Catoosa County holds community engagement meeting on proposed E‑SPLOST 7 renewal ahead of Nov. 4 vote

Catoosa County Public Schools officials presented proposed projects for a proposed continuation of the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E‑SPLOST) and sought public comment at a community engagement meeting Aug. 5, outlining priorities ahead of a Nov. 4, 2025, referendum on continuing the 1¢ sales tax. Superintendent Nicks told attendees the district and its consultants received 1,700 survey responses and that safety, secure and well‑maintained classrooms were the top priority for respondents.

Why it matters: The E‑SPLOST is a locally imposed one‑cent sales tax voters in the county must approve every five years; the district says proceeds have funded new schools, safety upgrades, classroom technology, and capital maintenance since voters first approved the tax in 1997.

School officials showed a district video detailing previous E‑SPLOST phases and projects and listed the priorities the board proposes for “E‑SPLOST 7”: continued investments in school safety (surveillance, access control and crisis alert systems), facility equitability across older campuses, instructional technology for classrooms, and capital…