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Highlands County superintendent details $56.7 million in school projects funded by half‑cent sales tax
Summary
Superintendent Brenda Longshore said the half‑cent sales tax approved by Highlands County voters in 2016 has generated $63.9 million and enabled $56.7 million in school investments, including safety systems, buses, HVAC and student devices.
Brenda Longshore, superintendent of Highlands County Schools, outlined how the half‑cent sales tax approved by county voters in 2016 has funded district projects, saying the measure has “generated $63,900,000 in revenue” and that “to date, we have spent $56,700,000 on essential projects that directly benefit our students and staff.”
Longshore said the district serves approximately 12,000 students across three high schools, four middle schools, 10 elementary schools, the Highlands Career Institute and Highlands Virtual School. She described staff composition as roughly 53% instructional, 43% noninstructional support and 3% administrators and noted the district is the county’s largest employer; the transcript contained a garbled full-time employee count and a precise headcount was not specified.
The superintendent provided a program-by-program rundown of where sales tax funds have gone. She said the district has invested $2,900,000 in campus security upgrades, including improved surveillance and access control; allocated $4,600,000 to purchase and maintain buses to support more than 1,500,000 miles of annual student transportation; and spent $4,500,000 on air-conditioning upgrades and $5,800,000 on roof projects to protect facilities.
Longshore emphasized technology investments: she said $9,400,000 was used to put a computer into the hands of every student, a move she said helped the district when the COVID‑19 pandemic began in 2020. She also listed other campus improvements — flooring replacements and switching from carpet to tile for easier cleaning — and said sales tax revenue supported upgrades to sports complexes.
Longshore said the measure’s oversight began with a committee of district leaders, community members, local government officials and business stakeholders and remains guided by community stakeholders to ensure funds are used as intended by voters. She closed by thanking residents for their support and noting that tourism dollars from visitors help sustain the funding stream.
The superintendent did not propose changes to the tax in this update; she presented totals and examples of funded projects and expressed appreciation to voters for continued support.
