MARIETTA - Marietta City Schools Superintendent Dr. Emily Lembeck has recommended that the district use money from a potential SPLOST III to pay off most, but not all, of its debt.

On Tuesday night, Lembeck suggested the district allot $18.2 million toward its bond debt, and then pay for other projects, including $9.4 million for technology. She cut that spending by $5 million from previous proposals.

Property owners would continue to pay toward debt reduction through 2012, Lembeck said. The district owes $42 million in debt, officials said.

At the end of a SPLOST III, Lembeck said, the district would owe $15.5 million. If revenue projections are accurate, she said, the district would have $15.1 million from SPLOST to further pay that down, leaving a debt of $421,695.

Before any of that, voters must decide in a referendum this fall whether to pay the special sales tax for five more years.

Those numbers also depend on SPLOST III collections matching estimates of $59 million. At least one district official, Danny Smith, has warned that a faltering economy could mean the 7,700-student district raises $55 million, or less.

The school board plans to vote on the proposal next Tuesday.

Among Lembeck's other recommendations are $7 million for renovations at the Marietta Sixth Grade Academy on Aviation Road; $2.9 million for school security; and $1.1 million for student transportation. An additional $1.6 million would be spent on other projects, including copy machines, cars for driver's education and legal costs.

Lembeck's original SPLOST proposal had $8 million left for unspecified spending. Among the ideas was an auditorium for Marietta High School, or renovations to the old Lemon Street School, which is now a library. The superintendent now plans to put that toward debt reduction.

Board member Irene Berens had pushed for the auditorium.

"Oh, well," she said. "Our superintendent makes the best recommendation that she can. We will have to go on that."

Board Vice-Chair Tony Fasola suggested appointing a committee to find another way to pay for the auditorium. Perhaps a bond, he said.

Board member Jeanie Carter said she was disappointed that Lembeck did not recommend spending SPLOST III money on the old Lemon Street school, now used as a library. The district had told area residents that it would refurbish that school, Carter said, and "if we promise somebody something, we need to do it."

"Right now there would not be sufficient money to bring back a school that we don't have projected numbers to be in," Lembeck said.

efarnsworth@mdjonline.com

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