Whereas, Cobb County’s student population is expected to increase significantly in the next five years, and
Whereas, in order to provide students with permanent classroom space for the next five years and beyond, the school district needs to construct new schools and classroom additions at multiple schools, and
Whereas, some older schools need to be refurbished and brought up to the level of current education specifications for facilities, and
Whereas, technology equipment, such as computers, printers and software, needs to be continually upgraded and refreshed to keep our students learning on current equipment, and
Whereas, due to HOPE and Pre-K funding requirements, limited funds have been available from the Georgia Lottery to fund K-12 programs or classroom technology, and
Whereas, school buses and other support vehicles are needed to replace older vehicles and to accommodate increased enrollment, and
Whereas, the State does not provide funding for maintenance for existing schools, and,
Whereas, sales tax funding is a “pay as you go” approach that incurs no long term debt with interest payments and allows more tax collections to go directly towards pre-specified classroom capital and technology expenses, and
Whereas, the current Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) expires on December 31, 2008,
Now, therefore be it
Resolved, that the Eastern Cobb County Council PTA supports the continued use of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) to fund the construction of educational facilities, school renovations, technology and equipment, and other capital outlay needs; and be it further
Resolved, that the Eastern Cobb county Council PTA urges its members and the community to vote YES on the ballot question September 16, 2008, to reauthorize the SPLOST for the Cobb County and the Marietta City School Systems.