facilities Projects

The Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or ESPLOST, is a one-cent tax that is dedicated for use by school systems to fund public education.  Continuing this penny tax shares the responsibility of funding education with anyone who shops in Colquitt County, visitors or residents.  By law, an ESPLOST can only be used for certain capital projects, like buildings, furnishings, instructional materials, and vehicles.  It cannot be used for salaries or operational expenses.

The ESPLOST is not a new tax but a continuation of one already being collected in Colquitt County.  The first ESPLOST took effect in February 1999 and has continued every five years.  If voters approve the extension, the penny would be collected for a 5-year period beginning October 2023.

The current ESPLOST is set to expire in September 2023. Approving the continuation in March of 2023 would ensure that the penny would continue to be collected.  It would also allow Colquitt County School District to begin its next capital projects plan to meet its needs as facilities age and enrollment changes. 

Colquitt County School District's top priorities:

Build a new Agricultural Education Facility and Canning Plant across from Colquitt County High School.

Renovate the cafeteria at Willie J. Williams Middle School, add 16 classrooms to the north end of the campus, and build a new parking lot between the school, the Art Center, and Mack Tharpe Stadium.

Remove eight structures on the campus of C.A. Gray Junior High School that were mostly built in 1959. Do site remediation and cosmetic renovations to the remaining campus.

Add 16 classrooms to Colquitt County High School to house 9th-grade students.

These bonds will provide the district with funding before the sales tax collection, allowing Colquitt County School District to move forward with any needed building construction or renovations totaling no more than $31,500,000.  These bonds will be paid for with sales tax proceeds as that revenue is collected. 

The tax revenue collected through the ESPLOST is the primary funding source for capital projects, including building and maintaining our school facilities.  Without it, Colquitt County School District will be limited in constructing needed new buildings, purchasing necessary technology, installing safety upgrades, and other needed capital projects.  The ESPLOST funding helps provide needed resources for the school district while keeping property taxes low for Colquitt County residents.