Sales tax expected to bring
EDUCATION
millions to Cobb, Marietta schools
2022 | FACTBOOK 111
Special to the MDJ — Dr. Jaha Howard
The new Susan T. Pearson Middle School in Smyrna opened in August 2021.
By Thomas Hartwell
thartwell@mdjonline.com
A penny out of every dollar spent in Cobb County goes
directly to the Cobb and Marietta school districts to pay for
the construction projects needed to educate their 120,000-
plus students.
In March 2017, Cobb voters passed the fifth iteration
of the 1% Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for
education, or Ed-SPLOST V. Collection of the tax began
in January 2019, and it is expected to bring in roughly
$797 million for the Cobb School District and about $62.5
million for Marietta City Schools through 2023.
A new cycle of the tax, Ed-SPLOST VI, which voters are
slated to decide in November 2021, is projected to bring
in $894 million for Cobb Schools and $70.8 million for
Marietta. The collection period would run from January
2024 and expire at the end of December 2028.
Both school districts have announced their project
wish lists for that period, with Cobb planning a rebuild of
Sprayberry High School; construction of a special events
and commencement center; another career academy
in the northern region of the county; and facility and
technology upgrades.
Other items on the list include facility upgrades and
additions at North Cobb High, Bells Ferry Elementary
and Tapp Middle schools; athletic facility and stadium
upgrades; individual school site improvements; and general
infrastructure, security and technology enhancements.
New annexes are expected for Kincaid, Mt. Bethel,
Murdock, Sope Creek and Tritt elementary schools. The
district has not laid out dollar amounts for each project.
Meanwhile, Marietta is earmarking most of its money for
major renovations to several schools. Marietta High School,
for example, is slated to receive a $21.8 million renovation.
Special to the MDJ — Dr. Jaha Howard
The auditorium is seen at the new Susan T. Pearson Middle School in Smyrna.
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