On Election Day, Aiken County overwhelmingly voted in favor of a 2024 One Cent Sales Tax renewal. The 2024 One Cent Sales Tax will fund upgrades, renovations and improvements at South Aiken, Silver Bluff, and Midland Valley high schools, North Augusta Middle School, and construction of a new elementary school serving students in Area Three, as well as contingency projects that will be addressed as funding is available. The “Yes” vote will result in a continuation of the 2014 Education Sales Tax, which adds a penny in tax to every dollar spent on most goods in Aiken County, for an additional 10 years.
The tax passed in each of the county’s 89 voting precincts and was supported by an overwhelming majority of voters, nearly 73% (72.59%). For the sales tax renewal, 54,585 voted “Yes;” 20,614 did not support a renewal. The companion question, which asked voters if the district could bond up to $285 million of the projected Sales Tax Revenue to jumpstart the projects (instead of waiting for the pennies to add up before beginning the facility improvements), also passed, with 71.28% of the vote.
The 2014 Educational Sales Tax was the first successful referendum benefitting our county’s K-12 schools in 38 years. South Carolina K-12 schools do not receive any state or federal funding for the maintenance or construction of school facilities, and the 2014 referendum put in motion school facility improvements not just at the schools that appeared on the ballot (Leavelle McCampbell Middle, Aiken High, North Augusta High, and Ridge Spring-Monetta, and the Aiken County Career and Technology Center as funding was available), but also paved the way for the 2018 bond referendum (with improvements to Millbrook, Belvedere, and Hammond Hill elementary schools, an addition to Midland Valley High, and construction of Highland Springs Middle), and freed up funding which allowed the District to address other needs at schools throughout the county.
Diana Floyd, a dear friend of public education in our community, was largely responsible for the 2014 sales tax success. We are heartbroken to have learned that she lost a long-fought battle for her health on November 2, 2024. Words could not adequately express what a tremendous loss her passing is for all who know and love her, as well as those who may not have known her personally but who have benefitted by her grassroots advocacy that has forever changed the state of school facilities for children, teachers, staff, and families in Aiken County. We know that she is in heaven beaming with pride knowing that, once again, Aiken County crossed party lines and came together in a non-partisan effort to support public education.