Gainesville BOE hears sales tax proposal

GAINESVILLE - One Gainesville School Board member wants the local option sales tax for education to expand its funding reach.

The School Board gets a total of ten minutes to present its wish list to local legislators on December 11th in preparation for the 2009 General Assembly session.

Board member Sammy Smith proposed asking for more help from the local option sales tax.

"My thinking is to take it the next step and allow a small portion of that penny to go to maintenance," Smith said.

Smith added the sales tax already pays for retiring debt as well as construction projects.

A report on Gainesville School system day care for employee's children got board members attention Monday night.

Chairman David Syfan said the Board should consider going to a private vendor after hearing from Finance Director Janet Allison.

"There's an excess of expenditures over revenues of about $51,000, again it has been budgeted for a transfer to be made," Allison said.

Syfan said he would support funding day care this year but would consider privatizing it in the next budget.

Board member Maria Calkins called for a final decision on day care early next year.

Vice Chairman Kelvin Simmons said he wanted more consistency in what system employees are charged for day care, and suggested reviewing how Hall County schools runs its day care center.