclusion that continuing investments through ESPLOST will not only address the demands of our county's growth but also ensure that Savannah's visitors contribute to the funding. Most importantly, it will help prepare our students to meet the future workforce needs of our members, ultimately benefiting the entire community.' 'I'm grateful to the Chamber Board and its leadership for their unwavering support of our students,' said Roger Moss. 'The Chamber's endorsement is invaluable in helping the business community understand the goals of the ESPLOST 5 program and the lasting impact it will have on student success.' Nearly 40% of the 1-penny sales tax is estimated to be funded by tourism, with the proceeds directly benefit Chatham County residents. This approach supports essential projects without placing the burden on property taxes paid by homeowners and businesses. 'The rapid population growth in west Chatham County is driving the need for more schools, including Pooler's first high school,' said Chamber President and CEO Bert Brantley. 'We are deeply committed to supporting the school system's efforts to improve early-grade literacy, knowing that investments in facilities, teachers, and curriculum lead to stronger educational outcomes and a more skilled workforce. That's why our organization and the Savannah business community stand behind ESPLOST 5.' Another key issue for the Chamber Board was ensuring funding for charter schools. ESPLOST 5 marks the first program to include funding for facility and site improvements at Savannah Classical Academy Charter School and Coastal Empire Montessori School. Early voting for the Mar 18 election started on Feb. 24. For more information about the ESPLOST 5 campaign, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
