SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) \u2014 Leon County Schools has collected nearly $347 million from its half-cent sales tax since the 2012-13 fiscal year, and in November voters will decide whether to keep it in place.<\/p>\n
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:<\/p>\n
Leon County weighs future of half-cent sales tax that funded $347M in school upgrades<\/p>\n
ABC 27 looked at what that money has helped pay for and what could come next.<\/p>\n
Rickards High School now has 42 new classrooms and a courtyard. Student Taryn Samuel says those improvements mean more than just new buildings and green grass.<\/p>\n
“As a Title I school, we often lack the resources and the financial means necessary to support our organizations, and I believe that the additions to both our classrooms and the courtyard cannot only support our teachers and our students, but also our clubs,” Samuel said.<\/p>\n
Rickards isn’t the only school seeing improvements. Griffin Middle School has a new cafeteria completed in 2025 and a new gym currently under construction. At Nims Middle School, the cafeteria and gym have both gotten a refresh.<\/p>\n
The district says these projects are among those made possible through its half-cent sales tax.<\/p>\n
The money has added up. Financial records provided to ABC 27 show the district collected about $17 million during the 2012-13 fiscal year. That grew to more than $31 million in the most recently completed fiscal year. Altogether, the district reports nearly $347 million in revenue since 2012-13.<\/p>\n
“Investing in our schools is everything; I mean being able to walk into a brand new classroom as opposed to one that’s been up for 20 or 30 years. Makes the biggest difference,” said Candace Gautney, assistant principal at Rickards High School.<\/p>\n
Now the district wants voters to continue that funding. One of the biggest projects on its wish list is a complete rebuild of Raa Middle School, but that project depends on voters approving the tax continuation. The money would also help pay for other school improvements across Leon County.<\/p>\n
“It’s especially important to have larger spaces to learn and study with our peers that not only helps our students by our teachers as well,” Samuel said.<\/p>\n
The half-cent sales tax is already in place, so a yes vote would extend it for another 15 years. A no vote would allow the current tax to expire at the end of 2027.<\/p>\n
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n
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