At the December 18, 2024 meeting of the Board of Education, a resolution was approved to reimpose, levy, and collect a sales and use tax for educational purposes conditioned upon approval by qualified voters residing within Chatham county in a referendum to be held March 18, 2025.  This will be the fifth Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) in our area and would continue the existing one-percent sales tax. ESPLOST IV is set to expire no later than December 31, 2026 and the Educational Sales Tax authorized by this resolution shall be collected beginning upon the termination of the Educational Sales Tax currently in effect. The continuation of the one penny sales tax will allow the school district to continue to acquire, construct and equip capital outlay projects throughout the county.

The specific capital outlay projects which the Board of Education currently expects to fund from general obligation debt and proceeds of the Educational Sales Tax are as follows:

New and Replacement Schools:

·         New K-8 School in West Chatham County

·         New High School in West Chatham County

·         New Athletic Complex in West Chatham County

·         New/Replacement Windsor Forest Elementary School

·         New/Replacement STEM Academy at Bartlett Middle School

Other New Construction, Additions, Modifications, Renovations to Existing Sites:

·         Pooler Elementary School

·         Woodville-Tompkins High School

·         Woodville-Tompkins Lower

·         Rice-Creek K-8 Wing Additions

·         Southwest Middle School

·         Southwest Elementary School

·         DeRenne Middle School

·         Johnson High School

·         Charles Ellis Montessori K-8

·         Garrison School for the Arts

·         Savannah High School and Academic Annex

·         Coastal Middle School

·         Islands High School

·         Oatland Island Early Learning Center Expansion

·         Bull Street Center for Architecture and Design (208 Bull)

·         Maintenance and Transportation Center

·         Massie Heritage Center

Other Upgrades to District Properties and Systems including:

·         Physical Education/Athletic Facility Site Improvements

·         Roofing Replacements

·         HVAC Monitoring and System Upgrades

·         Property Acquisition

·         Outdoor Learning Spaces

District Safety and Technology Upgrades:

·         District Academic Technology and System Upgrades and Improvements

·         District Security Equipment and System Upgrades and Improvements

Charter School Technology and Site Improvements for Named Charter Schools:

·         Savannah Classical Academy Charter School - Technology & Campus Security Upgrades

·         Savannah Classical Academy Charter School - HVAC and Roof Replacement

·         Coastal Empire Montessori School Site Improvements, Equipment & Activity/School Buses

·         Coastal Empire Montessori School - Security System, Fencing & School Technology

·         Tybee Island Maritime Academy School Academic Technology and Equipment

The maximum cost of the above-described capital outlay projects to be funded with Educational Sales Tax proceeds, including interest and cost of issuance on the general obligation debt to be incurred, is estimated to be $ 705,000,000, which will constitute the maximum amount of net proceeds of the Educational Sales Tax to be received by the School District. In addition to the specific projects listed herein, the funds may be used to address unforeseen costs, adjustments, or contingencies associated with the planning, design, and construction of such projects, or other unforeseen expenses necessary for the effective and efficient execution of these projects.

The ESPLOST V vote is expected to be held on March 18, 2025