By Logan C. Ritchie, contributor

DeKalb County, GA — Seven E-SPLOST items are now in motion after the DeKalb County School District Board of Education held a special called meeting on Sept. 21 to approve additional funding for the items. 

E-SPLOST (educational special purpose local option sales tax) is a one-cent tax that provides funding exclusively for capital projects, like building systems and major equipment. 

Dekalb County residents voted in favor of E-SPLOST in 2016, allowing $561 million to be used for capital renewal, renovations and classroom additions and other projects throughout the District. 

Interim Chief Operating Officer Richard Boyd asked the BOE to approve an additional $21 million in projects for HVAC system replacement, fire sprinkler systems, roof replacement, and other items. 

DeKalb County schools have been called out for poor conditions of facilities, notably at Druid Hills High. 

In August 2021, the BOE approved a contract with Cooper Carry to provide architectural and engineering services for Laurel Ridge Elementary School, Woodridge Elementary School, Chestnut Elementary School and Druid Hills Middle School. Since then, projects have been added to the list. 

Based on preliminary review and DCSD initiatives, it is recommended that a fire sprinkler system, roofing improvements, replacement of existing lighting with LED light fixtures and ceiling replacement be added to the scope, a memo stated. 

The board approved the following projects:

Chestnut Elementary School 

– HVAC replacement

– Fire sprinkler system 

– Roofing improvements 

– Replacing existing lighting with LED light fixtures 

– Ceiling replacement

Laurel Ridge Elementary School 

– Security vestibule 

– HVAC replacement

– Window replacement

– Fire sprinkler system

– Roof replacement  

– LED light fixtures

Woodridge Elementary School 

– HVAC replacement

– Fire sprinkler system 

– Roofing improvements 

– LED light fixtures 

– Ceiling replacement

Salem Middle School 

– Roof replacement

– HVAC replacement

Fairington Elementary School 

– HVAC upgrades

– Fire sprinkler installation

– Roofing improvements

– Plumbing fixture replacement

Redan Middle School 

– Major system replacement with emphasis on plumbing 

– Roof replacement

– HVAC system replacement  

Redan Middle School, Fairington Elementary School and Salem Middle School are scheduled to receive major building system replacements. Construction Works Inc., a company based in Tucker, was awarded a contract for the work.  

The E-SPLOST items were deferred from the Sept. 12 meeting due to confusion over when similar projects would be addressed. 

“Rather than having two separate projects at two separate times that would have required going into a ceiling, we are combining them all into one,” said Director of Planning/SPLOST Programming Hans Williams. “We’re now doing them in a different way than before, a little bit more piecemeal.” 

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