TCS: Property Tax Increase Needed To Fund Improvements Recommended By Task Force

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa City Schools this week announced that feedback from more than 2,000 community members reported the school system's financial future should be built on educator excellence, premier student programs and services, and school safety and security.

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In order to meet these needs while still maintaining its current offerings and services, TCS says it will require an additional investment of approximately $17.25 million a year starting in the fall 2025.

Chief School Financial Officer Jay Duke pointed out that the said the only way that any school system in Alabama can increase revenue is to propose an increase in property taxes for education, which would require a referendum for the public to vote on raising property taxes.

Duke told the school board this would require a property tax rate increase of 11.5 mills

According to the results of the report conducted, priorities were each split into two categories:

1. What the Tuscaloosa community says TCS should continue as a financial priority.
2. What areas do the public say TCS should dedicate more financial resources to in order to expand or improve?

Duke said the last time the city's property tax rate was increased to support public schools was in 1986. However, there is support on the school board for the increase.

"Three years from now, TCS won't look the same as it does today," District 3 Board Member Lesley Powell said. "We can either choose as a community to fund a better, stronger education for our kids with exceptional educators, top-notch student services and programs and, of course, tighter safety and security. Or, we can choose to cut back on spending. And I think everybody knows what I know, and that's strong schools build strong communities. It seems to me like there is only one choice."

District 6 Board Member Marvin Lucas agreed, urging the community to step up and commit as an investment for the future.

"In order for us to have a good school system, we need to step up to the plate, and do the things we need to do to get there," Lucas said. "We can do things to just get by. But if we want to be the premier school system that we want to be, that we can be, we must come together and make sure that we look at this millage situation, and make a change, a change for the better to help us to be the great system we talk about each and every day. Talking about it is not going to make it. We must get up and produce."

At the conclusion of Tuesday's meeting, the TCS Board of Education told TCS Superintendent Mike Daria to come back at the next meeting on Oct. 17 with a resolution regarding funding the community's future priorities for the school system.

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