Should local school districts be able to levy impact fees to help pay for new schools? A proposed constitutional amendment and associated bill seeks to give local school boards the option, but only for high growth school districts.
The Georgia House Governmental Affairs committee considered the bills on Friday morning, March 3. The full house must consider it on Monday, March 6, — Crossover Day — or otherwise the bill would wait until next year.
High Growth School Districts
First, what is a high growth school district? House Bill 585 defines such district to meet the following:
- At least 20% growth in student enrollment during the past ten years, and
- At least $250 million spent on building new classroom facilities within the last ten years.
Presently, the only school district which meets this criteria is Forsyth County. They have experienced a 44% increase in enrollment over the past decade. During this time, they have expended over $400 million to build nine new schools.
Forsyth County representatives in the state house are sponsoring the proposed legislation. The committee recommended do pass on Friday morning. The house rules committee can now consider scheduling the bills for a floor vote.
Constitutional Amendment
Before any school district can begin to levy impact fees, the Georgia constitution first requires an amendment. House Resolution 303 is proposing this amendment.
For a constitutional amendment to take place, it must first receive at least a two-thirds majority vote in both state house and senate. Then, the voters must approve it in a statewide referendum. The proposed referendum would take place in November 2024, if the amendment makes it that far.
Georgia already allows impact fees for other uses. Examples include roads, public safety and parks. Henry County recently increased its impact fees for the first time since 2003.
Featured image shows McDonough High School under construction in 2018. MEJA Construction photo.
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