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Voters Approve Escambia County Penny, Half-Cent School Tax Extensions
November 5, 2014
Voters in Escambia County easily approved the extension to two sales taxes for the county and the school district.
The Local Option Sales Tax — commonly known as LOST – is a penny tax that benefits Escambia County. It passed with 64.77 percent of Escambia County voters in favor. The current tax does not expire until 2017 and will now be extended through December 28, 2028. Proceeds provide for law enforcement, fire and public safety facilities and equipment, transportation and drainage improvements, infrastructure projects, public facilities,recreation and natural resources, jail and court facilities, Growth Management Act mandates, capital equipment community services, and economic development projects.
The half-cent sales tax for the Escambia County School District passed with the approval of 69.47 percent of Escambia County voters. Funds from the half-penny are used to fund the construction of new schools (such as the new Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill), renovations, additions to existing schools, land acquisition and improvements, and school technology. With the vote, the tax was extended until January 1, 2018.
The Escambia County School District has an ambitious $80 million plan in the works that would move West Florida High School, build a new middle school and construct two elementary schools with the half-cent funds.
Under the plan, students from Woodham Middle School would be moved to a newly constructed campus somewhere on the northwest side of Pensacola. With zoning changes,the new school would also be used to relieve overcrowding at Ransom Middle School. The current Woodham Middle facility would be renovated and house West Florida High School, providing the school with improved athletic facilities including a stadium and field house. Brown Barge Middle School students would be relocated to the current West Florida High campus.
Overcrowding at Helen Caro and Blue Angels elementary schools would be alleviated by constructing a new elementary school in southwestern Escambia County, and new elementary school would be constructed to eliminate overcrowding at Pine Meadow and Beulah elementary schools.
The proposals are still in the planning stages and must receive final approval from the Escambia County School Board.
Pictured: Construction work Tuesday on the new Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill, which was funded by a half-cent sales tax for Escambia County School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
5 Responses to “Voters Approve Escambia County Penny, Half-Cent School Tax Extensions”
The move makes perfect sense when you understand that WFHS (the bastion of diversity….right), was really the pet project of a few of the P’Cola elites. Moving it to the old Woodam Campus means they don’t have to drive through Wedgewood to drop off and pick up their precious little darlings.
It is an excellent plan to move WFHS and create a new middle school. WFHS needs room to grow and the enrollment at Woodham doesn’t warrant the space they have.
Just curious – how is Woodham HS campus historical? I attended WHS for the ninth and tenth grades before moving overseas (back in the ‘70″s). I never heard that it was historical. To my way of thinking – correct me if I am wrong – using the Woodham campus as a high school is using it for what it was designed. I am the parent of a child at West Florida High School, and she is a senior, so she would not benefit in this in any way, so I don’t have a dog in this hunt. I’m just wondering what you think is so stupid about the change?
STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!! Leave WFHS and the historical Woodham campus alone!! Can’t leave well enough alone!!! If you voted for it, bad call!
I’ve heard rumors about WFHS being moved to the Woodham Campus. That makes sense, but it’s such an old school. I hope that they do sufficient renovations to it before the move. It is good to hear what the plans for the 1/2 cent tax are!