Removing state sales tax on jet fuel won't impact school construction

ATLANTA — When Georgia Governor Nathan Deal used his executive authority and removed the state sales tax on jet fuel, it did not directly affect the construction budget at Clayton County Schools. The school district had been using its own one-percent sales tax levied on jet fuel at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to fund those projects.

The governor said he eliminated the state sales tax to foster growth for businesses such as Delta and UPS, to help encourage development in Georgia’s rural counties and to bring Georgia into compliance with federal regulations, which stated any aviation-related sales tax generated at an airport must stay at that airport.

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The local Clayton County sales tax was repealed back in June. Clayton County School Superintendent Dr. Morcease Beasley said the elimination of the sales tax could cost the district millions in construction projects.

Delta agreed to continue to contribute funds to help Clayton County Schools’ construction projects through the end of 2019. Beasley said they’ll have to search for alternative funding sources at that time.

Cox Media Group