Voters will decide whether to renew APS tax on Tuesday

Cash would go to rehab buildings, raze eyesores, and ease overcrowding

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Voters on May 24 will be asked several heady questions: Who should operate the jail and oversee court security? Which Democrat should face U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, the well-funded and popular Republican incumbent, in November? Who knew there was a county surveyor’s race?!?

Ballot casters in Atlanta will also decide whether to renew the E-SPLOST, an existing 1 percent sales tax used to renovate Atlanta Public Schools facilities. If voters approve the measure, the tax would raise approximately $546 million to rehab schools, add high-tech facilities, raze old buildings, upgrade the system’s bus fleet, and help pay for school security.

All of APS’ nine clusters would see new investment. Some schools, including southside facilities, would see more than $20 million in new fixes. Approximately $10 million is earmarked to upgrade the old Kennedy Middle School in Vine City, which is planned to become a pre-K-8 STEM academy. 

Cash would also help ease overcrowding in northeast Atlanta’s popular Grady cluster, including spending nearly $50 million to renovate and reopen the historic David T. Howard Building in the Old Fourth Ward as a middle school. (Here are more specifics about E-SPLOST projects.)

“To create a true transformation of education in Atlanta, we must do the same for the physical infrastructure of APS with better and safer learning and working facilities for our students and educators,” APS Superintendent Meria Carstarphen said in a statement. “But this is more than updating and maintaining buildings. This is about reinvesting in our kids and ensuring they study in environments conducive to learning and achievement.”

If voters reject the measure? Well, that’s one penny less they will pay with every dollar spent.

NOTE: This post has been altered to correct an error included on an earlier press release regarding the number of school clusters that would benefit from the tax revenues.