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Oconee County Schools urges support for E‑SPLOST proposal, highlights graduation rate and facility needs
Summary
A schools representative told the Oconee County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 7 that the district’s proposed education special-purpose sales tax (E‑SPLOST) would fund buses, instructional technology, building renovations and infrastructure such as roofs and HVAC, and reminded residents of early voting dates.
Deborah Harden, speaking for the Oconee County School System at the Oct. 7 Oconee County Board of Commissioners meeting, urged community support for the district’s upcoming E‑SPLOST referendum and outlined facility and equipment needs the levy would address.
Harden said the district proposes that E‑SPLOST VII would focus on replacement of school buses, investment in instructional technology, building renovations, and infrastructure improvements including roof replacement and water‑mitigation work at older campuses. She noted varying building ages across the district — including some facilities about 65 years old and others like North Oconee High School that are roughly 21 years old — and cited aging HVAC systems as another listed need.
Harden highlighted student performance data and outside recognition as context for the request, saying the Class of 2025 had a 99.7% graduation rate and that Oconee County schools had been included in rankings by U.S. News & World Report and cited by Niche for teacher quality and being a top place to teach in Georgia. She closed by reminding residents of the voting window set by county election officials: early voting from Oct. 14 through Oct. 31 and Election Day on Nov. 4.
No formal board action on the E‑SPLOST was recorded during the meeting; Harden’s remarks were delivered during the public‑comment portion of the agenda.
Context
E‑SPLOST (the education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) is a local referendum that, if approved by voters, dedicates a county sales-tax increment to school capital projects. Harden did not present specific dollar amounts or a final project list in the meeting remarks. She asked residents to participate in the election but did not direct how they should vote.
Provenance
The school presentation and the voting reminder were made during public comment at the Oct. 7 meeting; the district’s project specifics and any final ballot language will be set by the school board and in the E‑SPLOST referendum materials the district posts ahead of the election.
