By: Vince Lennon
Trenton, GA – The Dade County Board of Education has voted to roll back the millage rate for property owners, as many find higher tax valuations literally hitting home.
The school board will also be asking voters to approve a seventh installment of ESPLOST for Dade County Schools come November 4th, extending the additional one cent of sales tax dedicated to help defray capital expenses for local schools.
Tuesday morning on KWIN’s Newsmaker segment with Evan Stone, Dade County Schools Superintendent Josh Ingle said after consecutive years of keeping the school millage rate flat at 14.000, the board decided to pare it down for the next tax year to 13.530, thanks in part to the state legislature.
Ingle says Governor Brian Kemp signed new education bills into law effective July 1st, allowing Georgia school systems to lower the millage rate baseline of 14 mills to 10 mills, while not jeopardizing a school district’s eligibility for state equalization grants.
Ingle says because the millage rollback is not considered a tax increase per se, they were not bound to hold public hearings on the decision.
As for the ESPLOST referendum; Ingle describes the one cent sales tax as a cost-effective way of helping local schools,while lessening the financial burden solely on property owners.
“Everybody contributes, not only the local citizens but people passing through Dade County. When they stop and buy groceries, gas or go through McDonalds for coffee; they’re contributing to ESPLOST,” said Superintendent Ingle, who already has plans where to spend the money.
“We have some paving long overdue at Dade Middle School, also at Dade County High School, we have potholes there, so that needs to be addressed.”
Ingle added school officials are looking to renovate the entryways to Dade Elementary and Davis Elementary, along with new roofs for the Davis cafeteria and lower building.
As for first day attendance system wide, Superintendent Ingle says 1,978 students comprise the district’s four schools.