How did Macon, Middle GA vote on ESPLOST for 2025 election? What to know

Bibb County voters overwhelmingly approved the continuation of the Bibb County School District’s Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

Nearly 74% of voters approved the ESPLOST measure, a one-cent sales tax on most purchases in Bibb County designated for public school improvements, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. The measure marks the sixth education sales tax renewal in Macon since the district launched its first E-SPLOST campaign in 2000.

Out of 31 precincts, the final tally to extend the ESPLOST was 14,185 yes votes to 5,039 no votes.

The decision secures $250 million of school funding designated for capital improvements to schools and facilities across the district for the next five years. The 2026 E-SPLOST plan will fund districtwide security enhancements, inclusive playgrounds for accessibility, applicable land acquisition, furniture replacements and more, according to school officials.

Bibb County Board of Education member Daryl Morton expressed gratitude and excitement for the renewal, followed by his desire to provide opportunities for students in the district.

“I want to thank the community for overwhelming support of the E-SPLOST. I think that speaks to how seriously we take the tax dollars that are entrusted to us and use them in the appropriate way to benefit the children of this community,” Morton told The Telegraph.

ESPLOST funding has supported local school improvements since 2000, with voters deciding on renewal every five years, said Lynn Farmer, a former Bibb County Board of Education member and current volunteer on the district’s education tax campaign committee.

“It has just been a continuation of that penny ever since with very strong support,” said Farmer, who served on the district’s first committee.

Farmer added that if voters had rejected the measure, it would have been the first time the community did not back the penny sales tax.

In 2015, 75% of Bibb County voters said yes to the district’s proposed education sales tax initiative, The Telegraph previously reported.

More than 75% of voters approved the tax renewal in 2019, according to the Bibb County Schools website.

In the past, the funds have gone toward projects such as campus renovations and technology upgrades that support today’s learning environments, according to school officials.

As someone who has long been invested in public schools, Farmer said she views approval of the measure as a way for the public to demonstrate its commitment to the community as a whole.

“Seeing the condition of our schools back then, it was so sad — just the shape of the buildings,” she said. “Now, to see our kids with updated buildings, updated technology, state-of the-art-security, various vocational programs and all the things that this money has brought to our community, I would like to believe that our community still supports public education at that level.”

Jessica Walden, president and CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, was also in favor of the measure. She emphasized the importance of continuing this tax to maintain and evolve educational capabilities, which are crucial for the community’s economic momentum.

“When you look at a strong economy, there’s strong public schools,” Walden said. “Businesses choose to locate and grow in communities where families want to live, and that means communities with high quality education directly connects to the workforce readiness piece.”

Morton echoed the sentiments in supporting the community’s future before noting that “children are the future.”

“What I appreciate most is how these projects were thought out, how complimentary they are and how much they work together to improve our facilities as a whole,” he said. “That can only benefit our children, the teachers who work with them, as well as the community.”

Capital projects for the district’s 2026 ESPLOST plan also includes:

• Renovating schools identified by the state as high priority: Sonny Carter Elementary, Alexander II Magnet, Bernd Elementary, Southfield Elementary, L.H. Williams Elementary, Porter Elementary, Weaver Middle, Westside High, Central High and Southwest High
• Updating air conditioning units to comply with EPA refrigerant regulations
• Purchasing more efficient school buses
• Athletic improvements, including tennis court renovations, scoreboard upgrades and field maintenance costs

E-SPLOST voter turnout across Middle GA

• Houston County School District: 77.04% of voters approved the measure
• Monroe County Schools: 71.93% of voters approved the measure

This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 11:23 PM.