Ever wonder where all that Special Local Option Sales Tax Money money goes?
Bryan County School Board members recently got a breakdown of how and where the approximately $18.2 million in sales taxes collected over the five year period during SPLOST II was spent.
The money was used along with state grants, BoE funds and bond sales to pay for some $42.9 million in capital improvements and technology during the Fiscal Years 2005-2010.
The biggest single purchase was the new Richmond Hill Elementary School, which cost taxpayers $14.3 million.
But every school in the county benefited in some way from SPLOST revenues, according to information from Bryan County Chief Financial Officer Melanie James and Superintendent John Oliver.
Here’s a look:
Lanier Primary School: $290,484.74.
Breakdown: $230,080.77 for a new parking lot; $54,108.97 for a bus canopy; $6,295 for replacing the carpet in four classrooms.
Richmond Hill Primary: $2,527,535.81.
Breakdown: $20,938.47 to resurface parking lot; $46,211 for air conditioning; $13,290 for HVAC units; $4,208.93 for repairing fiber; $16,625 for land surveying; $12,617.36 for walkway covers; $99,300 for two portable classroom modulars; $1,753,621.93 for the addition of 12 classrooms; $280,311.56 for re-roofing the school; $828,482.98 for the bus drive and parking improvements.
(Old) Richmond Hill Elementary: $495,143.37
Breakdown: $172,320.46 for paving, resurfacing and new parking lot; $39,011 for HVAC units; $70,850.24 for wing renovation; $14,361.67 for walkway covers; $99,300 for two portable classroom modulars; replace 19 windows and trim.
Building new RHES: $14,2929.794.80. School opened fall 2009.
Carver Elementary: $1,892,335.29.
Breakdown: $1,892,335.29. for addition of 12 classrooms.
Bryan County Elementary School: $348,156.10
Breakdown: $314,700.10 for renovation of classroom wing; $8,956 for HVAC units; $24,500 to repair gym roof.
Bryan County Middle School: $3,030,911.13 or $421,808.24
Breakdown: $410,878.15, final costs of $3,019,981.04 project adding 12 classrooms, office and planning space and gym in 2004; $5,935.09 for wall padding for gym; $4,995 for entrance sign.
Richmond Hill Middle School: $459,119.64
Breakdown: $161,871.35 for addition of 12 classrooms; $27,450 for repair of gym floor; $7,998.00 for media center carpet; $35,483 for carpet and tile replacement; $20,232.66 for walkway covers; $86,529.06 for bleachers; $119,555.57 for two double modular classroom units and furnishings.
Bryan County High School $1,521,434.82
Breakdown: $20,099 for water heaters; $405,566.80 for a track; $16,875 for furniture; $304,488.22 for tennis courts; $112,593 for baseball field lights; $9,976 for bleachers; $131,880.21 for parking lot paving; $116,897 for HVAC units; $33,000 to replace HVAC in media center; $87,338.66 for softball field lights; $282,722.93 to air condition the gym.
Richmond Hill High School: $4,465,907.79
Breakdown: $12,075 for football field walkways; $16,750 for water heaters; $2,655,928.64 for addition of 18 classrooms; $312,435.46 for track; $271,207.52 for tennis courts; $226,135.49 for paving bus loading road; $207,177.88 for bleachers; $4,295 for carpet/tile replacement; $6,998 for media center renovations; $37,680 for HVAC units; $2,646 for walkway covers; $18,400 for 10 heat pumps; $283,086.85 to air condition gym; $29,596.20 for baseball netting; $203,790.22 for lighting baseball and softball fields; $177,705.53 for two double modular classrooms with furnishings.
Pre-K sites: $11,793.31
Breakdown: $2,359 for tile replacement; $4,478 for HVAC units; $4,956.31 for canopies.
Alternative school: $35,412.55 for HVAC replacement.
Central office and system wide: $1,645,447.36
Breakdown: $1,585,456,36 for system wide technology purchases; $1,400 for tile replacement at Richmond Hill Transportation; $11,612 for fencing at Richmond Hill Transportation; $10,489 for Kabota diesel tractor; $2,990 for MS site testing; $28,900 for roofing bus shop; $4,600 for survey Richmond Hill transportation.
Bond payments (from selling of $9.9 million in bonds to help finance RHES construction): $11,340,640.09
Breakdown: $34,151.18 administrative and bond closing costs; $1,341,161.68 in interest payments; $9,965,000 principal payments; transfer to SPLOST III $327.37
Note: The above information is for the Fiscal Years 2005-2010. School fiscal years run from July 1-June 30. SPLOST funds are restricted by law to funding capital improvements or technology upgrades. Voters must approve SPLOSTS.