TCSS Officials Speak With County High Community On Upcoming Property Tax Referendum

NORTHPORT, AL — Officials from the Tuscaloosa County School System visited with members of the Tuscaloosa County High School community on Thursday to host its latest informational session ahead of the Feb. 14 vote for a property tax increase to help fund the school system.

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Roughly 100 people were in attendance, with most questions relating to the impact on taxpayers and what the revenue generated would be used for.

The last two times the county took to the polls to vote on a similar tax increase — 1996 and 1987 — the measures failed by 2-to-1 margins. The last time voters approved a property tax increase to fund local schools was when any kind of local property tax was first implemented ... in 1917.

Unable to see the video link below to watch the full presentation from Thursday night? Click here to watch it on our Facebook page.

TCSS predicts the funds generated from the 8-mill increase — which will actually cost taxpayers only 7.5 mills more — would provide approximately $15 million each year in revenue for TCSS to meet needs of its schools that are not addressed by current local, state, or federal funding.

Here's a look at the sample ballot. It should be noted that there are two measures for voters outside of the City of Tuscaloosa: One for a 3-mill increase and the other for a 5-mill increase, due to the county school system having two separate tax districts on either side of the Black Warrior River.

TCSS Superintendent Keri Johnson explained that, apart from several large-scale capital projects, the added revenue would fund more school resource officers and building security improvements, along with providing more pre-K services for the county school system and dual enrollment scholarships similar to those touted by Tuscaloosa City Schools.

Other proposed systemwide benefits include:

• Smaller class sizes.
• More electives and career tech options.
• Art and music classes for elementary schools.
• Increased mental health resources.
• Construction of a centrally-located performing arts venue.

As it stands, the existing millage rate for Northport and Tuscaloosa County remains at the state-mandated minimum of 10 mills. Officials in Northport, which has considered starting its own city school system, have proposed an increase of 11 mills in the past, which would bring Northport in line with the City of Tuscaloosa's 21 mills.

For another comparison, Madison County has 16 mills for its school system.

As far as capital projects go, TCSS has said it will use the revenue and bond money to build new schools and improve existing facilities, particularly in its three fastest-growing areas: Lake View, Northside and Hillcrest.

Here's a look at the proposed capital projects:

• Holt Elementary classroom additions; New football stadium and improved athletic facilities; Improvements to middle school athletic facilities.
• New main building for Vance Elementary; Brookwood Middle School athletic facility upgrades; New Lake View middle school.
• Big Sandy Elementary classroom additions; Englewood Elementary renovations; Expanded plans for Hillcrest High gymnasium; Middle school athletic facility upgrades.
• A new elementary school for the Northside school zone and a new middle school.
• New elementary schools for Crestmont, Flatwoods and Matthews; Closing old Collins-Riverside Middle and improving Echols and Northport Intermediate to accommodate grades 5-8; Updates to the Tuscaloosa County High School track; Updates to middle school athletic facilities.
• Addition to Sipsey Valley High Career Tech Center and upgrades to Sipsey Valley Middle athletic facilities.

Specifically for the Tuscaloosa County High "cluster," TCSS officials said moving 5th grade out of elementary school will address overcrowding, create space in elementary schools for pre-K and arts/music classes and ultimately reduce class sizes in the rapidly growing district.

Here's what TCSS Superintendent Keri Johnson told Patch following Thursday's informational session, which covered most of the topics Patch has reported on extensively.

If the measure is passed ...

• Someone who owns a home or property with a $100,000 assessed value would pay about $75 per year in additional property tax.
• Property with a $200,000 assessed value would result in owner paying about $150 per year in additional property tax.
• Property with a $300,000 assessed value would result in owner paying about $225 per year in additional property tax.

Here's a look at Tuscaloosa Patch's past in-depth coverage of the issue:

• Officials Weigh In Ahead Of Study For Northport School System (June 4, 2021)
• Takeaways From Northport City School System Feasibility Study (June 7, 2021)
• Council Eyes Next Steps In Starting Northport City School System (Dec. 9, 2021)
• Column: The Separatists & The School System (Dec. 11, 2021)
• What's At Stake As Northport Looks To Split From TCSS (Dec. 16, 2021)
• Northport Approves Facilities Study For City School System (Feb. 7, 2022)
• Northport To Consider $100K For City School System Due Diligence (March 3, 2022)
• Could Chelsea Vote Signal Future For A Northport School System? (July 25, 2022)
• County Approves Special Election For Vote On Property Tax Increase (Nov. 6, 2022)
• Competing Narratives Set Tone For TCSS Property Tax Referendum (Nov. 20, 2022)

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