DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School Board must delay certain school enhancements because all the plans the district made were based off the money they thought they were getting from tax dollars.
As Channel 2 Action News reported in June, the school board knows the district has been taking the wrong ESPLOST percentage for four years. So now they have to look at new projections, Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes said.
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“I think we’re going to need some kind of clear, layman accessible way to present the two things that are happening here,” DeKalb County School Board Member Whitney McGinnis said during Monday’s meeting.
She wants to make sure the public realizes that DeKalb has to pay back about $12 million to two school districts — Decatur and Atlanta — for taking more of the ESPLOST (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) 6 money than they were supposed to for four years.
And the board has to recalculate all the money they thought was coming in because the formula has been wrong since 2022.
One district administrator laid out a recommendation that included pausing bus purchases and fire alarm enhancements.
At least two board members said they didn’t like that only one option was presented.
“Nobody likes to make these decisions, but I do think that responsibility does rest with the board. And it makes me uncomfortable to be presented with one recommendation,” McGinnis said.
When a different board member said he wanted someone to be held accountable for the multimillion-dollar mistake, Superintendent Norman Sauce said, “There was some leadership transition shortly thereafter. There was also employees were still in large working remotely.”
Monday’s meeting was just a discussion. They’re waiting until the end of July to make any final decisions.
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