Months after the Cullman County Commission passed and later rescinded a half-cent sales tax increase for county schools, the Cullman County School Board has asked the commission to put a one-cent sales tax on the March ballot.

The board passed a resolution requesting the ballot measure during Thursday night’s regular meeting. As part of the resolution, the board pledged to use the possible revenues from the tax on school facilities and safety improvements.

Cullman County Schools Superintendent Shane Barnette said the extra one-cent would bring more than $2 million in additional revenues to the Cullman City School System and more than $8 million in revenues to the Cullman County School System.

If the referendum passes, plans for the additional revenue include a new career tech center, new elementary classrooms and a new high school, along with additional improvements across the system.

“On every campus, we have needs,” he said. 

Barnette said the current career tech center is pushed to its limits with no room for any additional programs to be added, so a new, state-of-the-art center would help prepare both city and county students for their future careers.

“We want to prepare kids for the jobs that are going to be available, not just next year, but the jobs that are going to be available five years from now, 10 years from now,” he said. “With a new facility, we believe we can do that.”

Some of the planned safety improvements include the hiring of more school resource officers and more controlled entry systems and perimeter fencing on campuses around the county, along with the addition of secured lobbies in each school, Barnette said.

“We’ve got a lot of safety and security features that we want to do.” 

Community meetings will be held to allow residents the opportunity to ask questions and look at campus projects for the additional tax revenue.

Barnette hosted a series of community meetings over the past month. He said he has heard many comments from the public about the state of facilities in Cullman County.

“I think when they hear what it’s going to do for their students and their campuses, I think they’ll be for it,” he said. “Our generation has the opportunity to change the trajectory of the school systems in Cullman County. If we want new schools and we want nice facilities, this is the opportunity to have that.”