The Pierce County Board of Education officially approved a call for an election to renew its Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) in the November 4 General Election.
The board unanimously approved the call for the referendum at their August work session last Thursday morning.
'We want to stress this is not a new tax, but a continuation of the one currently already in place,' Board Chairman Duward Boatright said.
The ESPLOST referendum will seek to extend the 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 by December of 2026, almost six months earlier than projected. The projected early sunset of the tax led to the board calling for the election to extend ESPLOST.
The current ESPLOST includes $6 million to be paid toward the $19 million new Pierce County High School opened in 2020.
The ESPLOST extension is projected to generate $25 million over the next five years beginning January 1, 2027. Funds from the proposed extension of the ESPLOST will go toward retiring the high school construction bonds.
Proceeds will also Be used for various improvements to all school campuses and the central office, security needs, instructional materials, school buses and maintenance equipment.
The ESPLOST referendum 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.
