The Clarke County Board of Education meets today for both a regular meeting and a work session. During their regular voting meeting, Board members are expected to vote on a renewal of a 1 percent sales tax to fund school district expenses. If the Board of Education approves the measure, Clarke County voters will have a chance to vote yes or no on November 2 this year.
If the sales tax is renewed, it will last for five years or until it raises $175 million in revenue, whichever comes first. Money from the sales tax can be used for a variety of capital improvements, including the purchase of new vehicles and equipment, buying land, and construction and renovation for county schools.
At their 6:00 work session, the Board will deal with a number of routine items, and get a look at the district’s financial health as of the end of May. That report shows that property tax collections are lagging behind the previous year by about 1.5 percent. If that trend continues, the district would raise about $1 million less than planned. However, total revenues for the district are higher than last fiscal year, thanks in part to more state funding coming to the district.
Expenditures are also slightly lower, which district officials credit in part to a realignment of the district’s payroll calendar for ten-month employees. This afternoon’s meeting starts at 4:30, with the work session following at 6:00 pm.
