DUBLIN, Ga. — The Laurens County School District is hoping to build two new schools within the next few years. District leaders say it will be hard to build the new schools if voters do not approve a ESPLOST and bond referendum for the district in November.
Jason Warren says Laurens County is the only place he has ever called home.
"I have two kids in the school system, and I have been here my entire life," Warren said.
Part of living in any town is funding the school system.
"I'm for the ESPLOST, I am not for wasting money," Warren said.
Warren is talking about an upcoming vote to continue a one penny sales tax and a bond referendum asking voters to let the district borrow money the district will have to pay back.
"I want the board to be more transparent than what they are being," Warren said.
Laurens County Schools Superintendent Dan Brigman says they plan to build two new schools if voters approve the money. That includes a new middle school on more than 100 acres.
"We are looking at two new schools -- the West Laurens Middle School and East Laurens High School. West Laurens Middle School will appraise at $34 million and East Laurens High School is going to be about $35 million, our architecture estimate," Brigman said.
Brigman says they expect to receive $20 million from the state to help build the schools. He says the ESPLOST money would pay for new technology, school buses, new gym floors, and more.
"The cheapest schools you can build is today, and we do have a non-negotiable on the west side, we have to replace West Laurens Middle School, that is non-negotiable, and on the east side that is the oldest campus that the middle school on the east side occupy," Brigman said.
Brigman says the district does not plan to raise taxes because of the bond.
"The ESPLOST money would be used to pay back the bonds," Brigman said.
The ballot shows the ESPLOST could give the county up to $44 million. The bond money should not exceed $42 million. While voters prepare to make their decision, Warren just wants everyone to know all the facts.
"You need to ask questions, you need to inform yourselves, because there are some things that just do not add up," Warren said.
The school also provided us with this fact sheet for the upcoming vote:
Voters in Laurens County will vote on this measure November 5.
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