Talking Points
- Cobb County residents enjoy a high quality of life resulting from the value created by relatively low tax rates, and relatively high academic performance from local schools.
- SPLOST stands for Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax – a 1 percent sales tax on retail goods. Revenues from the tax must be used for specific capital improvement projects at local schools.
- The District’s operating budget is not sufficient to fund capital improvements, or even regular building renovations and repairs. Approximately 90 percent of the District’s operating budget pays salaries of teachers and other staff. The remaining portion covers daily operating expenses such as utilities – water, gas and electricity – fuel, and supplies such as textbooks.
- Cobb County is one of the only counties in Georgia that exempts all seniors 62 years and older from paying any school property tax.
- The school district receives very little funding from the state of Georgia that could be used for school building maintenance or technology.
- Before Ed-SPLOST, the school district issued bonds that were repaid from property tax revenues, or used ad valorem tax revenues to fund capital improvements. Both put the burden on property owners.
- Bonds must be repaid over many years with interest. SPLOST revenue is used as it is received – pay as you go. There is no interest to pay back.
- A $221 million bond issued in 1995 for school construction was paid back with an additional $92 million in interest.
- Those who do not pay property tax and/or live out of the county, but work and play in Cobb, support our schools by paying a significant portion of the Ed-SPLOST – estimates say 30 percent or more.
- By paying off all of the district’s long-term debt, Ed-SPLOST has allowed the school board to eliminate the debt-service millage rate and lower the property tax rate.
- Over the last 10 years, while the focus was on new classroom construction, many maintenance and infrastructure needs have developed in school buildings.
- Ed-SPLOST 4 will continue the focus on revitalizing the District’s outdated schools and facilities.
- 32 percent of all Cobb County schools are older than 40 years.
- Timely maintenance renovations today will prevent much more costly infrastructure emergencies in the future.
- Since 1988, Cobb County Schools have grown from an enrollment of 67,000 students to more than 106,000.
Since the first Ed-SPLOST was approved in 1998 we have seen:
- 22 new schools
- 2,372 new classrooms
- Hundreds of maintenance improvements, including new roofs, paving, painting, plumbing, landscaping, electrical, heating & air, etc.
- Safety improvements, including lighting, fencing, video surveillance cameras, and access control systems for elementary schools.
- New technology including the replacement of more than 46,000 computers five years or older, plus a personal computing device for every teacher.
- 551 portable classrooms eliminated since the beginning of SPLOST.
- Bond debt of $184 million paid off in February 2007 making Cobb County one of only a few school districts in Georgia that is free of long-term debt.
- More than 5,000 total projects completed (or currently in progress) as promised to voters – all completed in a timely fashion with a net savings of millions of dollars for taxpayers due to efficient management
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Ed-SPLOST 4
Cluster/Feeder Brochures
Allatoona High School
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Awtrey, Durham, McClure, Big Shanty, Bullard, Due West, Ford, Frey, Kennesaw, Lewis, Pickett's Mill
Campbell High School
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Campbell, Griffin, Argyle, Belmont Hills, Brown, Fair Oaks, Green Acres, King Springs, LaBelle, Nickajack, Norton Park, Teasley
Harrison High School
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Durham, Lost Mtn., McClure, Bullard, Due West, Ford, Frey, Kemp, Lewis, Pickett's Mill, Vaughan
Hillgrove High School
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Lost Mtn., Lovinggood, Cheatham Hill, Dowell, Due West, Kemp, Still, Vaughan
Kell High School
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McCleskey, Palmer, Big Shanty, Blackwell, Chalker, Keheley, Kennesaw, Nicholson, Pitner
Kennesaw Mtn High School
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McClure, Pine Mtn., Bullard, Cheatham Hill, Due West, Frey, Hayes, Lewis
Lassiter High School
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Mabry, Simpson, Addison, Davis, Garrison Mill, Kincaid, Mountain View, Rocky Mount, Shallowford Falls
McEachern High School
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Cooper, Tapp, Austell P & I, Clarkdale, Compton, Dowell, Hendricks, Powder Springs, Varner
North Cobb High School
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Awtrey, Barber, Palmer, Acworth, Baker, Big Shanty, Chalker, Frey, Kennesaw, Lewis, McCall, Pitner
Osborne High School
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Floyd, Griffin, Smitha, Belmont Hills, Birney, Cheatham Hill, Dowell, Fair Oaks, Hollydale, King Springs,
LaBelle, Mableton, Milford, Nickajack, Norton Park, Russell, Sanders
Pebblebrook High School
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Garrett, Lindley, Lindley 6, Austell, Bryant, Clarkdale, Clay, Harmony Leland, Hendricks, Mableton, Riverside P & I, Sanders
Pope High School
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Dodgen, Hightower Trail, East Side, Kincaid, Mt. Bethel, Mountain View, Murdock, Shallowford Falls, Timber Ridge, Tritt
South Cobb High School
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Cooper, Floyd, Garrett, Austell, Birney, Clarkdale, Hendricks, Mableton, Norton Park, Powder Springs, Russell, Sanders
Sprayberry High School
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Daniell, McCleskey, Simpson, Addison, Bells Ferry, Blackwell, Chalker, Keheley, Kincaid, Mtn View, Nicholson, Rocky Mount, Sedalia Park, Shallowford Falls
Walton High School
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Dickerson, Dodgen, East Side, Kincaid, Mt. Bethel, Murdock, Sope Creek, Timber Ridge
Wheeler High School
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East Cobb, Brumby, Eastvalley, Powers Ferry, Sedalia Park, Sope Creek
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