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Superintendent urges March special election for 1% school-construction sales tax to allow fuller planning and avoid legal risks
Summary
The superintendent recommended delaying a proposed 1% sales-tax referendum for school construction from November to a late‑February/early‑March special election to allow more public engagement, secure accurate contractor estimates and reduce the risk of legal challenges tied to early-voting rules.
The superintendent told the Washington County School Board on July 13 that new financial guidance and legal concerns make a November referendum for a 1% sales-tax dedicated to school construction less advisable and recommended a special election in late February or early March instead.
The superintendent said county financial advisers provided a planning figure of about $170 million for what the tax could support, compared with an earlier project list that exceeded $300 million. He said the division’s current five‑year capital improvement plan totals about $23,000,000 and that the division has spent about $17,000,000 on capital projects since 2022.
"I would recommend that instead of doing that referendum on this November's ballot, that we push that off to early March," the superintendent said, arguing that extra time would allow the board to collect contractor estimates, prioritize mechanical/electrical/plumbing repairs identified in recent facility studies, and develop clearer referendum language in coordination with the board of supervisors.
Board members raised procedural and legal concerns that helped frame the recommendation. One member noted a recent referendum elsewhere was overturned because early voting was not available, and the superintendent said that risk could apply to a November-only measure. The superintendent said a March special election would allow the county to offer early voting and present the referendum as a standalone question so voters could focus on the school-construction issue.
The superintendent also offered a conservative revenue estimate: roughly $10,000,000 annually from a 1% sales-tax, with projected interest on that balance of about $400,000 under current rates. He said the division has asked the attorney general for clarification about whether interest earnings would be restricted to school-construction uses.
Board members signaled support for communicating a consensus in favor of a March special election to the county Board of Supervisors at its public hearing the following evening. The chair said the board would not take a formal vote on the recommendation at that meeting but would relay the board’s preference to supervisors.
What’s next: The superintendent said Thompson and Linton facility-study follow-ups and contractor estimates were scheduled and that more detailed prioritization would follow. The school board planned to communicate its consensus to the Board of Supervisors at the supervisors’ public hearing the next day.
