The Pierce County Board of Education will likely ask voters to extend the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax in the November 4 General Election.
School superintendent Dara Bennett confirmed the school board is considering calling for a referendum to renew the ESPLOST, but she declined to give additional details.
“We are still working on the details,” she said. “(The referendum) will be on the agenda for the school board’s August meeting.”
The Times learned about the ESPLOST referendum after the county approved — and then immediately postponed — plans for the referendum on the Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) in November. The FLOST vote is now tentatively planned for March (See related story.)
The ESPLOST referendum will seek to extend the current one cent sales tax currently in place. The current ESPLOST was approved in March, 2021 and collections began July 1, 2022.
The tax was to be in effect until June 30, 2027 or until the tax collected $13 million, whichever comes first. Projections are the tax will reach the $13 million collection early, leading to the early extension referendum.
The current ESPLOST includes $6 million to be paid toward the $19 million new Pierce County High School opened in 2020. Funds from the proposed extension of the ESPLOST will also have to go toward retiring the high school construction bonds.
The ESPLOST referendum, if approved, will be on the Nov. 4 general election ballot along with the special general election for two public service commission seats. City municipal elections will also be held that day.
