Collections will allow for new building, upgrades, purchases and repairs

With a wide margin of victory during an off-year municipal election, voters decided during this election season that they will be fine allowing the Polk School District to continue collecting a penny sales tax to help continue the campaign of improvements in recent years in the district.

The district will be able to collect no more than $25 million in the latest Education-only Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax measure that will continue the collections through 2031 on the penny for purchases locally for all.

Voters approved the ESPLOST extension 1,252 to 586 in the only countywide election for the year.

Superintendent Dr. Katie Thomas released the following statement late Tuesday night following the posting of results by the Board of Elections:

“On behalf of Polk School District, staff, and students alike, I would like to say thank you to the citizens of Polk County for voting to continue the one-cent sales tax (ESPLOST) that allows us to progress by providing top-notch facilities, much-needed building improvements, and increased opportunities for advancement. By selecting yes, you cast a vote not only for the youth of our community but for the future of Polk County. We are grateful for the continued support and partnership.”

The ESPLOST extension brings with it a number of project, but most high profile of all for this round of expansion for the district is a new Rockmart High School Fine Arts wing to match the facility completed at Cedartown High School and opened in 2020.

Rockmart and Cedartown will also get new auxiliary gyms, artificial turf for the football fields, and a lot of repairs and upgrades.

Classroom additions, bathroom upgrades, heating and air replacements at facilities across the Polk School District, roofing repairs and technology upgrades are among the spending package’s other key items.

The district also plans to use the money for new buses to replace those in the fleet ready to end their service life. The district will vote next week to surplus a round of buses being retired or already being used to strip parts to keep others working.