Author Archives: Stan Jester

The DeKalb Schools administration presented 3 options to address E‐SPLOST budget issues. DeKalb Schools will be promoting a GO bond. Everybody gets a carrot except for Chamblee, they apparently get the stick.

I have 20+ articles I need to write. Most of them fall under this umbrella, so let’s start here.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Presentation – OPTIONS TO ADDRESS E‐SPLOST BUDGET ISSUES
Summary of 3‐Step Process
E‐SPLOST and GO Bond Options
Budget and Scope Adjustments

E‐SPLOST BUDGET ISSUES
E‐SPLOST V projects are projected to cost approximately $95 million more than the current budget

RECOMMENDATION TO ADDRESS E‐SPLOST BUDGET ISSUES

Step 1: Balance E‐SPLOST V Budget to $561 M (October 2019)

Step 2: Approve GO Bond for March 2020 Referendum to fund additional projects, including some of those projects removed in step 1 (November 2019)

Step 3: E‐SPLOST V Adjustments after GO Bond Passes to restore projects to E‐SPLOST V, if GO Bond referendum passes in March 2020 (April 2020)

Step 1: Balance E‐SPLOST V Budget to $561 M (October 2019)

Option 1
No – Arts School
No – Peachtree MS Addition
No – Lakeside HS Addition
Yes – Chamblee Charter HS Addition

Option2
No – Chamblee Charter HS Addition
No – Lakeside HS Addition
Yes – Arts School
Yes – Peachtree MS Addition

Step 2: Approve GO Bond
With the GO (General Obligation) Bond, we can have all the projects removed from option 1 and 2 above plus 5 new elementary schools.

• General obligation (GO) bonds are bonds backed by a debt service property tax.
• GO Bonds require voter approval by referendum (March 2020)
• Bond would be sold Summer 2020 and paid back over 15 years
• The debt service property tax is separate from school operations property tax and is not factored in the 25 mill maximum rate for school operations

STEP 3: REBUILD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS INSTEAD OF RENOVATING
• Henderson Mill ES
• Toney ES
• Stoneview ES

IMPACT OF NO GO BOND
• No turf installation at the high schools
• No arts school
• Cut many major projects
• Chamblee MS consolidates with Sequoyah MS

OPTION – No Chamblee Addition
• Move the Chamblee Charter HS magnet to new Cross Keys HS to avoid any building additions

Chamblee is being told they don’t have to have the building additions. They could avoid building additions by moving the high achievers magnet program to the new Cross Keys HS.

• Move High Achievers Magnet program (600 seats) from Chamblee Charter HS to New Cross Keys HS in Step 1
• Add 21 classrooms to New Cross Keys HS (98 IU → 119 IU)

Step 1 Adjustments

• Remove Chamblee Charter HS Addition
• Restore Fairington ES and Hawthorne ES
• Add $8 M ‐ $14.6 M to New Cross Keys HS for 21 additional classrooms
• Use any remaining savings ($0 ‐ $6.6 M) for other projects as decided
by the Board

RELATED POSTS

Options To Address E-SPLOST Budget Issues
May 13, 2019 – In earlier posts, I discussed E-SPLOST Budget Overruns and Projects on Hold. What’s the plan? Here are the options we are currently looking at.