At its December 7th workshop, The Board of Education (BOE) delivered its SPLOST (Special Local Option Sales Tax) report for October on December 7 at the BOE offices. Topics included SPLOST II and III projects and expenditures. The BOE received a SPLOST check in September for $331,068.13, a 25.5 percent gain over last year. Henson says that SPLOST was a big part of the improvements that have already been made to the schools. Henson went on to say that one of the main things that the BOE wants to do with SPLOST III is to “improve infrastructure of the school systems, and that’s improve the heat, that’s improve the electrical flow into the buildings, those types of things so hopefully it will set these buildings up to last us.” By doing this, Henson believes that it will prevent leaving problems for the future BOE members. He hopes to extend the life of the school buildings as a legacy for the future Board members, administrators and students of Fannin County School systems.

Finance Director Susan Jackson informed the Board of SPLOST expenditures. The 1 percent sales tax to fund projects and retire associated debt was originally approved by the Fannin County voters. The designated projects for SPLOST III include electrical upgrades, HVAC renovation, roofs, conversion into or construction of classrooms, text books, new busses and drivers ed cars, safety and security equipment and paving of the bus parking area. The referendum was approved for $20 million. In fiscal year ’11, $2.9 million had been spent on those expenditures. Expenditures to date for SPLOST II are $22.7 million. Amounts expended for projects may include sales tax proceeds and state and local property taxes. Not only were SPLOST dollars used, but also capital outlaying money that was received from the State and local dollars were used, according to Jackson. SPLOST III monies were used to pay off the bond debt for SPLOST II, so now the money allocated for this in SPLOST III may be put toward the projects instead. Henson says that so far, nothing for SPLOST III has been bonded.

SPLOST intake is based on one percent growth on what the BOE has already collected. Henson projects $18,171,814.40 over the next year as long as things continue as they are.