SPLOST Vote Before Cobb School Board

After an accelerated process to put together and revise a nearly $718 million project list of school construction and maintenance projects, the Cobb Board of Education is expected to vote Wednesday to call for a referendum to pay for them.

A resolution calling for a March 19, 2013 referendum that would extend the current Cobb Education SPLOST highlights the board's Wednesday work session agenda (see attached PDF).

The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. in the board room of the Cobb County School District central office, 514 Glover Street, Marietta.

After two board members expressed a desire to postpone a referendum to November 2013, Wednesday's agenda item includes a recommendation from Superintendent Michael Hinojosa for a March vote.

The current SPLOST III one-penny sales tax expires at the end of next year. The SPLOST IV, if approved by Cobb voters, would be collected from January 2014 through December 2018.

SPLOST IV would pay for a variety of major construction projects, including two replacement elementary schools costing $23 million each; a $30 million replacement for Osborne High School; a $30 million replacement for an East Cobb area middle school; a $30 million career academy; a new fine arts complex and other improvements totalling nearly $40 million for Walton High School; and gym and theater renovations at a number of high schools (see attached PDF).

Several board members polled by The Marietta Daily Journal favor a March referendum to ensure uninterrupted progress on projects. More than $2 billion in needs were identified in the SPLOST IV process.

Also on Wednesday, the board is expected to:

• Accept the retirement of Chief Academic Officer Judi Jones, who is leaving at the end of the week, and consider appointing an acting successor;
• Apppoint new principals at Addison Elementary School and LaBelle Elementary School;
• Hear a presentation from Jones on charter schools in Smyrna and Kennesaw;
• Hear a presentation on proposed graduation requirements from board member Alison Bartlett;
• Hold an official signing ceremony for the charter at Walton High School, which was recently extended;
• Consider a recommendation on the naming of the concert hall at Lassiter High School;
• Approve its 2014 legislative priorities.