Schools

What's Next After School SPLOST?

East Cobb supporters of the recently-approved sales tax referendum say they'll continue to address funding concerns.

Last month's passage of the Cobb Education SPLOST was a relief for supporters of extending the sales tax referendum for construction and maintenance projects.

But larger funding issues loom for the Cobb County School District, which faces a projected fiscal year 2014 budget deficit of $86.4 million.

While Cobb Board of Education members last week expressed their unhappiness with proposed budget cuts, East Cobb parents involved in helping pass the SPLOST say they'll continue working on grassroots efforts to address long-term financial issues.

Find out what's happening in East Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"ED-SPLOST was a first step and not our goal," said David Schwartz, a Dodgen Middle School parent and co-founder of FACE It Cobb, which was organized as the SPLOST campaign geared up.

Although strong voter support from East Cobb was crucial for SPLOST passage (see the chart below), Schwartz said that his group plans to "coordinate folks in South and West Cobb to work to set up a meeting with all interested parents, school members, school board, etc.  

Find out what's happening in East Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Our goal will be to have the integrated grassroots for all of Cobb in place and working by the beginning of summer."

Other components of the continuing campaign include legislative lobbying and working with business entities in Cobb "to take some meaningful steps to reduce the projected budget deficits."

Walton High School parents spearheaded a highly organized push for SPLOST passage. The school will receive nearly $40 million in SPLOST IV funding for a major classroom rebuild, a new gym and a new fine arts building.

Patti Morgan, vice president of the Walton Facilities Foundation, said her group is "pondering what the potential budget cuts may mean for Walton. Personally I think some of the suggestions made to the board were ridiculous.

"We are brainstorming ways to help administration and staff at Walton maintain all the super high academics in the midst of the cuts," said Morgan, a member of the school board's Facilities and Technology Committee, which conducts SPLOST oversight.

East Cobb-area precincts reported the biggest pro-SPLOST percentages in Cobb during the March 19 referendum. A total of 12 precincts, out of 153 countywide, reported turnout of 20 percent or more, and all of them were in East Cobb. All were strongly in favor of the tax extension, which will fund $717 million for Cobb schools.

The breakdown by Cobb Board of Education post also was revealing. The pro-SPLOST vote barely carried in four of the five non-East Cobb posts and barely failed in another.

Scott Sweeney and David Banks were the most vocal Cobb school board members in favor of SPLOST, and "yes" votes carried in their East Cobb posts with 70 and 63 percent of the vote, respectively.

The following figures have been compiled by Cobb Elections:

Precinct Yes No

% Yes

Addison 147 121 55 Bells Ferry 2 107 134 44 Bells Ferry 3 184 177 50 Baker 101 66 60 Blackwell 91 116 45 Chestnut Ridge 375 217 63 Dickerson 485 115 80 Dodgen 319 105 75 Davis 143 90 61 Eastside 1 496 171 74 Eastside 2 415 302 57 East Piedmont 81 64 55 Fullers Park 459 168 73 Garrison Mill 189 139 57 Gritters 99 140 41 Hightower 341 149 66 Kell 93 82 53 Lassiter 222 150 60 Mabry 145 98 60 Murdock 497 264 66 McCleskey 119 106 53 Mt. Bethel 1 748 194 79 Mt. Bethel 3 364 99 78 Mt. Bethel 4 402 153 72 Nicholson 91 110 45 Powers Ferry 162 146 52 Post Oak 239 149 61 Pope 232 183 56 Rocky Mount 274 156 59 Roswell 1 413 155 72 Roswell 2 558 163 53 Sandy Plains 176 153 53 Shallowford Falls 266 145 65 Simpson 150 75 67 Sewell Mill 1 338 212 61 Sewell Mill 3 204 164 55 Sope Creek 1 265 175 60 Sope Creek 2 291 162 64 Sope Creek 3 335 106 76 Sprayberry 132 175 43 Terrell Mill 134 155 46 Timber Ridge 531 99 84 Tritt 388 152 72 Willeo 221 109 67

By Cobb Board of Education Post:

Post (Board Member) Yes No % Yes

1 (Randy Scamihorn)

Northwest Cobb

2018 1958 51

2 (Tim Stultz)

Smyrna

1094 996 52

3 (David Morgan)

Southwest Cobb

1562 1584 49

4 (Kathleen Angelucci)

Northeast Cobb

2403 2329 51

5 (David Banks)

East Cobb

4647 2683 63

6 (Scott Sweeney)

East Cobb

4100 1719 70

7 (Brad Wheeler)

West Cobb

2223 2205 50


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from East Cobb