ESPLOST
Pictured: Houston County School Superintendent Dr. Mark Scott (center) with Robins Regional Chamber CEO April Bragg and Committee for Excellence in Education Chairman Jimmy Autry

The Robins Regional Chamber Board of Directors approved a resolution on January 14th in support of the Houston County Board of Education and the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST), which will be on the ballot March 1st.

“The quality of our schools has a direct impact on the economic success of Houston County,” said April Bragg, president and CEO of the Robins Regional Chamber.  “This is not a new tax, but rather the continuation of something Houston County citizens have been voting “yes” for since 1997. The education SPLOST has allowed our schools to keep up with growth, enhance safety and security, implement needed technology, address facility needs and maintain a level of excellence that ensures students are ready for college or the workforce when they graduate.”

If approved, the education SPLOST, or E-SPLOST, is estimated to generate $135 million that will be used to build and renovate public schools, improve safety and security, upgrade technology, and make needed transportation investments.

“Every facility in the Houston County school system has benefitted from past E-SPLOST investments.  More importantly, so has every family who sent their child to one of these schools or employer who hired a graduate,” added Jimmy Autry, chairman of the Committee for Excellence in Education and Senior VP of Member and Community Relations of Flint Energies.  “We are grateful for the Chamber’s endorsement and hopeful that voters will agree to continue to invest in our schools’ and our county’s future this fall.”

The Committee for Excellence in Education was formed to build support for the E-SPLOST referendum.  In addition to Autry, campaign leaders include Rick Franklin, campaign treasurer, Jack Steed and Rob Brooks.

More information about the Excellence in Education campaign can be found at www.houstoncountysplost.com.