Houston BOE discusses proposal for next E-SPLOST

WARNER ROBINS -- The Houston County school board is set Tuesday to begin the process of launching the next 1-cent sales tax to benefit schools.

Board members heard details of the referendum resolution at Monday's work session. The meeting was held at C.B. Watson Primary School, which board Chairman Fred Wilson pointed out was built using special purpose local option sales tax money.

"This facility here is just one example of what we have done with the SPLOST, what we have done with the funds in the past," Wilson said.

He described the proposal as a "good road map" for the next tax, which would begin April 1, 2017, if it gains board approval and passes a public vote March 1, 2016.

The proposal lists general provisions for technology, safety equipment, renovations and transportation. Superintendent Mark Scott said the number of projects that would be covered under the $135 million generated from the tax made it impractical to list each one on the referendum question, but he said those projects would be outlined during the next few months.

"Our question is very similar to what we've done in the past," Scott said.

Scott said buses would be replaced through the tax funds, as the county has fallen "dreadfully behind" in upgrades to its bus fleet. He also noted that Veterans High School, the county's newest high school, is projected to need additional classroom space by the time the proposed education SPLOST, or E-SPLOST, would end in March 2022.

"If it keeps growing at the level it's growing, we're going to add seats for about 700 more students out there," he said.

Projections also call for the inclusion of a new elementary school in the list of projects. Stephen Thublin, assistant superintendent for finance and business operations, said the east side of the county likely would require another school for younger children to avoid "overcrowding" in the coming years.

"We're just looking and projecting and trying to see what's going to happen with our existing schools," Thublin said.

At Tuesday's meeting, set for 1 p.m. at the board office in Perry, the board is expected to vote on an update to the district's policy for student assignment to schools. For at least the past year, district officials have allowed rising fifth-, eighth- and 12th-graders to remain at their original schools if their families move within the county or if rezoning changes their school assignment.

The change, if approved, would allow that practice to continue officially.

"This is just putting it in policy," said Michelle Masters, assistant superintendent for school operations.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter@MTJTimm.

This story was originally published November 9, 2015 at 10:42 PM with the headline "Houston BOE discusses proposal for next E-SPLOST ."