Sales‑tax oversight committee reports technology and safety spending, flags charter reporting limits

The Flagler County half‑cent sales tax oversight committee presented its first annual report to the school board on Dec. 17, summarizing how referendum proceeds approved by voters in November 2022 have been used and how the committee plans to monitor future spending.

Conlin Banco, chair of the oversight committee and president of the Flagler County Education Foundation, told the board the committee reviewed five years of revenue and fund balances and sought to verify alignment with the referendum’s ballot language. "We took a look at starting a fund balance of $11,000,000," Banco said, adding that COVID‑era ESSER dollars, the timing of prior tax cycles and conservative spending contributed to the high balance.

Banco described the oversight committee’s spending buckets: districtwide technology infrastructure, instructional technology (including one‑to‑one student devices and teacher devices), classroom renovations, safety and security upgrades, bus procurement and a charter school allocation. She cited roughly $1,000,000 directed at district infrastructure and described device refreshes and instructional software work that the presentation initially listed at about $2.7 million (the presenter later clarified staff‑funding figures in the slides). "This is the largest bucket that this half‑cent takes care of," Banco said of technology.

Banco also discussed safety and security investments, including automatic door locking systems, a new bus routing and safety system, and 800‑megahertz radios used to improve communication with law enforcement; she said those measures amounted to less than $1,000,000 this year. The committee noted about $650,000 was allocated to charter schools under state law; Banco said the committee attempted to obtain information from charter operators but that they are not required to report how those funds were spent to the district.

Banco told the board that about $3,000,000 of this year’s roughly $10,000,000 receipts remained unallocated and that the district’s fund balance was approximately $14,000,000 at year‑end. Near‑term plans she recited included SALTO door hardware, another device refresh, and smart classroom updates.

Board members thanked the committee for the report and for stewardship of the funds. Several trustees asked follow‑up questions about committee membership, how replacements are recommended, and the bounds of the committee’s review. Banco described an initial open application period that filled 11 committee slots, with staggered terms intended to avoid simultaneous turnover.

The oversight committee’s report provided an inventory of district investments tied to the sales tax but also highlighted limits on the committee’s ability to track charter school use of the allocated funds.