What should we make of the optional half-cent sales tax increase recommended by the House Select Committee on Public School Construction Needs?
I was encouraged that the committee voted to strike a recommendation that would have allowed county commissioners to use impact fees, adequate public facilities ordinances, and real estate transfer taxes to pay for school construction. Unfortunately, the House Select Committee on Public School Construction Needs did not make recommendations on cutting the cost of school construction.
New revenue streams, including the sales tax and the proposed $2 billion statewide school construction referendum, will only get you so far. Allowing local control of class sizes, for example, would cut the cost of school construction considerably.
