001Wait. Okay, it's 5:30. We have a quorum. We're going to call to order the regular board meeting for the Tuscaloosa City Schools. It is May 20th, 2025. Let's observe a period of silence and then that we will follow that by reciting the pledge of allegiance. Attention. Pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. All right. Before we get started, we'd like to officially welcome Mr. Clint Mountain to the group. We're super excited to have you and we appreciate your service, man. Thanks. Okay. Board, may I have a motion to adopt the May 20th, 2025 regular board meeting agenda? So moved. Second. All in favor? I. I. Anybody opposed. The agenda will be adopted.
002Item four. Board may have a motion to approve the minutes of the May 6, 2025 regular board meeting and the minutes of the May 13, 2025 board orientation. So moved. All in favor? I I We have one abstension. Is that correct? Correct. We have one abstension that those we will still approve those minutes. Item number five, receive Tuscaloosa City Board of Education October 1, 2023 to September 30th, 2024 audit report. Mr. Peter Fiser. Good evening, sir. Good evening. Good evening. Uh, good evening. In accordance with the provisions of Code of Alabama 1975, section 16-13A-73C, I'm here to present our audit report on the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education covering the period October 1st, 2023 through September 30th, 2024. This report is available in its entirety on our website, www.examiners.alab.gov. It was published on April 18th,
0032025. We've conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and government auditing standards for the purpose of rendering an opinion on the financial statements and to determine whether the board complied with applicable laws and regulations. We also conducted an audit of the board's federal financial assistance programs in accordance with the provisions of title 2 US code of federal regulations, uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards, the uniform guidance. We've issued an unmodified report on the board's financial statements for the year ended September 30th, 2024. We also issued an unmodified opinion on the major federal financial assistance programs which were the innovative approaches to literacy grant and the co 19 educational stabilization fund as of September 30th 2024. There were no findings presented in our audit report. If there are
004any questions pertaining to this audit, please direct those questions to our main office in Montgomery. Once again, I'd like to thank all the staff for accommodating us during the audit. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Fischer. And as um he stated, no f no findings. So, um Mr. Duke, appreciate all of the hard work that you and your team uh do to get us in a position of no findings of of of fault. So, um keep up the great work. We appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Item six, public comments. No one has signed up. Which brings us to item seven,formational reports. Tonight we'll have seven B1, a report from our CSFO, Mr. J. Duke, where we will where we will receive financial reports for October 1 through February 28th
005and all reports are reconciled. Mr. Duke, good evening, sir. Yes, sir. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, board members, superintendent, ladies and gentlemen. Good evening. As you mentioned, uh, our financial reports through February the 28th. That's the um fifth month of our fiscal year. So at this point, we're about 41 42% into our budget year. And we will start looking at property tax. At this point in time, property tax starts winding down. You can see that big drop from January to February in that far right column. And uh we appear to be having a decent year property tax. And so what you'll probably see is the next few months that number will get smaller and smaller and then finally wind down about June. Next on to car tag tax. Uh steady close to budget. Um kind of
006a little bit uneventful but in a good way. It's slightly above budget. So we think we're good there on the car tag tax. And again just like property tax, car tag tax. And then when we go to the next screen, um sales tax. These are local revenues. So this this allow these type funds the the property tax, car tax, sales tax. These are the things that let us uh do what makes TCS special. Uh sales tax uh you see a little bit of a drop there. And for the first time in several years, you see an overall drop versus the same period last year. So, uh, in particular, the bottom right there where you see the arrow that says compare, that 10,45 is less than the same period last year. First time we've seen that
007in a while. Uh, so we will continue to keep our eye on sales tax. You may wonder, and I do, h how could that even happen? The economy's booming, prices are up. You would think the sales tax be more. I can tell you why. SSU. SSUT. We get none of that. So all these online purchases, zero shows up on our screen here. So that that's huge. I just can't You're gonna get tired of me probably talking about that. You hear the mayor and the city council uh here locally talking about um some dynamics that they're wanting to change and and we need to get it changed where we get something because it's it's hurting us. And you see it right there. I'll keep moving on to our general fund management report. Again, we're about 41.7%
008through the year. The revenue there is in green. You see that 53.3% in revenue, obviously more than the 41%. The reason is is property tax is collected early in our fiscal year. It's collected October, November, December, January. And so that that brings that number kind of makes it look above budget. A little misleading, but um nothing to be alarmed at. Uh that'll start getting closer to our target as you see these months creep along as we report out. So, but the expenditures you see uh are about two percentage points below what we had budgeted. Um we've got some big but bus purchases that are ongoing right now. So that number will again calibrate more towards our budget as the year goes on. One bus cost $137,000. We are buying 49 buses, so several million dollars.
009We've got got that planned. We're using advancement technology money. So u again nothing to be alarmed about, but you'll you'll notice that auxiliary services number right there in the middle of the expenditures is low now, but it's about to catch up as we purchase those buses. and we'll keep you up to date on that. Next, just a a friendly reminder of where we spend our money. We talked about this a lot during the um back during the referendum days. Uh but just it never hurts to see uh where we put our money and that's 72% in the classroom. And that's the two big bottom numbers there in green, instructional services and instructional support services. Uh you see operations and maintenance at about 7.5 million. Auxiliary service again when you see auxiliary service I put that
010in yellow for a reason. Think of a school bus. Uh 3.6 million. And you see those numbers getting smaller in general administrative expense. Uh had a little trouble trouble fitting that number in there, but I wanted to put it in there. Which leads me to my next slide. Um or two slides. I'll get to that. Chris, if you can skip on to the next slide, we'll come back to this one. General administrative services um right at 4%. And and and I'm very proud of that number. About four probably five years ago that number was around 5%. We have worked hard to get that down to 4%. And uh it's still trending down, we think. And the state recommends 5% and and it doesn't sound like a lot to go to from five to four, but
011but that's a that's a lot of work. That's a lot of emphasis and strategy and what that does is allow us to put that money in the classroom. So Chris, if you could back up one slide. Always like to present this slide. This is the one that we actually upload to the state of Alabama by law the Alabama um Department of Education. It's the uh what's called exhibit F2A. And that's all of our funds across the board. So the one on the left is what we looked at earlier, the general fund management report. But you also see special revenue, think federal programs like title one, uh CMP, those type things. That's the second column, debt service. We pay about $10 million in debt every year. And then um debt service and then our capital projects.
012You don't see any big numbers there. We we're pretty good on capital projects right now. So uh Mr. Chairman, with that I'll I'll wind down and certainly always available for any questions, comments, complaints. Questions for Mr. Duke? Mr. Duke, going from excuse me, 5% to 4.05% saves about how much per year? Hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sure. The um I'll focus briefly on the raise act. We talked about that this morning. The the new raise act and that that's an acronym u where they um created another funding mechi mechanism that will kind of ride side saddle with the foundation program. And so it's it's to put emphasis on certain populations of children. And I'll use a few examples. Special ed, English language learners, uh, high poverty, gifted, and so that money will come in kind
013of in a separate bucket. Uh, we that'll give us some more money, but it will be kind of earmarked and we'll try to be strategic with that just like we did with our CARES Act funds. So, we think that'll be about a $1.7 million boost to the Tuscaloosa City Schools. Keep it in mind, we're operating at about an $7 million deficit budget right now. So, that'll just that'll help offset that deficit. So, um but uh the foundation program we think will increase a little bit, maybe a million or so dollars. Again, that's good, but but we're also operating at $8 million budget to deficit. Uh, another thing on the horizon, you may or may not have seen an article by the state superintendent, but school bus funding did not go up and it has remained
014flat for years. We get $75,000 for a school bus, but we have to pay $137,000 for a school bus. That's a big disconnect. And so, the state superintendent has a plan going forward hopefully that will uh resonate with the legislature. And that's something that we may have to advocate for going forward is to help funding for school buses. That's a huge cost for us. We have a probably 130 something school buses. I think we have 113 routes. So that's a huge expense from the raise act that will start October 1st. Good question. Jay, if you don't know, that's fine. How does our transportation numbers and busing costs compare to other similarly situated systems? If you know, we we have a dynamic that a lot don't and that's the interday intraday routes at TCTA which kicks
015up our cost a little bit. So, um that's a good thing because we got TCTA, but uh that that's one thing that kind of kicks our cost up um a good bit. So, another thing that on on the other hand, we've uh through through the last few years, we've we've had some savings from those propane buses and um some of those are timing out and we're going back to diesel, but there was a few years there that we did have a little bit of savings from the propane fuel prices. Any other questions for Mr. Duke? All right. Thank you, sir. again. Very good job on the audit. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Number eight, election of of board of education vice chair. Um, okay. So, step one, I'm going to call for nominations. A
016second is not required and you can nominate yourself. After all nominations are submitted, there will be a motion and a second to close the nominations and to proceed with a vote. After that, Miss House will get us paper ballots. Each board member will write the name of the board member in which they are voting for. If you'll fold them in half and pass them to me. Um, you can vote for any board member, even if they're not a nominee. You can vote for yourself. I will then announce each vote publicly to comply with the open meetings act. Uh if any board member receives a majority of the votes cast, they will serve as vice chair for the board's four-year term. Okay. At this time, I'll open the board. Open the floor for nominations. Mr. Chair,
017nominate Mr. Marvin Dwayne Lucas. Is that right? He drinking whatever she drinking. No, it's never. Any other nominations other than Marvin Lucas? Okay, I'll close nominations. And now I'll call for um Miss House to please give us paper ballots. Remember, you do not have to vote for the person nominated, although you certainly can. Anybody need a writing instrument? Don't forget to sign your ballot. Everyone will pass their ballots to me, please. Get a secretary to write the code. Oh, we got it. Who's gonna record you? My great legs. Not a first. The first vote by me is for Eric Wilson. I'm sorry, Marvin Lucas. Clint Mountain has voted for Marvin Lucas. I don't know who I don't know who this is, but another vote for Marvin Lucas. I can't even tell which side is up
018and which side is down. Another vote for Marvin Lucas. Marvin Dwayne Lucas by Miss Grant. Marvin by Leslie Powell, Marvin by Dr. KTJ, and Marvin Lucas by Miss Williams. All right, congratulations, Mr. Lucas. Serious. It's the way the state act reads. understand why we go to the trouble of nominator whoever we want anyway. We just do what the rules tell us, not my rules. My rules will be different. All right. Item number nine. Uh we'll now approve the entering of the 2025 2029 elected board of education cert certificate of affirmation and oaths of office into the minutes. So board may have a motion to approve that being entered into the minutes. So moved. Second. All in favor? I I I. Anybody opposed? Be approved. Item number 10, introductions of motions, resolutions for first reading, of
019which there are none. Brings us to item number 11, the consent agenda. We have consent agenda items 11 A, B, C, D, and E. Board may have a motion to approve. So move. All in favor? I I. Anybody opposed? Those will be approved. Item 12, regular agenda items for final adoption 12A. Approve the superintendence recommendation regarding changes in personnel. Dr. Cameron. Good evening, sir. Good evening, everyone. We have the recommendations for changes in personnel. Also have a supplemental list. I'll go through both with you. Starting on page one, you have 11 resignations, five reassignments, one transfer of a certified personnel, four part-time extended day tutors, 18 non-renewals of certified employees pursuant to the students first act. Seven non-renewals of classified employees pursuant uh pursuant to the students first act. three 2425 spring academic incentives, one
0202425 contracted coach, and one declination. On the supplemental list, you have 10 resignations, two new certified personnel, one support person, one new support personnel, one approval for a two-year probationary principal contract pursuant to the Teacher Accountability Act, two reassignments, one transfer of classified personnel, five transfer of certified personnel, one part-time extended day tutor, and 67 summer learning academy contingent upon student enrollment. All right. Thank you, Dr. Cameron. Board, are there any set aides for a separate vote? Yeah, hold tight board. Any set aides? All right. Hearing none. Board may have a motion to approve the superintendent's recommendation. We have a motion to approve. Do we have a second? Second. We have a motion and we have a second. Do we have discussion or questions? Just discussion on on number nine. Okay. Um number nine um
021will be missed is a this young lady is a great great she's moving on. She love the school system and I just think that um I just want to wish her well and she's watching. She she has helped a lot of students in our school system. That's all I have to say. Thank you, Miss Grant. Any other discussion? talk about how not being able stand. So, Dr. Derry may want to chime in. All right. So, we looked at the non-renewals of certified and classified and there are a lot there were more. Our team got together uh we looked at things that we could do at central office to reduce cost. Uh we looked at ways we could shift funding. So, we started out at 82 through attrition. We were able to save some positions. Uh
022and then from this you see what we have right now. We're always looking at different funding mechanisms that we can do. Uh as Mr. Duke mentioned, the money coming in will go to different things because we have the budget deficit as well. Some of these are performance issues that are non-renewals, so they will be rehired. Uh those positions will be rehired. Some of these are reductions looking at our schools and the to decrease the local funds. So those won't be. So you have a mixture of they're all non-renewals, but one could be performance reductions, but they all come out as non-renewals. I did want to touch on the decisions that were having to make that you and your team that we have all spent hours and hours and hours looking at just It's been really
023hard and it's important to mention it was um I would also like to add that you know got sworn in yesterday. I I did a a post about, you know, being on the board and how important it is to be a voice. However, sometimes it comes with challenges. And what I've seen over the last eight years is the public um they'll get they'll get a piece of it and it's over with, you know, especially since we have social media. But I have grown um to not pay so much attention because I really know that this system, this board, Dr. Daria, yourself, Miss Pam, you all really hard for our um the employees and this was not you know we had a me we don't want nobody gone it it didn't matter but the tax referendum
024was something that you know our superintendent along with ourselves thought and the seat of Tuscaloosa and the city council thought that could keep us moving forward for the next you know when we're gone but it did get it didn't go it didn't pass and that was one way to keep it rolling. So then you have the people that say, "Well, the school system mismanaging money, but the school system is not because the auditor just stood there and said he had no findings." So this innovative school system is only being innovative and trying to keep people, you know, moving forward and not being stuck in the stone ages and, you know, just trying to grow. And so I just wanted to make that statement that it's not us mismanaging money. It's not us want anybody gone.
025It's just a situation that's at hand that we have to do to keep ourselves, you know, going when cuz Dr. Derry leaving next year and this board not going to be here forever. But for the next board member that come in and the next superintendent not to be in just a a a terrible spot, you know, and that's how it's business. this school system I have a love for but it's also also a very big business that has to keep afloat and so thank you for bringing that up Dr. Jackson um Leslie thank you for bringing that up because I know it probably been you know I you know so um and thank you um thank all of you all especially you Mr. Wilson that you know fought very hard and because you sit here
026and understand what's really going on and we do as board members we we sworn in it's a labor of love and I know it's genuine with these people sitting on the board to get bashed with things that people just don't know and our hands are tied and can't say every single thing that happens in the school system legally we cannot thank I'd just like to add a couple of things. One is that we have a lot of hard decisions to make and some, you know, this day I've seen it for several years now and this is a hard decision has been made. We agree. But to put the light on the picture, I'm going go to this line dance that everybody knows on the ground. We got to put our boots on the ground and
027we got to continue to move forward. And the only way we're going to do that is with every citizen of the city of Tuscaloosa, every member of our school system helping fill the gap where we miss it that we can't get to. And we need your help because our system is definitely moving forward and we will continue to move forward. But we need your help. Put those boots on the ground. I appreciate all the board's hard work um not only at the referendum but also the last several months and reviewing all this with Dr. Cameron. Dr. Cameron, we appreciate the work that you and Miss Scott and your team has poured into these very difficult decisions and situation. Y'all have managed it as well as can be expected and we do appreciate your hard work
028and spending the time with the board uh so openly and honestly. So we don't want to be in this position, but we're here and like Miss Grant said, it's a tough job and we're tasked to do it, but we appreciate your your tough job as well. Thank you. And I if I could say one more thing really fast, um not because Dr. Derry is sitting here, but um I don't care who don't like it or whatever who's watching, but Dr. Derry has fought. I see it. He don't rest about the school system and the financial is not in the worst state, but it's about being proactive is what we're doing here. And Dr. Derrick could very well said deuces to you all but he stay another year to ensure that we are in a good
029position before the next superintendent comes in and take on how many of millions be how I can't even think of what the budget is right now $19 million $190 million budget um I I was close I was about to go there but a $190 million budget is a And so, hey, he could go to the beach and say, "Yeah, I handled it." But he's still sitting here. Me personally, as much as I love the school system, I probably would have been at the beach on the same No. But I just wanted to say that publicly. Um, for the people that, you know, and I might get in trouble, I don't care. But for the people who might say he just anything crazy, this board really loves this system. So, that's it. All right. So, Miss
030Scott and I will go out and visit principles tomorrow, deliver letters. Uh we will they'll notify the affected employees um tomorrow afternoon. So, uh last paycheck will be July 31st. Insurance will carry through August 31st. Yes, ma'am. Well, as you said, some of them will have the opportunity to reapply. Yes, sir. Open positions that we have. Yes, sir. They certainly will. Any further questions or comments? Call for a vote. All in favor? I. Anybody opposed? Recommendations will pass. Thank you, Dr. Cameron. Item 12B, discuss approve the 2025 to 2026 Zello edition of grades 3 through5 CCR platform one-year agreement. Dr. Pope, good evening, sir. Good evening, board. Um, this recommendation is for Zello for grades 3 through 5. Last year, you approved 6 through 12. Zello platform is to support our college career readiness indicator
031for those students to select what their interests are. We decided that 6 through 12 had that platform to um chart their path forward with future success. 3 through 5 did not have one. So we wanted to plug in find out what their interests are, what their um future um pathway would be and connect with college readiness. So this is for the um one year the platform data integration and implementation services. All right board may have a motion to approve. So moved questions or discussion for Dr. Pope hearing none I'll call for a vote. All in favor? I. Anybody opposed? That'll be approved. Thank you. Item 12 C approve the 2025 2026 leases and memorandum of understandings for new heights. Dr. Daria. Yes sir. Thank you board. These are uh five leases of our partners at
032New Heights serving our uh students, their families, and our community. And we'll have a couple more to come back that we're still waiting on at return, but these are five to present for you this evening. Board may have a motion to approve. So move questions or discussion. A couple of these have been there, haven't they? They're just Are they all renewals? Monthly renewal. I mean annual renewal. That's right. All five of these have We've been there and they're renewing their contract for a whole another year because we've been so incredibly successful and they're great partners. Absolutely. They have been incredibly successful. I just want to shine a happy and what a great what great things are being done there. Thank you. Also, Dr. Dear, if you have a moment, could you with to echo what
033Leslie is saying, can you for the people who don't know about these partnership, can you just break it down really fast what these partnerships do for our school system and students and families? You know, the short of it is this is an example of where the school system works closely with its community partners and these community partners provide services in their mission that align with our needs. So, at a very low cost, they to be in our facility and we get services um because of their partnership with us. So they work with us for our families and our students and actually the community as a whole. Um we have a couple other partners who are coming on board but again these fill in services that we can't necessarily afford using our K12 budget. Um and
034that's where community partners fill in that gap for us and they all have been absolutely amazing. Thank you for asking. Thank you. Okay board, I call for a vote. All in favor? I. Anybody opposed? Those will be approved. 12D, discuss approved second reading of the 2025 to 2026 Tuscaloosa City School academic guide. Yes, sir. Board, there has not been any changes from the last time we presented. All right. Board, may I have a motion to approve? So move. Second. Questions or discussion? Call for a vote. All in favor? I. I. Anybody opposed? Be approved. 12E. Discuss approved. Second reading of the 2025 2026 parent student code of conduct and resource guide. Yes sir. Board members, this uh there has not been a any change to the code of conduct from the May 6 presentation. Board
035may have a motion to approve. So moved. Second. Questions or discussion? Y'all hearing anything on the cell phone front? No sir. Um I asked Derry that this morning. I had nothing. Has anyone we've been cell phones. Um, also, um, speaking of the cell phones, so of course it was all over Facebook like that. We just are enforcing this and then we are behind. That's that was the other thing that was said. But we're getting in front of the situation um, I think pretty good. Um, but it's down from the state. This is not a Tusca city schools decision to just ban cell phones and I did want to say that publicly. Also the e enroll and list and employ. Um we've been work we've been doing that. Yes, this a state um we've been doing
036it in our school system to you know but it hasn't been a mandate for graduation that comes from the state as well and so I did want to publicly say that as well. We and we've been how long have we been doing that? Yeah, we we knew this was coming about two years ago. So we jumped on making sure we were really intentional in being good at it. So but your point is exactly right. as a graduation requirement is in fact now a state requirement but we have been doing it and really been deep in that work for now two or three years. Okay, so this one the tax referendum we were trying to be proactive um and we have no findings from our auditor. Number two, the cell phones. Um that is not a
037state I mean there is not a Tuscaloosa City Schools mandate. It's a state Monday and we are getting ahead of that situation and trying to inform people early before fall occurs and then it's all of a sudden it's a shocker. Right. Right. And um we know both sides of it. We know things happen. Children need their phones. Um I'm I'm that parent that like hey pa text me it's going to go wrong. You know but on the flip side we understand that things happen with those phone and it's taken away from our education you know. But I remember back in the day you had to go to the office to use the phone and it's phones in in the rooms now. So um you know but we we got beat up on Facebook about it
038because it was us. We did it and then we late. But the third thing is the enroll list and employ which is an awesome event that we even have an event for it has been in place in the Tusula city schools and is from the state. is not a requirement from Tuscaloosa City Schools, which the paper I guess wrote up like that is it's us doing it. But that's all I had to say. And and they can revisit the um strategic plan because that work is in the strategic plan that was in 2021, right? early adopters. They were behind us a year after that. Yeah. [Music] language about cell phones. Okay. Yes. Everything in on May 6 was the language. So was we were like following the bill throughout. So the language um presented on
039May 6th is exactly what the state information. We decided to do that. We did. We're proceeding with this. All right. No further questions. Board uh call for a vote. All in favor? I. Anybody opposed? We approve item 13. Thank you, Dr. Pope. Item 13, we have no finished business, unfinished business to attend to. General announcements is item 14, we have uh Memorial Day is Monday. So, schools will be closed at this coming up Monday. Yes, May 26. And then May 27th, Tuesday, we have two student hearings at central office. And any other board member have any other general announcement? Dr. Monday those those times. Yes. Thank you. Um the first order of business is for the new principles to meet their faculty and staff. Um in one case that's been that was done today. We'll
040do the other the other the new principal um for Oakdale here shortly. And then after that we'll work with principles with Miss Avance office to put out public notification of when there'll be like a meet and greet. Um we have to time that right of when people are in town and with summer. But there will be an opportunity for parents and community members to come in and meet the the new principles at Central High School and Oakdale Elementary School. But that that date and time, those have not been posted as of yet. We want to wait till we get them on board in the schools before we confirm that. So tomorrow they'll we'll we'll send something out this evening on the on a release. So they will know here shortly. Any other announcements?