Follow Your Penny

hats on 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.

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

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:

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. 

PERIOD ENDED

MONTHLY COLLECTIONS

TOTAL COLLECTIONS TO DATE

March 31, 2015

$ 1,157,598.47

$ 1,157,598.47

April 30, 2015

$ 1,370,529.05

$ 2,528,127.52

May 31, 2015

$ 1,448,130.67

$ 3,976,258.19

June 30, 2015

$ 1,382,916.81

$ 5,359,175.00

July 31, 2015

$ 1,292,433.37

$ 6,651,608.37

August 31, 2015

$ 1,228,410.77

$ 7,880,019.14

September 30, 2015

$ 1,469,128.72

$ 9,349,147.86

October 31, 2015

$ 1,384,261.63

$ 10,733,409.49

November 30, 2015

$ 1,286,665.12

$ 12,020,074.61

December 31, 2015

$ 1,733,354.16

$ 13,753,428.77

January 31, 2016

$ 1,267,515.95

$ 15,020,944.72

February 29, 2016

$ 1,483,002.33

$ 16,503,947.05

March 31, 2016

$ 1,616,614.67

$ 18,120,561.72

April 30, 2016

$ 1,602,313.50

$ 19,722,875.22

May 31, 2016

$ 1,459,526.97

$ 21,182,402.19

June 30, 2016

$ 1,478,224.17

$ 22,660,626.36

July 31, 2016

$ 968,852.62

$ 23,629,478.98

August 31, 2016

$ 1,650,775.54

$ 25,280,254.52

September 30, 2016

$ 1,674,094.64

$ 26,954,349.16

October 31, 2016

$ 1,429,575.61

$ 28,383,924.77

November 30, 2016

$ 1,502,398.26

$ 29,886,323.03

December 31, 2016

$ 1,770,014.93

$ 31,656,337.96

January 31, 2017

$ 1,324,532.35

$ 32,980,870.31

February 28, 2017

$1,415,154.88

$34,396,025.19

March 31, 2017

$1,593,366.82

$35,989,392.01

April 30, 2017

$1,588,907.47

$37,578,299.48

May 31, 2017

$1,529,089.67

$39,107,389.15

June 30, 2017

$1,391,223.17

$40,498,612.32

July 31, 2017

$1,470,065.44

$41,968,677.76

August 31, 2017

$1,489,798.67

$43,458,476.43

September 30, 2017

$1,502,947.12

$44,961,423.55

October 31, 2017

$1,556,924.22

$46,518,347.77

November 30, 2017

$1,444,544.60

$47,962,892.37

December 31, 2017

$1,878,950.33

$49,841,842.70

January 31, 2018

$1,411,476.92

$51,253,319.62

February 28, 2018

$1,424,063.11

$52,677,382.73

March 31, 2018

$1,682,186.25

$54,359,568.98

April 30, 2018

$ 1,695,308.01

$56,054,876.99

May 31, 2018

$1,587,640.87

$57,642,517.86

June 30, 2018

$1,646,014.69

$59,288,532.55

July 31, 2018

$1,561,313.66

$60,849,846.21

August 31, 2018

$1,504,597.00

$62,354,443.21

September 30, 2018

$1,560,167.40

$63,914,610.61

October 31, 2018

$1,609,314.65

$65,523,925.26

November 30, 2018

$1,630,025.52

$67,153,950.78

December  31, 2018

$1,969,972.82

$69,123,932.60

January 31, 2018

$1,549,799.01

$70,673,731.61

February 28, 2019

$1,560,651.60

$72,234,383.21

March 31, 2019

$1,829,495.04

$74,063,869.25

April 30, 2019

$1,813,213.33

$75,877,082.58

May 31, 2019

$1,828,397.56

$77,705,408.14

June 30, 2019

$1,742,779.71

$79,448,259.85

July 31, 2019

$1,733,169.82

$81,181,429.67

August 31, 2019

$1,728,158.03

$82,909,587.70

September 30, 2019

$1,671,732.93

$84,581,320.63

October 31, 2019

$1,732,918.93

$86,314,239.56

November 30, 2019

$1,745,321.92

$88,059,561.48

December 31, 2019

$2,099,220.26

$90,158,781.74

January 31, 2020

$1,605,129.74

$91,763,911.48

February 29, 2020

$1,605,127.74

$93,369,041.22

March 31, 2020

$1,506,473.44

$94,875,514.66

April 30, 2020

$1,617,464.54

$96,492,979.20

May 31, 2020

$2,183,291,49

$98,676,270.69

June 30, 2020

$1,953,869.02

$100,630,139.71

July 31. 2020

$1,855,261.53

$102,485,401.24

August 31, 2020

$1,802,028.37

$104,287,429.61

September 31, 2020

$1,882,461.45

$106,169,891.06

October 31, 2020

$1,788,514.45

$107,958,405.51

November 30, 2020

$2,107,739.11

$110,066,144.62

December 31, 2020

$2,411,040.60

$112,477,185.22

January 31, 2021

$1,770,483.93

$114,247,669.15

February 28, 2021

$1,811,504.67

$116,059,173.82

March 31, 2021

$2,482,446.82

$118,541,620.64

April 30, 2021

$2,214,931.25

$120,756,551.89

May 31, 2021

$2,079,623.44

$122,836,175.33

June 30, 2021

$2,208,018.11

$125,044,193.44

July 31. 2021

$2,128,715.97

$127,172,909.41

August 31, 2021

$2,090,409.06

$129,263,318.47

September 30, 2021

$2,123,042.06

$131,386,360.53

October 31, 2021

$2,119,503.33

$133,505,863.86

November 30, 2021

$2,285,980.58

$135,791,844.44

December 31, 2021

$2,327,900.60

$138,539,918.85

January 31, 2022

$2,232,465.89

$140,772,384.74

February 28, 2022

$2,197,517.49

$142,549,728.42

March 31, 2022

$2,484,332.25

$145,034,060.67

April 30, 2022

$2,401,200.03

$147,435,260.70

May 31, 2022

$2,422,800.91

$149,858,061.61

June 30, 2022

$2,396,431.37

$152,254,492.98

July 31, 2022

$2,227,206.78

$154,481,699.76

August 31, 2022

$2,255,647.45

$156,737,347.21

September 30, 2022

$2,248,913.90

$158,986,261.11

October 31, 2022

$2,325,056.33

$161,311,317.44

November 30, 2022

$2,438,119.77

$163,749,437.21

December 31, 2022

$2,815,911.76

$166,565,348.97

January 31, 2023

$2,095,540.34

$168,660,889.31

February 28, 2023

$2,244,306.07

$170,905,195.38

March 31, 2023

$2,597,772.37

$173,502,967.75

April  30, 2023

$2,600,623.68

$176,103,591.43

May 31, 2023

$2,449,606.91

$178,553,198.34

June 30, 2023

$2,441,865.54

$180,995,063.88

July 31,2023

$2,303,389.01

$183,298,452.89

August 31,2023

$2,059,034.84

$185,357,487.73

September 30,2023

$ 2,413,753.18

$187,771,240.91

October 31,2023

$ 2,416,817.72

$190,188,058.63

November 30,2023

$2,521,092.09

$192,709,150.72

December 31,2023

$2,852,763.92

195,561,914.64

January 31,2024

$2,331,292.58

197,893,207.22

February 29,2024

$2,296,302.45

200,189,509.67

March 31,2024

2,660,570.19

202,850,079.86

April 30,2024

2,737,748.23

205,587,828.09

May 31,2024

2,607,057.24

208,194,885.33

June 30,2024

2,439,313.64

210,634,198.97

July 31,2024

2,562,444.15

213,196,643.12

August 31,2024

2,558,143.98

215,754,787.10

September 30,2024

2,398,802.43

218,153,589.53

October 31, 2024

2,703,973.25

220,857,562.78

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.