Northport Boosts 2021 Education Grant Amount For TCSS Schools

NORTHPORT, AL — A little more than a week after giving out ceremonial checks for $300,000 in grant funding for Tuscaloosa County School System schools, the Northport City Council on Tuesday approved grant funds for the 2021 budget cycle that will see an additional $50,000 awarded to the growing school district.

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The money is given out under the Northport First Fund moniker and comes from revenues generated by way of the city's 1 cent sales tax. The Council unanimously approved a resolution raising the amount to $350,000, which will see the allocation for Tuscaloosa County High School bumped from $75,000 to $90,000. This comes following a request made by TCHS in December for $50,000 from the city to boost coaching salaries, which was met with a mix of support and skepticism, in addition to calls from some on the council for the Tuscaloosa County School System to help pick up the difference.

The largest share of the increase, however, will come to the tune of $35,000 and will be awarded to the new school currently under construction for fifth and sixth grade students in Northport near the TCHS campus.

An unchanged component of the grant funding will once again see middle schools within the Northport city limits receive $35,000 each, while elementary schools will get $25,000.

District 3 Councilman John Hinton said the latest round of funding will see the city award more than $600,000 in grants to its local schools from the 2020 and 2021 budgeting periods combined, something he views as "unprecedented."

"I would not think Northport had ever given this much money in one year to the schools of Northport," he said during Tuesday night's regular council meeting. "We want excellence in our schools and we’re on the way. This will buy things they will be using for years to come with technology and other things so just real pleased we can offer this help to our schools."

Council President Jeff Hogg agreed and praised the work of those who made the grant funding possible.

"If we want to have to have a good partnership, we’ve got to be a good partner," he said.

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