What To Know About Proposed Tuscaloosa City Schools Property Tax Increase

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa City Board of Education on Tuesday voted to offer a tax referendum in 2024, with the hopes of using revenue generated by a property tax increase for school safety, staff retention/recruitment and more programs for students.

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The resolution approved Tuesday says if city voters approved a tax referendum in 2024, the city's property tax millage rate could increase by up to 11.5 mills — roughly a 22% increase in the city's total millage rate, which would mark the first increase since 1986.

TCS explains that before the referendum can be scheduled, it must first go before the Tuscaloosa City Council for consideration and a vote on whether to allow a referendum.

If given the green light by the City Council, the property tax increase referendum would go before the Alabama State Legislature for a vote before a referendum date is scheduled — likely sometime in 2024.

TCS Superintendent Mike Daria stressed the need for additional revenue, as the school system has been relying on a healthy reserve that is set to run out in 2025 if there is no increase in revenue.

Daria then said the 2024 fiscal year budget includes a deficit of 3.5%, which underscores the need for action.

"We have made progress in the Tuscaloosa City Schools in recent years and are continuing to push the needle forward for the success of all our students," Daria said. "But, additional revenue is needed to keep the services that we currently provide and to also expand to offer the best for our students and our community."

After being approved on Tuesday, Tuscaloosa City Schools says the request for an election is likely to be considered by the Tuscaloosa City Council in November or December of this year.

"Strong communities produce strong schools, and strong schools produce strong communities," TCS Board Member Patrick Hamner said. "It's a two-way street, and this is something that is going to benefit the kids starting in two years, and will be, hopefully something that will benefit kids 10, 15 or 20 years from now. And for those of us that employ these children that come out into the workplace, this is a big, big, monumental step that will pay dividends for a long period of time."

If the property tax increase is implemented, TCS estimates it would generate
generate around $17.25 million a year starting in 2025.

At present, TCS says the millage rate for homeowners in Tuscaloosa is 51.5 mills, of which the city school system receives 15.5 mills.

Following a series of feedback sessions and gathering community input, TCS explained that the new revenue would go toward sustaining certain services and expanding others identified by approximately 2,000 Tuscaloosa community members.

In addition to offering smaller classrooms and better pay for faculty and staff, expanded programs would include pre-K, summer learning, arts and music instruction, other academic offerings like Advanced Placement (AP) courses, along with career and technical education courses.

What's more, the school system said the additional revenue would also ensure that the schools continue to offer and expand some services, such as academic interventionists, school nurses and social workers. and offer smaller classrooms and better pay for its educators.

In pitching the proposed tax referendum to the voters within the city limits, TCS points to three key areas where the revenue would be focused:

• School safety: Revenue would be used to cover the costs of placing school resource officers in each and every TCS school during the school day, along with financing improvements to security infrastructure.

• Educator Excellence: Revenue would be used to retain and recruit high-quality educators with competitive pay and benefits.

• Premier Student Programs/Services: Revenue would be used to continue programs, along with offering rigorous academic opportunities and expanded student program.

TCS is also quick to note the historic aversion of Alabama voters as it comes to raising taxes — a lesson learned earlier this year by the much larger Tuscaloosa County School System when its proposed property tax increase was overwhelmingly rejected by voters at the ballot box in February.

Tuscaloosa City Schools leaders, however, point out that while raising taxes are not a popular subject in Alabama, the state has the 49th lowest property taxes in the country.

"This is a long time coming and this is talking for the future of our system, the future of our city," Board Member Marvin Lucas said, "and we must do something to make sure that we maintain strong schools, so we can continue to have a strong community, and it starts here, today."

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