Entries by Kerri Testement

The three school systems in Jackson County have called for a vote in March 2011 on another round of sales tax funding for education.

If approved by voters, the education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) is designed to bring in up to $100 million in education funds for the three school systems to share over a five-year period, starting in 2012, although expectations of revenue are actually much lower. [Full Story »] 

Jackson County voters approved another round of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), according to Tuesday’s election results.

The final tally — with more than 10,600 votes cast — showed that 56.9 percent of voters said “yes” to SPLOST and 43.0 percent said “no.”
Over a six-period, the penny sales tax is expected to generate $47.5 million with the county receiving an estimated $33.7 million and its nine cities splitting a total of $13.7 million. [Full Story »] 

The Jackson County School System is looking toward the next referendum on education sales tax revenue — possibly in 2011.

The current education special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) expires in March 2012 and benefits all three school systems in Jackson County. [Full Story »] 

Commerce High School students outperformed their peers in Georgia on the 2010 ACT and have improved their composite scores over the past five years.

Their composite ACT score was 21.5 this year — compared to 20.7 for the state. Nineteen students at Commerce High School completed the test this year. [Full Story »] 

Over the past decade, all cities in Jackson County have experienced at least double-digit population growth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

And two of those cities — Braselton and Jefferson — have seen the number of residents in their towns grow by triple-digit numbers since 2000.

Commerce, on the other hand, had the second-lowest population growth, behind only Arcade.
[Full Story »] 

Approximately 40 teaching and non-teaching positions are on the Jackson County Board of Education’s list of potential positions to be eliminated next school year.

The board spent an hour behind closed doors Monday to discuss personnel, namely which jobs to trim from the school system’s cash-strapped 2011 general fund budget, which starts July 1.
[Full Story »] 

There’s no money for new textbooks, no cash for supplies at schools and other programs, and there will be no funds for students traveling to some events. More furloughs and layoffs are expected.

That’s the budget crisis the Jackson County School System faces with its proposed 2010-2011 budget.
[Full Story »] 

The first step for the 2010 census begins next week - when workers start collecting address information.

The Census Bureau will update more than 145 million addresses across the nation in preparation of the 2010 Census.

In Northeast Georgia, about 1,000 in-field and office census workers based from an office in Gainesville are preparing to collect address information.
[Full Story »] 

The Jackson County School System is bracing for tough economic times with a number of staff changes — including furloughs, layoffs and a reduction in one employee benefit.

[Full Story »]