001Hopefully enough time to get logged down. Man, it ain't even showing me how to do. >> Okay, >> I need to sink. Hi these guys are >> deadlines. >> Hey [Music] Let me get on my >> Let me get on >> you. You're going off Thursday. What? What's Thursday night? >> Artificial intelligence. >> Are we good? >> We good. Let's rock and roll. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, we're now going to call to order the regular board meeting. It is September 30th, 2025. We are the Tuscaloosa City School System. Let's have a brief period of silence. We'll follow that with the pledge of allegiance. And in your thoughts tonight, if we can hold close uh Mr. Gary Nichols, a really close friend to the TCS family, has passed away. And also, can we continue to keep
002in our thoughts and prayers Liz House and her daughter and their trials and tribulations. Have a brief period of silence. Attention salute. I pledge algiance 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. Good evening, board. >> I love y'all, too. Good evening, board. >> Good evening. >> Thank you. >> Good evening, everyone. Board, may I have a motion >> to adopt the September 30th regular board meeting agenda? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposed? The agenda is printed will be adopted. Board may have a motion to approve the of the September 16th, 2025 regular board meeting. >> So move >> second. >> All in favor? >> I. Anybody
003opposed? Those minutes will be approved. Item five, receive donation from Tuscaloosa Education Foundation and the Houston Family Foundation for Reading Allies. >> Dr. Darius >> board. Good evening. And I'll just stage this as uh Caroline and Willer come to the coming to the podium. Um we are so fortunate in the Tuscaloosa City Schools to have amazing community partners. When you look at the investment that our community partners make in reading allies and then you look at the data that comes as a result of having several hundred volunteers in our schools um throughout the course of an entire year supporting our focus on literacy. Um it is absolutely amazing. This does not happen in in any community, but it happens here. It happens because we have community members uh who care a lot about our schools
004and who invest in our schools. Um so we are enormously grateful for all the work of the education foundation and certainly the Houston family for their support of this. So I'm going to turn it over to Caroline to to give us an overview. >> Sure. First of all, I want to thank y'all for letting us come here tonight and do this check presentation. And on behalf of my board, I want to thank all of you for what y'all do for our city schools every day. So, thank you. Um, we are lucky enough that we have Will Houston. He is our um on our board and he will be our president starting um in 2026 of our board and his family gave an um $800,000 donation to the Tesla Education Foundation for Reading Allies. So, we
005hope continue to [Applause] the foundation will hold the money. Um, and so every year we'll go meet with your superintendent and Jay, Mike's leaving me and I'm still not okay with it. >> Um, but and we will go over what schools need to have liaison and what schools need to be still a part of the program. And so we're just really blessed by Will and his family. I'm going let him say a couple words, too. >> Thank you all. We um our family and our foundation's just so excited to be able to help with this project and help with the city. It's it's all about putting kids on a better trajectory, a better path for their future and this program really is something that's able to do that and it gets the community involved with
006the volunteer aspect. So, we just love everything about it and and we're happy that we can help you guys out. >> Thank you. [Applause] So, we will want to get a picture. >> Um, but let us say a few words. So, number one, um, we always are happy to have people that are presenting us checks at the board meeting. But seriously, um, this board appreciates you, Caroline, for what you do day in and day out, and it's your job, but you do it with a lot of love, and you do it with a lot of heart and conviction, and and we as a board appreciate that. We know that this city and this city school system not be where it is without leadership like that, but also without community partnerships and without families stepping up
007and putting their money where their mouth is. And in our climate and particularly what's happened in the last year, it's going to take more Houston and Houston's foundations to to help this system grow to the depths and the lengths that it needs to. So, thank you. Um, we know you could could give money to any that you wanted to. We appreciate it. Reading Allies is a program that has proven to be working and and giving us results that we need. So, thank you for being part of that that party train and we we are deeply indebted to you guys and your family. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> So, today we're presenting a check for $75,000, the first installment for the year. So, um, we'll meet again in the summer and decide
008where to go from there. But, so we're excited. So, [Applause] >> Dr. What you sitting down for? You're good. We're gonna do the gaps. We're going to get in the gaps. >> You're good. You're good. Stay right there. >> We'll get in the gaps. We'll make it work. >> Thank you. >> Will you guys tell your husband Thank you. Appreciate you. >> Thank you. >> Take care. Thank you. >> Okay, moving along. Item six is public comments. We do not have anyone signed up tonight, which brings us to item seven, which are ourformational reports. Tonight, we will hear from our CSFO, Mr. J. Duke. Item 7B, Mr. J. Duke. >> Good evening, sir. >> Yes, sir. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, board members, superintendent, ladies and gentlemen. It is my pre pleasure to bring two items
009tonight. The first is just a procedural matter where we present the contracts under $50,000 for your review in the normal course of business. So, that's item number one. And then moving right into the financial reports through July 31st. That's the 10th month of our fiscal year. So we're kind of turning the corner and headed for home towards the end of the fiscal year in FY25. And um we'll start off by looking at the uh tax uh financial dashboard first and then the tax reports. And Chris, if you could go to that financial dashboard and and I think tonight and I'll try to focus on these financial dashboards and kind of summarize some stuff uh going forward. We've looked at one or two of these the last couple of meetings, but I think if you don't
010get anything out of tonight from the expenditure side, we're 83% through the year at July 31st. We've only spent 81% of our budget. So we're 2% to the good on our budget. That doesn't sound like a lot, but 2% on about a $150 million budget is is a good bit of money. So that's around $2 million. So through July 31st, we're about two billion to the good on our expenditures. And we'll get to that here in a minute kind of line by line. But if you don't remember anything on that financial dashboard, if you'll remember, we're about 2% to the good on our expenditures. Moving now into the uh tax revenue reports. First, we'll look at there's that financial dashboard there. And then, um, we'll look at sales tax. Sales tax was up a little
011bit this month, July there, 1.9 million. It was up from 1.8 the previous month. So, that was a good sign. And, uh, we're tracking probably to hit our budget. We've got two months left again in the fiscal year as this these reports are through July 31st. Okay. Okay, moving along to the property tax. Property tax wound up in June. So, we did not have any collections in July, but we had a um we'll probably end up with that figure there that you see there, $34,676,000. Uh we exceeded our budget sum on that. So, uh property tax will kind of close the book on that, so to speak, until u October reports when the collections will start back. car tag tax lot smaller amounts um but they were up this year uh excuse me this month
012of July and they're up for the year so you see there in July it was $257,000 the previous July was $225,000 so it looks like we're going to hit our budget of 3.1 million um Chris can you scroll down just a touch on that so that that budgeted amount of 3.1 million I'm We'll come back to that in just a second. On to our general fund management report. Again, through the end of July, we're 10 months through the year. So, that's 83% and I'll kind just kind of skip to almost the very middle of the page there. We're we're 81.12% spent, but our target was 83. So, we're below that. That's good. On the expenditure side, we've spent less than what um what we had thought we would through July. So, that's about $2 million
013or so. Haven't looked at utilities lately with uh lately with the board. So, I kind of wanted to uh we drilled into to utilities expenditures and kind of wanted to show you a uh this is about a seven-year chart here. And uh just to give you some concept of what utilities cost, kind of a non-negotiable, electricity, telephone, water and sewer, electricity being the big one. And so Chris, if you'll go to the next slide to give you a concept of what that is. I see nothing out of the ordinary on the chart there. Sometimes it depends on when the last payments made. So that those are year-end numbers, but you can see that that number is approaching $4 million when you add those three up. I mentioned earlier on the car tag tax, we'll collect
014about $3 million in car tag tax. That doesn't even cover the utility bills at the Tuscaloosa City Schools. It's approaching $4 million when you add those three up. So, one reason I wanted to show you this just give you some kind of brevity of what it takes to run this school system and pay the bills. We we look at those revenue reports a lot and maybe don't always focus on the expenditure side. So, that's why I wanted to show these utilities. Um, again, water and sewer there in the blue, the kind of the smaller amount, telephone and the red, and then electricity there at the top. But again, you add all those up and through the end of July, it's 3.9 million. Last but not least, this is uh the report that we send to
015the state each month summarizing all of our funds. The general fund that we looked at earlier is that lefth hand column. We have special revenue funds which are made up mostly of federal funds. And then uh the debt service you see on that debt service column. You don't see a lot of numbers, but if you'll go down there almost to the bottom, that $10 million number, that's our that's our note payment on our buildings um each year. So, we've got $10 million in debt every year on the 2015 bond issue. Capital projects, a lot smaller number this year. We've had no major projects, nothing brick and mortar, a lot of repairs and maintenance and those type things and smaller projects. So, um, again, this is the form that we send in to the state each
016month. Our fund balance, I did compare this to July of last year, and we're tracking good. Uh, and and a lot of it goes back to those expenditures being 2% below what they were supposed to be. So, with that, Mr. Chairman, I'll wind up certainly would love to take any questions if you have any. >> Any board members? >> Yes, sir. >> We got one question. Going back to the general fund slide that you had up a moment ago, saw that we were uh mentioned we were 2% under our target for the for our total expenditures. Um what about for the total revenue? Is there such a target for that one as well? I see the number we got is 82.54%. >> We we are tracking good there and we think we'll end up a
017little above that. So um if you'll kind of look categorically um we've got the state sources there at the top which is our foundation program and then advancement and technology money. And so we will actually um probably trend above when the year ends. And I'll tell you one reason why. The advancement technology money came in in August. So this is one month before that came in. So that was a a pretty good uh jolt in a good way to our revenue stream. So that'll actually kick. In fact, I looked at it today and uh at the end of September, I think we're going to be a percentage point or two percentage points above on the revenue side. So expenditures tracking about 2% below revenue about 2% above. I think we're going to end up uh
018at the end of the year in good shape. >> Thank you. >> Hey Jay, I say this half jokingly, but as as it pertains to the utilities, do we have a systemwide number that we leave the thermostats on? >> Is it is it each school? I mean, how's that? It is always super cold in our buildings. That's all I have. Any other questions? >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Duke. >> Yes, sir. Thank you. >> All right. Item number eight, introductions of motions, resolutions for a first reading, of which there are none. Brings us to item nine, which is consent agenda. We have consent agenda items 9A and 9B. Board may have a motion to approve. Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposed? Those will be approved. Item 10, regular agenda items for
019final adoption. 10A, approve the superintendence recommendations regarding changes in personnel. Dr. Cameron. Good evening, sir. >> Good evening. I've got the superintendent's recommendations regarding changes in personnel. Also have the supplemental list. I'll go through both with you. Starting on page one, you have two retirements, two resignations, one new certified personnel, one new classified personnel, one transfer of a classified personnel, four 2526 contracted coaches, six part-time extended day tutors, and one supplement for teaching during the plan period. With the supplemental list, you have one retirement, one resignation, five new classified personnel, one reassignment, one transfer of administrative personnel, 13 part-time extended day tutors, three 2526 volunteer coaches, and two 2526 contracted coaches. >> Okay. Thank you, Dr. Cameron. Board members, are there any set aides for a separate vote? All right, board. Last call for set
020aides. Hearing none, board may have a motion to approve. So moved. Second. Questions, discussion by number only, please. Uh just one don't really about individual question but as far as line number three and line number 18 agenda how >> so we'll have uh Stowa come in for number three he was just getting us through until um we got Stowa coming in with um a person there for uh construction. So, we'll we'll fill that spot um with STOA. And then 18, we've just got u somebody's been out for a period of time, so she's been helping um with the grading and lesson plan. So, that's why you've got a teaching planning time on number 18. We got a teacher on a leave on a leave right now. >> Any board member have any further questions? >>
021Hearing none, I'll call for a vote. All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposed? Those will be approved. Thank you, Dr. Cameron. 10. Discuss approve proposal pilot special education continuity and staffing plan. Dr. Dario. >> Yes, sir. Board members, this is not a proposal that you have seen before in front of us. Um, so I'm going to just give a quick overview. This is the collaborative work of Dr. Pope's team and Dr. Cameron's team. You are well aware of our special education vacancies, and there are not special education teachers to hurry into those vacancies. While we have some creative staffing solutions that are temporary right now to make sure our students are served, um we as a district had to step back and look at finding a different way to get there. So the proposal in
022front of you is a tuition proposal for current employees to go back to school who are eligible to go into special education classrooms. The quick of it is this. For a paraprofessional in the city schools who has a bachelor's degree, there are two ways to get certified and be in a classroom today. They can do a fivecourse add-on at a at a university or a master's degree. It depends on whether they're in elementary classroom or secondary classroom. The proposal in front of you allows us to pay for the tuition upfront. So, these individuals can begin serving in classrooms as early as January of 26. um and we will pay the tuition. It's an investment in our current personnel um with the priority of filling the six vacancies we have and the future vacancies that we
023will have. Um we've not done it at this scale before. Um and again, this is a a different approach uh collaboration with teaching and learning and human resources to find a different way to make sure our our classrooms are filled especially in this high need area. So that's it in concept. There are a lot of details behind it. Um, but we wanted to give this board um this proposal for consideration and Dr. Pope and Dr. Cameron can assist with specific questions that you may have. >> Okay. Thank you, Dr. Board. May I have a motion to approve? >> So move. >> Second. >> I have a motion and I have a second. Do we have any questions >> within this? Do we have a builtin contract that We help these people get their degree to
024guarantee us at least some kind of time with our system or repayment. >> So there there will be a a memo of understanding but mind you in while they're doing the work they're teaching they're in a classroom so we'll minimally have about a year before they could even consider going elsewhere but they will sign anou a little bit. This is a risk and we understand that risk going into this. Um but if we can get teachers in classrooms today that that right now is our urgent need. They are working collaborative on a longer term plan to look at these creative solutions. But right now this is about filling the classrooms we have in front of us. They will sign anou acknowledging that they would stay for I think a three-year period as part of the
025investment. But remember they're already with us. They're already invested in our school system. They already know our kids. They already know our schools. Um, so we believe that gives us a little bit of an advantage in that concern that you have, Mr. Lucas. >> And, um, you said it was six vacancies. So that applies to, so we have, uh, the people that's already doing it, the education is already doing it. Then those six vacancies get the same opportunity. >> If I understand the question, Miss Grant, we have, we believe four other special education teachers who are on this on their own right now. Okay. They'll get folded into this and get the benefit of what this board would approve, excuse me. And then if we're so lucky to have six pair of pros who say
026I'm in and want to do this, those will be the next six that will be prioritized >> that that we hire on after today. >> They would come on as a special education teacher on an alternative school path on alternative pathway. >> Okay. >> And what if they don't already? Um, so what would they need? I'm just asking for the public. You know, someone might need a job and they hear this and want to go that route. What would they need to just apply and do everything? >> The priority is on those with a bachelor's degree and an interest in special education. So, if there is somebody from outside, they would have to get hired as a as an aid, an instructional aid in our school system, then they could jump on this pathway. The
027other pathway that you're you're seeing tonight is a a partnership with Reach University. It's a longer term strategy. It's not a for January 26, but for our paraprofessionals who do not have a bachelor's degree, Reach University has a way for them to get their bachelor's degree at a very low cost that we believe we can support through the proposal here that could get them a bachelor's degree in a short period of time, especially if they already have an associates degree. >> Okay, good. >> So, that it's kind of a twofold approach. Again, that one is more of a two-year down the road preparation. The M's and the five That's for possibly January of 26. >> That's what I was asking. I just didn't want to say yeah. Thank you. >> And if the board approves
028it, they our our teams will have meetings with our par profofessionals with a bachelor's degree. They will also have meetings with our um employees who do not have a bachelor's degree and would be eligible for the reach university program. I think it's amazing um that we you know that whoever came up with it when I first read it in the the emails I was like that is awesome that we will that's not only helping our students but it's helping our educators for the future too. I think it's awesome >> and I appreciate that Miss Grant that is Dr. Pope's team and Dr. Cameron's team who who really huddled and said let's how do we get at this differently? And I do want to and I do want to be clear on this. There could be
029consequences on this, right? That this may not be enormously successful. We may not get anybody interested. Um or we may have somebody start and not finish, but it's our team's belief that we got to we got to get in there and try this and see see what works and and adjust as we need to. >> This is Miss Grant said, you know, it's it's worth the try. It's better than nothing at all. >> Dr. Do we have a um projected cost of what this would would run? >> If if we're lucky to get a good number of candidates, we're still under $100,000. Um for example, if a teacher if a parapro has a bachelor's degree today and they have to go the one route, it's only five courses. That's maybe $5,000. If it's the full
030tuition, you're talking $10,000. So at to fill the six vacancies today, the max would be $70,000. If We had eligible candidates in that immediately. So, we're try we're budgeting in the $100,000 range. See what success looks like. Adjust. Um, and then if this works, our team is already working on now what does this look like in our other critical need areas, elementary, math, science. Um, because I think that's what we've got to do as a school system now is is look at different pathways to the classroom. >> And I'll I'll echo what Dr. Grant said in that this your team continues to think outside the box. So, thank you, Dr. Cameron. Thank you, Dr. Pope. Um, it it becomes increasingly clear in this educational climate that we need more money to to do these types
031of things to attract talent to to um to mold our talent. Um, so, thank you guys for thinking outside the box. You know, certainly this board has always supported thinking outside the box and these types of programs that aim to improve our students out outcomes. >> Yeah. Um I want to make sure I say a big thank you to Dr. Cameron and um Miss Puit. Um Miss Pam Scott, I'm sorry. I'm saying Pam Puit because we don't understand what they go through with personnel. you know, we just we look at it and go back and forth, but to go through all the processes that I hear about is a lot, you know, and so I just want to tell you all thank you again because that um hearing some stories and the different things and
032when I called out Dr. Cameron on stuff, it's just a lot to go through, more than we know. >> Any other questions? >> Hearing Call for a vote. All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposed be approved. Thank you, gentlemen. >> Thank you. >> All right. 10 C receive and affirm the TCS vision, mission, beliefs, and code of conduct for board members. Okay. Uh ladies and gentlemen, uh each year we take it upon ourselves to sign this piece of paper where we are basically reaffirming uh what this couple of boards ago created which is our mission, our vision, our belief statements and our code of conduct. Um, I will say that I a stakeholder reached out to me and suggested that we look at adding to number 19, excuse me, uh, on the code of conduct
03319, show respect and courtesy to staff members to also include all stakeholders. I tend to agree with that stakeholders u suggestion. So, that's something that maybe when we have a a board retreat, we can we can work on that. Um, but today we're going to reaffirm and we have by signing and we'll just put it into the record. I would like to read our mission because this board came up with that mission and it it's very I think it's very critical and I think it it sheds light on on what this board does. The mission of the Tuscaloosa City Schools is to create and support a culture of high expectations for each and every student to achieve personal, academic, and career excellence. And that's such a brief statement, but it says a lot in those
034few words. And I think we're very proud of that mission statement and I think we stand by each and every week. So, thank you board. And so we will now receive and affirm our mission, our vision, our belief statements, and our code of conduct. Thank you. >> All right. 10D, the moment we've all been waiting for. We will now discuss and approve the 2025 AASB delegate assembly selection. >> I nominate Simmons. >> We have a second for Simmons. >> Second. All right, we have a motion and a second for one to be Mr. Erskin Simmons. I'll call for a vote. All in favor? >> I I Anybody opposed? Mr. Simmons will be number one. Do I have a I have a nomination for number two delegate. >> I nominate Clint Mound, the new guy. >>
035Second. >> Okay, we have a motion. We have a second. Call for a vote. All in favor? >> I I >> All right, Clint will be number two. We need an >> I think Clint's gonna enjoy it though. >> All right. Alternate. We need an alternate board. May have a motion to nominate an alternate for a nomination for an alternate. >> I'll take >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, >> you're absent. >> Do you have a motion? >> I nominate Johnson. >> Second. >> All in favor? I that'll be approved. That was easy. >> All right. Unfinished business. We don't have any to attend to. General Does any board member have any general announcements? >> Okay. >> Um, next Tuesday we have student hearings. Is that correct? >> Tuesday. >> So, nothing on the
036four. >> What is today? So, thing next week. Do we have anything on the 14th? >> No. >> Free. >> So, two three two weeks in a row. >> Okay. >> No, sir. >> Let's get out. Absolutely. Let's get out and see the schools. Okay, everybody. Hey, >> Homecoming for Bryant Friday. >> And then the homecoming for the Central High School is next week >> and that's my birthday you all. >> Oh, okay. Anything else for the general good? That's it. >> Good.