LEESBURG, Ga. (WALB) —Lee County voters will decide whether to renew the one-percent education sales tax known as ESPLOST when they head to the polls May 19.

Lee County School System Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Truitt said this is not a new tax or a tax increase, but a continuation of the current penny sales tax already in place. She says the measure would fund school renovations and maintenance repairs, including major needs like a new HVAC unit for the high school and a new roof for the middle school.

“It’s really hard to learn when it’s 103 degrees outside and you don’t have air conditioning that’s keeping up with that heat,” Truitt said. “There is almost nothing that we do... well, there is nothing that we do that does not tie directly to instruction, classrooms, co-curricular, which are those things that, you know, fine arts, some of the clubs that we do, and then extracurricular. And I think those are the core things that, with high academic performance, are the core things that make Lee County Schools so good. And that’s why families move here, is for those things.”

Community pushback

However, not everyone agrees. Posts circulating on social media accuse the district of spending millions on what some call “non-educational projects.” Others have raised concerns about transparency and trust following criticism tied to recent questions about calculations of the rollback rate for property taxes discussed publicly at school board meetings.

One person commented on WALB’s Facebook page, “They are going to raise taxes anyway they’ve been getting ESPLOST for over a decade and it has not affected whether they raise or lower property taxes.” Another said, “Vote no. They can use the 35% increase in property taxes they gave themselves this year.”

Truitt said the district has safeguards in place to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.

“We have really thoughtful decisions around how do we spend money, where do we spend money, and then we have processes and procedures that make sure that if we’re spending taxpayer dollars, we’re getting the best bang that we can for our taxpayers’ money,” Truitt said. “And so, we have things like we require three bids or three quotes for any expenditure over $500. We make sure that we are renegotiating contracts so that we’re getting what we need, but we’re getting that at the best price point that we possibly can.”

Past projects

The district points to past ESPLOST projects including construction of Lee County Middle School West Campus, additions at Lee County High School, classroom expansions, athletic facilities, roof replacements and ongoing renovations across the district. Still, opponents question whether all of those projects were the right priorities.

“If you as a voter would prefer to pay for these projects solely out of property tax, then that is absolutely your prerogative,” Truitt said. “And what we hope is that people participate in the voting process. It is 100% up to them which way they would like to go.”

If the measure fails, Truitt said immediate needs like HVAC and roof repairs would have to be paid for through property taxes.

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