By By Kerry Whipple Bean – publisher
Escambia County School Board members and school officials will be lobbying themselves for passage of a tax renewal that will help schools.
Two decades-old taxes are up for renewal again on June 5 - a 1-mill countywide tax that benefits all schools in the county and a 3-mill district tax. Brewton city voters have already passed the district tax for their schools.
Escambia County Schools financial officer Julie Madden said each school is sending home fliers with students to advertise the importance of the tax renewal.
If the tax is not renewed, Escambia County Schools stand to lose about $700,000 per year. Brewton City Schools stand to lose about $70,000 per year.
The countywide tax and the district taxes for county schools failed in a referendum last fall.
This time around, voting for the 3-mill district tax has been broken up by district. District 1 schools are W.S. Neal Elementary, Middle and High schools. District 2 schools are Flomaton Elementary, Flomaton High School and Pollard-McCall. District 3 schools are Huxford, A.C. Moore and Rachel Patterson elementary schools, Escambia County Middle School and Escambia County High School.
Officials at the individual schools have said they would use the money for capital improvement projects, additional teaching units and other needs.
Board chairman Mike Goolsby encouraged board members to talk to their neighbors and constituents about the importance of the tax as well.
In other business Thursday: