At 5:00 p.m. on June 18, approximately 200 people gathered in the Greene County High School Auditorium to support the 3 mill Ad Valorem Tax Referendum scheduled to be on the ballot for Nov. 6, 2012 General Election.

The purpose of this tax is to help build a new high school for Greene County. The money that this tax will bring in will allow the system to secure new bonds to finance the new “complete” high school.

If passed, the tax will supply enough money to build what is known as a “complete” or “whole” school. This means the school will include academic classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, science labs, a  band/music room, a gymnasium, football and baseball fields and stadium and other related athletic structures, Career Tech Center, a 9th Grade Academy and appropriate offices.

Without the additional tax resources, it will be virtually impossible to construct more than a  basic school building. It had been explained at a previous meeting that with just a basic school facility, the students would have to be taken from the new school to the old school for sports activities, band activities and Career Tech classes, a process which was not only expensive but posed danger to the students through the constant need to travel.

According to Dr. Louie, an initial meeting of local citizens was held on June 7 to begin discussing strategy for promoting the passage of the Ad Valorem Tax Referendum.

“We want the community to understand the need and purpose of this tax.  We want them to get excited about giving this complete high school to our children.  This will warrant much volunteer time preparing and distributing materials on the new complete school, explaining the likely adjustments to current taxes and just talking up the passage of the tax,” she explained.

Since no school board funds can be used toward supporting the referendum, the community will have to raise the resources needed. There were 16 people who attended that initial meeting and selected the name Friends of Greene County Schools to help organize the community around the referendum. To demonstrate their commitment, the 16 volunteers gathered at the June 7 meeting pledged $100 each to the Friends of Greene County Schools in support of the tax. A total of $700 was collected toward the pledges. This enabled the group to open an account in  Citizens Trust Bank in the name of Friends of Greene County Schools.

At the June 18 gathering, Attorney Senator Hank Sanders again explained that no school money could be used to support  the Ad Valorem Tax Referendum. “The community will have  to support it,” he said. “The superintendent can contribute to the fund. School Board members can contribute, the community can contribute. This will be a fund separate from school funds.”

Lorenzo French asked if it were legal for the Democratic Executive Committee to support the bill. Sanders told him he believed it would be.

Superintendent Dr. Emma Louie explained that every penny counts. Dr. Carol P. Zippert gave a financial update for the Fundraising Committee of the Friends of Greene County Schools, “The fundraising account currently has a balance of $800, We have collected an additional $450 tonight,” she stated.

The representative for TCU Consultants, project coordinators, pledged  that  they  would contribute to the fund. Other pledges were also received.