Hello Friends and Neighbors,

I am truly excited to begin my tenure as your Gwinnett County Public Schools Board of Education Representative for District III.  My commitment has been and will always be to our students, teachers, and community when making important decisions that impact our schools. To that point, the Board has a very important decision to make on February 20, 2025, regarding whether or not to support the District's recommendation to opt out of HB 581.  

If you recall, HB 518 was approved by our voters last November, allowing for a statewide homestead exemption that caps the annual increase in property values to the inflation rate for tax purposes.  With the difference in projected growth in the local real estate market and the CPI, the District is estimating a loss of $35 million in local revenue for Gwinnett County Public Schools in Fiscal Year 2025-26 and more than $100 million over the next 3 years.  Per the rules of the Bill, the District must provide 3 public hearings to share details & receive public input on this decision.  

While we had the first public hearing on January 16, 2025, the next two are scheduled for February 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. and again at 6:00 p.m., both in the Board Room at the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center located at 437 Old Peachtree Blvd., Suwanee.  I encourage you to attend one of these sessions to learn more and make your voice heard.  More details can be found at https://www.gcpsk12.org/

With Regards,

Steve Gasper