Aiken Innovate -

Lily Gladstone is an acclaimed Indigenous actress known for her powerful performances and significant contributions to film. She gained widespread recognition for her role as Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a film that delves into the tragic history of the Osage murders in 1920s Oklahoma. Her portrayal earned her the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama, making her the first Indigenous actress to win this award. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress

The application for the 2025 acGATEWAY Summer Arts program is now live on the Gateway webpage of the district website. Please visit https://www.acpsd.net/o/district/page/summer-acagateway-program to learn more about this free visual and performing arts opportunity for students in our District in grades 3-12. All students must submit an application to be considered, and an audition is required for all new student applicants.

Please join us for a night of celebration and recognition of our Senior class. Let’s come together to toast their success and future endeavors. Heavy hor’dourves will be served Please RSVP by Friday, November 15. Students may bring up to two guests. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you! Aiken iNNOVATE Sr Gala RSVP

Join us in celebrating Aiken iNNOVATE’s Teacher of the Year: Mrs. Julie Griffin! Mrs. Griffin has been an invaluable, dedicated, and compassionate member of our Aiken iNNOVATE family. She consistently goes above and beyond for her students, always ready with a smile and a helping hand. Her unwavering commitment and positive spirit make her a true gem in our community. To make this moment even more special, her family joined us to surprise her with the exciting news. Congratulations, Mrs. Griffin!

Due to the 2-hour delay, Aiken iNNOVATE will follow our modified schedule for Thursday November 7. Please be safe.

Due to extensive rainfall that’s flooded, washed out, and led to road closures across our county, Aiken County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delayed schedule tomorrow, Thursday, November 7. All schools and offices will open on a two-hour delay. Due to the delayed start, only lunch will be served tomorrow in our cafeterias. Students on half-day schedules, including Early Learning Special Education students and others, will not come to school tomorrow as buses will be unable to make mid-day routes. The Aiken County Career Center will not have morning classes. Students will report to their high school on a two-hour delay. Rainfall is expected throughout the night and into tomorrow. Please use extreme caution when traveling to school and work. If you encounter flooded roadways, please turn around. The safety of our students, staff, and families is most important.

Congratulations to our Aiken iNNOVATE students! They've achieved all A’s and B’s for Quarter 2. Their hard work and dedication are truly commendable. Keep striving for excellence!

Big cheers to our Aiken iNNOVATE champs! You’ve rocked Quarter 2 with all A’s! Keep shining bright, because you’re all stars in our book!

ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE % TODAY IS ELECTION DAY! PLEASE BE SURE TO VOTE! Polls are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on election day. To find your voting location, please visit www.scvotes.org. For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.

ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE % ON ELECTION DAY (TOMORROW, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5), AIKEN COUNTY VOTERS WILL SEE TWO QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT FOR THE EDUCATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SALES AND USE TAX. One asks voters if they are in favor of the renewal of the tax and lists the projects and contingency projects that a renewal would directly benefit. The other is only valid only if the sales tax is approved and asks voters if they are in favor of authorizing the district to bond part of the projected revenue to jump start the projects and begin improvements right away (instead of waiting for one cent sales tax funds to accumulate before beginning improvements). For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.

ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE % IF THE ONE CENT SALES TAX IS NOT VOTER-APPROVED IN 2024, IT WILL BE TWO YEARS BEFORE THE ONE CENT SALES TAX CAN APPEAR AGAIN ON THE BALLOT. The Sales Tax question may only appear on the ballot in a general election. Should the tax not pass by majority vote in 2024, it will be November 2026 before the One Cent Sales Tax appears again on the ballot. If the tax were renewed, over those two years $75 million in funding would have been dedicated to school facilities. For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.

ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE % A THIRD OF THE ONE CENT SALES TAX IS ESTIMATED TO BE GENERATED BY NON-RESIDENTS. When individuals visit Aiken County and make purchases, their contribution to overall sales tax revenues is estimated to generate around a third of the total collected. If approved, visitors to the county contribute to Aiken County’s school facility improvements, as well as a property tax reduction for Aiken County homeowners. For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.

ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE % IF RENEWED, THE ONE CENT IN 2024 IS PROJECTED TO AMASS $398 MILLION OVER ITS 10-YEAR COLLECTION PERIOD. In Aiken County, 90% of sales tax funds are dedicated to school projects and 10% to property tax relief, which totals an estimated $358M to the school facility projects. If approved by voters, up to $285M of the projected revenue could be bonded to advance or “jump start” the projects (instead of waiting for taxes to accumulate before improvements begin). For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.

ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE % UNPREPARED FOODS, GAS, AND MOST MEDICATIONS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE ONE CENT SALES TAX. If renewed by voters on November 5, the One Cent Educational Capital Sales and Use Tax would result in a continuation of the One Percent Sales Tax on most purchases (one cent/dollar) in Aiken County. There are numerous exemptions to the tax, which are listed include in South Carolina’s Code of Laws, Section 12-36-2120. Among the exemptions are unprepared foods, gasoline, and most medications. For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.

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.

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.

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.