This election, Guilford County voters will decide whether to implement a quarter-cent sales tax that could generate $19 million a year for teachers.
The tax would mean shoppers in Guilford County pay an extra quarter on every $100 of eligible purchases, which won’t include things like gas or groceries.
Officials estimate it would bring in roughly $30 million annually — the bulk of which would go toward teacher salary supplements. Guilford County Schools pays thousands less than Wake and Mecklenburg, and even trails Forsyth.
The Guilford County Schools Board of Education approved a resolution at a recent meeting saying the tax would help the district “recruit, retain and reward top talent who provide high-quality instruction and opportunities that the Guilford County Board of Education seeks to give every child in its county.”
Voters have rejected this same sales tax in several elections, though officials note the previous ballot language didn’t specify where the funding would go.
Now, it’s explicit: 70% for supplements, 18% for firefighter equipment, 8% for Guilford Technical Community College, and the rest for five municipalities.