Parents and Guardians: Please note that there is no school for students Monday, November 4, due to a District Professional Development Day for teachers.
Tuesday, November 5, is Election Day and all ACPSD schools and offices will be closed. We hope that everyone eligible to vote will exercise their right on Tuesday. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. As a reminder, the One Cent Sales Tax benefitting our public school facilities will be on the ballot. For additional information on the Sales Tax and the school facility improvements that a renewal of the tax would directly benefit, please visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
Don't forget daylight saving time ends this weekend., and we'll "fall back" an hour on Sunday, November 3.
Wishing everyone a great long weekend as we look forward to welcoming students back to school on Wednesday, November 6.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
IF THE ONE CENT SALES TAX IS VOTER-APPROVED FOR A RENEWAL, A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WILL BE BUILT IN AREA THREE.
Space for elementary school students in Area Three, the fastest-growing area of our county, is limited. Many students in Midland Valley and Graniteville schools are already in portable classrooms.
To accommodate this growth, a new elementary school in Area Three is among the list of projects that a 2024 One Cent Sales Tax renewal would support.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
CONTINGENCY PROJECTS WILL ALSO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT AND INCLUDE ROOFING, SECURITY VESTIBULES AND DOOR LOCK UPGRADES AT SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, CLASSROOM ADDITIONS AT BYRD AND GLOVERVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, AND REPLACEMENT OF GREENDALE ELEMENTARY.
In addition to the five primary projects voters will see on their ballot, several contingency projects are also listed that will be undertaken once primary projects are completed (or if all funding necessary for completion of the primary projects has been provided) and if additional tax revenue is available. Sales Tax funding is limited to the projects specified on the ballot and approved by voters. 2024 contingencies represent additional projects that are high priority
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
We had a great day at Busbee! We will post pictures of students this afternoon and tomorrow, but until then look at some of our great adult costumes! We also want to thank everyone who brought in candy and to our PTO who made sure that we had plenty of treats on our Busbee BOOlevard this afternoon 💙🐾
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE (NAMS), CONSTRUCTED IN 1954, IS THE OLDEST SCHOOL AMONG THE LIST OF PROJECTS THAT A 2024 RENEWAL OF THE ONE CENT SALES WOULD BENEFIT.
Window air conditioning and heating units and metal-lined walls make indoor temperature control of this 1950s-era school (built without central heating and air) a challenge. At NAMS, the roof is leaking, doors are no longer fully shutting, and walkways and entrances to areas of the school built below grade flood on rainy days..
Part of the school was renovated previously and includes the cafeteria, science and music wing. If approved by voters, the recently updated areas are all that would remain. The original 1954 structure would be demolished, and a new, secure entryway, admin and classroom wing, media center, and gymnasium would be constructed.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
Busbee has the best staff in the world! Ms. Suzanne spent her morning painting everyone's faces. She's so talented and we are so thankful for her 💙🐾🧡🖤
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
FIVE OF EIGHT OF THE COUNTY’S HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED OR REBUILT, A SALES TAX RENEWAL IN 2024 WOULD ADDRESS THE REMAINING THREE.
South Aiken High, Silver Bluff High, and Midland Valley High were each built in 1980. At the time of the One Cent Sales Tax in 2014, they were referred to as the district’s “new” high schools.
Improvements at those campuses, if approved by voters, include secure, welcoming entrances, updated athletic facilities, purpose-built classrooms for culinary arts and other CTE courses, and more.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL HOST A LIVE INFORMATIONAL MEETING ABOUT THE SALES TAX ON OCTOBER 29 AT 6PM.
ACPSD has engaged in an effort to educate the community about the One Cent Sales Tax, and has shared information in a series of meetings held throughout the county over several months.
A virtual meeting will be held this evening, Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 6PM.
Join at www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
Quick reminder for Holiday Pictures tomorrow--if you are wanting your child to take pictures with their siblings, please send in a note with each child.
Only students who bring money with a completed form tomorrow or have pre-paid online will take pictures. If you need a form, they are available in the front office ❄️☃️
These are not make-up pictures. More information about make-up pictures to be shared shortly! We are working on the date with our photographers 📸
Our Busbee Barrels are filling up! Busbee Elementary is always one of the top collectors for the annual Golden Harvest Food Bank food drive, and we are on track to do that again this year! And look how super cute our teachers have made our barrels!
We will be collecting canned goods until November 8th! If you have extra at home, please consider sending some in with your students!
We would like to celebrate our Busbee Bulldogs with Perfect Attendance for Quarter One. Twenty students had perfect attendance records, which means they were here everyday and had no tardies and no early sign-outs for the entire quarter! We are so proud of these students!
Busbee Holiday Pictures will be tomorrow, Tuesday, October 29, 2024. Only students who bring money with a completed form tomorrow or have pre-paid online will take pictures. If you need a form, they are available in the front office ❄️☃️ These are not make-up pictures. More information about make-up pictures to be shared shortly! We are working on the date with our photographers 📸
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
SC PUBLIC SCHOOLS GET NO FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION/MAINTENANCE
Upkeep, maintenance, and construction of schools is considered a “local responsibility” in South Carolina. School Facilities are funded locally through voter support of sales taxes and bond referendums.
We will be sharing information and facts about the One Cent Sales Tax as we lead up to Election Day on Tuesday, November 5. For more information, please visit our website at www.acpsd/OneCent.
Please make plans to join us at 6 p.m., Monday or Tuesday night this week for an informational meeting. Tonight’s meeting, Monday, October 28, will be at Midland Valley High School, and tomorrow, Tuesday, October 29, you can join us virtually as we’ll live stream an informational meeting from our District office to our website where viewers can join online from the comfort of their own home.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
THE SALES TAX IS A 10-YEAR TAX AND DOESN’T AUTOMATICALLY RENEW.
Aiken County voters will have an opportunity to consider a renewal of the 2014 One Cent Sales Tax on Election Day. If renewed, the One Cent Sales Tax will extend for an additional 10 years and benefit school facility projects listed on the 2024 ballot. If not renewed, the 2014 One Cent Sales Tax will sunset (expire).
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
BEFORE THE 2014 SALES TAX SUCCESS, IT HAD BEEN 38 YEARS SINCE A SCHOOL REFERENDUM PASSED.
Prior to 2014, 1976 was the year of the last successful referendum benefitting the county's public schools. Without funds available, school maintenance needs were deferred over decades.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
It's Sunday night, and that means it's time to announce our Busbee Pledge Leaders! This week the pledges at Busbee will be led by Bulldogs from Ms. Starnes' 2nd grade class: Lydia, Brayden, and Kinsley! We are so proud of them!
Busbee Elementary is excited to participate in Golden Harvest's Annual Food Drive, "It's Spooky to be Hungry" again this year. Busbee has a long history of being one of the top collecting schools in the area, and we are trying to get that award again this year! If you have a few extra non-perishable food items, please consider sending them in to help us meet our goal 🍴🥫🧃
Busbee Bulldogs participated in the Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill today! Students practiced Drop, Cover, and Hold On. More pictures will be posted on Facebook, so keep an eye out for them!
Day Two of Busbee's CogAt is tomorrow, Friday! Today we only had one 2nd grader who was absent. That was awesome! Tomorrow we hope to see ALL second graders on time and ready to do their best on the test! ✏️⌚️✅
Testing @ Busbee tomorrow! All 2nd grade Busbee students will begin CogAT tomorrow. This is the Cognitive Abilities Test, which students will take over a 5 day-period. Please make sure all 2nd grade students are on time tomorrow as testing will begin around 8:15 am. For more detailed information, please check your child's folder for an informational handout and calendar.
