Thank You St. Johns County Voters!

The half-cent sales tax was passed by St. Johns County voters on November 3, 2015. The sales tax became effective on January 1, 2016, lasting 10 years until December 31, 2025. Voters signaled their approval of funding additional capital outlay project for St. Johns County students with over 60% of the vote!

The revenue from the half-cent sales tax has allowed our school district to keep up with the rapid growth of the county and continue to enhance the educational experience of our students by providing funding for new school construction, school expansions, critical maintenance projects, technology upgrades, and safety and security improvements.

View the Annual Half-Cent Sales Tax Revenue Bar Graph.

Meeting the Needs of an Increasing Student Population:

New School Construction

In accordance with the Critically Needed Project List published by the School District prior to the passage of the half-cent sales tax, the District has completed construction on two new schools with sales tax proceeds: Picolata Crossing Elementary School (open August 2017) and Freedom Crossing Academy (open August 2018). In addition to fully funding these two new schools, the half-cent sales tax partially funded the construction of Palm Valley Academy (open August 2018) and Pine Island Academy (open August 2021).

Half-cent sales tax has also funded and completed a classroom expansion, dining expansion and chiller upgrade at Liberty Pines Academy.

Future projects to meet our student population growth that were included on the Critically Needed Project List are a classroom expansion at South Woods Elementary and construction of a new Elementary School.

For more information on new school construction in St. Johns County, including a summary of our capital building plans, please visit our New School Construction website.

School Dining Expansions

Patriot Oaks Academy and Swiss Point Middle School were able to have their school dining areas expanded and upgraded. The approximately 3,000 square foot addition at Switzerland Point Middle School includes minor renovations to the existing dining room and the addition of a new serving line. Patriot Oaks Academy’s dining addition will decrease cost and increase usable floor space.

Continuing to Keep our Children Safe

New Radios for School Buses

The District has purchased 800 MHz radios for all of the county’s school buses. These radios will allow bus drivers to communicate directly with law enforcement in the event of an emergency and will enhance the safety of students on school buses.

Sales tax funds have also been utilized to replace and upgrade existing 800MHz radios in schools, as well as to purchase radios for newly constructed schools.

Mobile Panic Alert Systems

All schools have been outfitted with a mobile panic alert system called Centegix. This system will enable all school staff to silently and easily contact law enforcement to respond in the case of an on-campus threat or crisis. This system is partially funded by Sales Tax funds.

GPS Systems for School Buses

Over 250 school buses have had GPS Systems added for more accurate and efficient location tracking. The school bus GPS system will pin point school bus locations within three feet (latitude/longitude) and ten seconds. Given this capability, the department will significantly improve response times to buses with emergencies on route while precisely projecting school bus arrival times at stops and schools.

Security Cameras/Monitoring Systems

All schools in St. Johns County School District have been able to enhance their security cameras and monitoring systems. Fruit Cove Middle School’s alarm system has also been upgraded.

Security Doors, Entrances, and Fencing

All schools were updated with single point of entry projects to ensure the safety of our students and school faculty. In addition, all schools have had school security improvement projects to include 10 schools with exterior lighting enhancements, 20 schools have received radio system upgrades and/or cell phone boosters, eight schools received alarm system upgrades and 32 schools in the District have received fencing enhancements.

Allen D. Nease High School Single Point of Entry

PVPV-Rawlings Elementary School Single Point of Entry

Webster Elementary School Single Point of Entry

St. Augustine High School Single Point of Entry

Patriot Oaks Academy Single Point of Entry

Pedro Menendez High School Single Point of Entry

Pacetti Bay Middle School Single Point of Entry

Alice B. Landrum Middle School Single Point of Entry

Liberty Pines Academy Single Point of Entry

Ketterlinus Elementary School Single Point of Entry

Durbin Creek Elementary School Single Point of Entry

Maintaining High Quality Educational Facilities

Lighting & Roofing Projects

To date 13 schools across the school district have received either a full or partial roof replacements.

W.D. Hartley Elementary School
Ketterlinus Elementary School
Mill Creek Academy
PVPV/Rawlings Elementary
Marjorie K. Rawlings Elementary
Gamble Rogers Middle School
Switzerland Point Middle School
Sebastian Middle School
Osceola Elementary School
Alice B. Landrum Middle School
Pedro Menendez High School (Partial)
Bartram Trail High School (Partial)
Ocean Palms Elementary School

Intercom Systems & Facility Improvements

Nine schools have received intercom system upgrades for improvement of inter-school communication and exterior speakers have been added to the majority of schools to lengthen the range of announcements to outside field and athletic spaces. Additionally, a covered P.E. and athletic facility at R.B. Hunt Elementary School was built. Exterior site improvements were also completed at R. J. Murray Middle School to include painting and fencing.

Sebastian Middle School Roof Replacement Project

Mill Creek Academy Roof Replacement Project

PVPV-Rawlings Elementary School Roof Replacement Project

Gamble Rogers Middle School Roof Replacement Project

Switzerland Point Middle School Roof Replacement

Osceola Elementary School Roof Replacement — Switzerland Point Middle School Roof Replacement

Providing New Technology to Prepare Children
for 21st Century Learning

Sales Tax funds has provided new computers for teachers and students at all schools, as well as new instructional technology devices in classrooms and upgraded technology infrastructure.