Greene County Board of Education approves resolution to seek special-purpose sales tax referendum, raises cap to $75 million

The Greene County Board of Education voted unanimously at a special-called meeting to approve a resolution calling a special-purpose local option educational sales tax referendum, and directed staff to change language in the ballot resolution and raise the collection cap from $65 million to $75 million.

The vote came after a presentation by district staff outlining enrollment projections, facility needs and revenue history that officials said make restarting the sales-tax referendum this year urgent. The board also recorded a recommendation that up to $50 million be bonded against the referendum proceeds.

Presenter said the meeting was called "to consider the resolution for calling for a special purpose local option educational sales tax referendum" and provided background on the district's planning work and recent forecasts. The Presenter told the board the district has averaged about $8.5 million annually over the prior two years and is at roughly $9.2 million in collections this year, and said those trends make it likely the district could reach its current collections cap in 2026 if the board waits.

The presentation summarized a facility condition assessment that estimated approximately $15 million to $18 million would be required to address all identified needs across district buildings over the next decade. Presenter highlighted modular classroom units at Lake Oconee Academy as a specific area identified for upgrades and described choices the district faces on HVAC work and other capital projects.

During discussion, a board member raised concern that the resolution language, as written, used the word "acquiring" in a way that could be interpreted as taking over property now owned by a foundation at Lake Oconee Academy. The same board member moved to approve the resolution with two edits: change "acquiring" to "assisting with" when describing work related to LOA facilities, and increase the referendum cap in section 3 from $65,000,000 to $75,000,000. The Presenter confirmed staff would make the technical edits necessary to reflect those changes in the final document.

The Chair called for a voice vote; the motion to approve the resolution with the noted edits passed unanimously. After the vote the Presenter said staff would begin preparing public notices and communications, noting the board must publish the proposed project list and related information at least 90 days before any election to meet referendum-notice requirements.

The board did not adopt a final bonded amount in the resolution language beyond staff's recommendation to limit bonds to about $50 million; the Presenter said that bonded amount reflects a conservative approach to ensure debt service stays within expected receipts.

With no further business, the Chair moved to dismiss the meeting and the board adjourned.

Provenance: Presentation and discussion began with the Presenter's remarks introducing the referendum and projections; the motion and vote to approve the resolution with edits were moved by a board member and recorded by the Chair.