Half-cent sales tax measure passes in Washington County

An initiative to pass a half-cent sales tax for Washington County public schools passed at the ballot box Tuesday.

The measure, aimed at funding facility and technology improvements in the school district, received nearly 58 percent of the vote, with all precincts reporting.

The rural county, about 100 miles west of Tallahassee, has a population of roughly 24,500, the latest Census figures show.

As Superintendent of Schools Joseph Taylor told wtvy.com last week, “Most of our funding comes from the State of Florida and so their priorities become our priorities … (But) we have computer systems … coming up for replacement.”

More than 3,200 students are enrolled in two elementary, two middle, and two high schools, according to a report on the school district’s website. 

“Washington County Schools currently boast a 1 to 1 ratio of computers per student,” the news site reported, and “we have a third of them going off warranty,” Taylor said.