DALTON, Ga. — Voters in Whitfield County and Dalton will decide on Tuesday whether local schools will receive additional tax monies for some ambitious improvements.

That’s the day for a special election on  a referendum on a five-year Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST). If approved by voters, the 1 percent tax would begin on Jan. 1, 2018, and would be expected to collect $98 million, with Whitfield County Schools receiving $61 million and Dalton Public Schools $37 million.

The current five-year ESPLOST that is split between the two local school systems based on enrollment numbers expires on Dec. 31 of this year and is expected to collect $81 million, which has been far below projections, according to numbers released by Dalton Public Schools. Because enrollment in Dalton schools has grown and enrollment in county schools is trending downward, Dalton Public Schools would see its percentage of the tax rise from 34.62 percent to 37.7 percent if the new tax is approved by voters. 

If the ESPLOST passes it will be the county’s fifth. Whitfield County has had an ESPLOST in place for all but one of the last 20 years.

Whitfield County Schools’ top priorities for its share of the ESPLOST are replacing North Whitfield Middle School and Valley Point Middle School, which were built more than 50 years ago as high schools, with two new schools that would be built on the same campuses.

Dalton Public Schools’ top priority is “adding to, renovating, repairing, improving, equipping and furnishing existing school buildings or other buildings or facilities useful or desirable in connection therewith, including, but not limited to Brookwood, City Park, Roan and Dalton High schools.”

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but those in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Voters must bring an official photo ID.