The Henry County Board of Education called for the education SPLOST VI referendum to be held on March 16, 2021. The board approved the action during their January 11 meeting.
Voters will be asked this spring to renew the county’s education SPLOST program and authorize bond sales. Education SPLOST is a one-cent local sales tax collected for school system capital projects within the county.
E-SPLOST VI
Voters last approved the education SPLOST program in March 2016. Now, five years later, they are being asked to approve its extension. If approved, then E-SPLOST VI will collect a one-cent sales tax in Henry County from January 2023 through December 2027.
The referendum also authorizes bond sales in advance of tax collections. This allows the school district to start projects immediately rather than wait for collections to begin. Constructing an addition at Dutchtown High School will be the first project to start this spring if the vote passes.
The ballot question authorizes a maximum of $210 million in bond debt and approves the sales tax. The local sales tax rate does not change if the referendum passes.
E-SPLOST Projects
Education SPLOST proceeds must be used for capital projects within the school system. Examples include new classrooms or school buses. Moving Henry Forward grouped the projects into five categories for reference:
- New Schools & Additions
- School Facilities
- Technology
- Transportation
- Other Projects
New Schools & Additions
- New STEM High School
- Two new Elementary Schools (Willow Lane, McDonough & Wolf Creek, Locust Grove)
- Six school additions:
- Dutchtown High School
- Dutchtown Middle School
- Ola High School
- Ola Middle School
- Locust Grove High School
- Union Grove Middle School
School Facilities
- Security Access Control (all schools)
- Fairview ES exterior modifications
- School Electronic Message Signs (all schools)
- Roofing replacement (9 schools)
- Second entrance to Ola MS
- HVAC replacement (8 schools)
- Fire Alarm upgrades (14 schools)
- Intercom replacement (23 schools)
Technology
- Technology upgrades including updates to student and teacher devices, data center and Wi-Fi upgrades, and school telephony systems.
Transportation
- New transportation facility and renovation of existing facility
- Bus replacement plan (25 buses per year for five years)
- Equipment replacement
Other Projects
- New Admin Office building and renovation of the existing building
- Land purchase(s) for future growth
- Elementary School playground improvements
- Energy management enhancements (15 schools)
- Fine Arts, Health / PE, and CTAE growth and replacement
- Instructional resources
For more information about any particular project, visit the articles linked below:
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