Follow Your Penny

  • Construction Shovels

    In November 2014, Aiken County citizens voted in support of the Education Capital Improvements Sales and Use Tax to address facility construction of Aiken County’s schools. This additional 1% sales tax took effect on March 1, 2015 and will benefit five designated and voter approved projects, including Aiken High School, North Augusta High School, Leavelle McCampbell Middle School, Ridge Spring-Monetta's K-12 Campus and, as funding is available, updates to Aiken County's renowned Career & Technology Center.

    The District utilized conservative sales tax projections provided by the South Carolina Revenue & Fiscal Affairs Office for planning purposes and as required by the enabling legislation.  The Revenue & Fiscal Affairs Office projected $188,639,040 over the life of the ten year, 120-month collection period. 

    Collections are trending stronger than projected.

    Information posted here is just one way that our District communicates its gratitude to the community and keeps stakeholders updated on the Progress of the Penny.

     

2017-18 Penny Tax Presentation

  • November 30 Community Update

    Ï㽶ӰÊÓ and the One Cent Oversight Committee provided an update for the community on the progress of the Education Capital Improvements Sales & Use Tax that is helping to rebuild school facilities during a live virtual meeting held Thursday, November 30, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.

    The Community Update marks the second-annual community meeting to share with stakeholders the progress of the penny and the status of school construction projects.
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  • During the live virtual broadcast, a question was asked regarding the start date for moving athletic fields at North Augusta High School. The question stated: "Athletics at North Augusta was to be addressed in 2018. What is the reasoning behind pushing it back?" The question was answered live, but further clarification for those attending the host site at North Augusta High School was provided after the live broadcast ended. The additional information provided at the host site is included below in an effort to ensure that all stakeholders have access to the same information.

    Information provided to the community in 2014 about the potential plans for North Augusta High School and the timeline for such improvements (if the Educational Capital Improvements Sales & Use Tax was approved) included the relocation of athletic fields in 2018 (see slide from 2014 presentations below). As construction and planning for the project progressed, there was not sufficient land space for relocation of the athletic fields as intended. Since that time, additional land for relocation of athletic fields has been acquired and fields will be relocated in a future phase of the project.

    NAHS proposed plans

2016-17 Penny Tax Presentation

Oversight Committee

  • To garner and ensure the public's trust in their additional investment in public school facilities, Aiken County's School Board nominated community members to oversee sales tax revenue and expenditures. The Oversight Committee includes the following:

    Community Chair:

    Moses Mims

    Vice-Chair of the Board of Education: 

    Sara Johnson 

    Louis McCarty         

    Karen Skiff

     

     

Oversight Committee Meeting Handouts

Have A Question?

  • We are grateful for your support of our public school facilities! Please don't hesitate to send us any questions. We'll be happy to answer them!

    Send Penny Tax Questions to Aiken County Public Schools' Director of Communications.

     

Penny Tax Facts

  • Approved: November 4, 2014      Amount: 1% sales tax on eligible items     Use: 10% used for property tax relief + 90% five projects    

    Start Date: Commenced March 1, 2015     Duration: Continues ten years & does not automatically renew    

    Option: Bond Issuance up to $125 million     Anticipated Total Funding: $188,639,040 

    Option: Bond Issuance up to $125 million to jump start the project

    5 construction projects identified on the ballot:

    Aiken High School   North Augusta High School   Leavelle McCampbell Middle School 

    Ridge Spring-Monetta K-12 Campus   Aiken County Career & Technology Center

Collections To Date

  • We couldn't be more thrilled with the sales tax collections to date and the impact that one cent on most purchases is making on school campuses throughout our District! The below table shows collections to date since the inception of the sales tax in 2015. Please note that this table is updated each time funds are remitted to our District through the County Treasurer. There is about a two month lag between the time the State remits the funds to Aiken County Public Schools through the County Treasurer. 
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