Board suggests tax hike

CHARLESTON - The County School Board will ask voters this fall to support an eight-year, one-penny sales tax increase that would generate at least $500 million for construction projects.

The money would cover at least 16 new school buildings, two whole school renovations and comprehensive athletic complexes for three areas of the county. The big question now is whether voters will vote in favor of the tax.

If they don't, county residents instead would see their property taxes increase to pay for the rebuilding of five schools with seismic problems -- Buist Academy, Charleston Progressive Academy, James Simons Elementary, Memminger Elementary and Sullivan's Island Elementary -- but none of the district's other building needs would be addressed. The eight-year tax includes those projects as well as a number of others, and property taxes would not be raised.

"If they don't (support the sales tax), the building program would come to a screeching halt," board member Toya Green said. "I feel like this is a big moment for the district. I'm nervous. I feel like this is a culminating point where we're asking the community to complete the vision that was started six years ago."

Board member Chris Fraser initially asked the board Thursday to put a five-year, one-cent sales tax on voters' ballots in November that would've produced a minimum of $300 million, but the board shot it down in a 4-3 vote. Board Chairwoman Ruth Jordan and members Elizabeth Kandrac, Arthur Ravenel Jr. and Ray Toler voted against the five-year plan.

The leadership of a number of groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Realtors and the hospitality industry, wrote letters to the district in support of a five-year tax versus an eight-year tax, and Fraser said he thought the five-year tax had a better chance of getting voters' support.

Ravenel, perhaps the board's most fiscally conservative member, made the motion favoring the eight-year tax, saying the five-year plan simply wouldn't generate enough money to cover the district's capital projects.

"It just seems very foolish to me to go through all the agony of running an election that's involved with a referendum for an insufficient amount of money to take care of the needs," he said.

The board passed his motion 5-2, with board members Kandrac and Fraser voting against it. Board members Chris Collins and Gregg Meyers were not at the board's meeting.

Board member Ann Oplinger first voted in favor of the five-year plan and then voted in favor of the eight-year plan. She said she supported the eight-year plan reluctantly and would have preferred the five-year tax, but ultimately she wanted to make sure the district had this issue on the November ballot because its capital needs are considerable.

"I think we've got our work cut out for us," she said of getting voters to support the tax. "We've got so much in the district that needs to be taken care of, and I would hate to see that fall by the wayside."

Green said she voted for the five-year tax because that was the business community's preference, but she said her inclination was to go for the bigger capital plan. She hopes business leaders will support the eight-year tax because it's not that much longer than the five-year tax and the district has the capital needs to justify it.

Capital program

The following are the list of projects that likely would be completed if voters agreed to an eight-year, one-penny sales tax increase in November:

--New schools: Sullivan's Island Elementary, Charleston Charter School for Math & Science, Memminger Elementary, James Simons Elementary, Buist Academy, Charleston Progressive Academy, Jennie Moore Primary (Jennie Moore Elementary would be divided into a primary and elementary school), Jennie Moore Elementary, Laing Middle, Harbor View Elementary, Chicora Elementary, St. Andrew's School of Math and Science, Stono Park Elementary, North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary (this school does not exist yet), Montessori Community School, Springfield Elementary

--Whole school renovation: Murray-LaSaine Elementary, Angel Oak Elementary

--Advanced design plans for future buildings: Dunston Elementary, James Island Charter High (money for adding an athletic complex and performing arts center)

--Seismic evaluations: Mary Ford Elementary, Northwoods Middle (Birney Middle), C.E. Williams Middle, St. Andrews Middle, West Ashley Middle, Garrett Academy

--Three regional athletic complexes: The scope and location has not been determined, but one would serve East Cooper, another James Island and Johns Island, and another North Charleston

--Relocating the district's information technology center

The cost of these projects is estimated to be $546 million. The board didn't agree on an exact priority list, but the tax should provide enough so that most of these projects could be funded. School board members were presented with other building needs, which could alter its final list. Additional seismic repairs would be a top priority.