The longest question on Tuesday’s Richmond County ballot, a sales tax and bond referendum, doesn’t say much about what the funds will pay for.
The Richmond County School System wants to re-impose a 1% sales tax to continue funding for construction projects and capital spending across the district.
Voting yes allows the district to raise up to $500 million to borrow up to $222 million through the issue of general obligation debt.
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A copy of the project list, obtained by The Augusta Press, includes two new schools and several big-ticket items, some of which may be supplemented with state funding.
One new school is a $47.5 million 800-enrollment elementary school at the current site of Barton Chapel Elementary. The other is a new high school on the city’s west side. It’s allocated $1.25 million for site acquisition and pre-planning.
Some schools that appear on the list for funding also have turned up on the system’s list to be shuttered, such as Glenn Hills middle and high schools and C.T. Walker Magnet School.
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Projects on the list include:
- Langford Middle School Regeneration Phase 2 – Continued renovations, $35 million
- A new 800-enrollment elementary school at Barton Chapel site with solar, $47.5 million
- Auxiliary and swing space upgrades at an 800-enrollment elementary school to be determined, $4 million
- Renovations and improvements:
- A.R. Johnson, $2.5 million*
- Glenn Hills High School, $8 million
- Glenn Hills Middle School, $3 million
- C.T. Walker, $1.5 million
- Tubman facility,$5 million
- Academy of Richmond County renovations to media, cafeteria, gym; stadium upgrades, $8 million
- Hephzibah High School CTAE improvements, $8 million
- Remaining turf fields, $12.5 million
- Josey/Murphey campus upgrades, $35 million
- New west high school site acquisition/planning, $1.25 million
- Professional learning/performance learning, IT facilities upgrades, $8 million
- Central office improvements, $4.25 million
- Highway 56 facilities improvements, $4 million
- Cross Creek auditorium renovation, $2 million
- Hephzibah Middle interior renovations, $2 million
- Blythe site improvements, $1.7 million*
- Warren Road site improvements, renovations, roof and HVAC, $3.2 million*
- Westside regeneration next step – construction, concept design, $8 million
- Contingency project, $20 million
- Roof and HVAC projects
- Monte Sano, $2 million*
- Lake Forest, $1.1 million*
- Sue Reynolds, $1.6 million*
- Deer Chase, $1.3 million*
- Diamond Lakes, $1.3 million*
- Freedom Park, $2.6 million*
- Pine Hill, $900,000*
- Garrett, $1.025 million*
- Hephzibah Elementary, $450,000*
*Includes potential state funding
