00126. United States of America standyice for Yes, Mr. Chairman, board members. First, good evening. This recognition is for Dr. Nani being named National Distinguished Principal for Alabama and we all many of us were there during her celebration. But this is a recognition of exemplary leadership, outstanding results, and for leading a school that serves as an example for our school system, our community, our state, and our country. And this recognition is welld deserved. It's through a pretty rigorous process of nomination. A team comes on site and interviews you all, interviews us, interviews individuals at the school. So it is a rigorous selection process and we believe with 100% confidence that they got it right. Dr. Nachani is a next level leader in our school system. You see that in the team that she has built at
002at Tuscaloosa Magnet School. You see it in the results that happen consistently over time. And she has a great team. But the outcomes that she's getting with all students being successful only happen with strong next level leadership. And we just wanted to even though we got a chance to celebrate with her a couple of weeks ago, this recognition is worthy of this board receiving her here this evening. So I'm gonna ask Dr. Nani to come on up to the podium a little bit and um I just want to thank everyone. Uh and I know a few weeks ago I was surprised. I was pretty shocked. Um there were some people kind of lied and got me to school um while I was attending Leadership Tuscaloosa. Uh but um it was it was amazing and the
003only thing I can say like I mentioned um I'm thankful for the board. TCS is my family. I've been here for 24 years. It's hard to believe actually if I counted the year that I volunteered it would be 25. Yes, that was my first year with TCS. But um it's the students, it's the parents, it's y'all, it's the teachers, and every single person that I have communicated with and come across as I have shaped my leadership. It's this belongs to them, not to me. Um I'm looking forward to going to DC in October and meeting the other NDPs from other states. But thank you all for trusting me and for believing in me and for pushing me. Dr. area at every stage even to get into leadership you had a hand in it. So thank
004you all so much. I'm so proud of you sitting in that room doing the interviews. that all those people were know about our school system. And so I just want to tell him I'm so proud and thankful to have you in my life. Thank you. >> Yes, sir. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right, item number six. We will now recognize the Northidge High School boys indoor track and field team. Your 2026 AHSA class 6A indoor track and field state champions. >> Good evening, Mr. Chair, board members. Again, we're here to recognize Northridge High School indoor track and field team and coach Sparks and his staff for winning the 6A indoor track and field championships at the end of January. Just looking at the scores, they defeated Homewood who came in second place by
005a score of 60- 48. Um, first I just always like to thank the board for your support and athletics for here in the district. Um, truly it is a blessing to oversee athletics with the way that you guys govern. Um, next I'd like to talk about Dr. Williams and and Mr. Cameron, principal and athletic director and coach Lai, co-athletic director, for the support and for all the diligence that they do in overseeing athletics and making sure that we have student athletes who truly are good in and out of the classroom. I always have to thank our parents because when we talk about athletics, these kids have been playing forever and our parents are so diligent in making sure they are on time and attend all the practices and even the events. So, we really appreciate
006the way our parents support here in the district. Um, next, faculty, staff, everybody at the school because we know as athletics, everybody supports these student athletes. They encourage them every day, day in and day out, and they attend the events and support from that perspective. And last but not least, our student athletes who give everything that they have. And whenever I talk about athletics too, our student athletes have, you know, they sports, they have academics, they have character, they have busy lives, and they always put everything that they have into making sure that they represent this district the right way. So, at this time, I'd like to bring Coach Sparks up to introduce his staff and talk about his team in another championship. Um, just like uh Mr. Herd, I'm so thankful for the school
007board. Um, Mr. Wilson, we had having dinner the other night. I saw you. I look forward to coming. Thank you, Dr. Daria, Mr. Herd, our Northridge administration, Dr. Williams, Mr. Cameron, uh, Coach Lai and I work hand in hand. Um, we have so much to be thankful for. uh not only our facilities but uh we've increased coaching money over the past few years for assistant coaches. I got some great assistant coaches, our board funding for our programs. Very very appreciative of that. We've uh always tried to do well by that and we're fortunate enough to have a really really good team uh this indoor season. We are literally days away from the outdoor championship. We're hosting the uh sectional championship on Friday and Saturday and looking forward to having good results from that. We're going
008to have somewhere about somewhere between 40 and 50 kids advance to the state meet and we'll leave next Wednesday headed down there for that. Um we're we're excited. But we had a really really good indoor season. A lot of great um a lot of great results. Um we had two individual state champions. Annabelle Beam was our girls 6A 400 meter champion and then Jennings Hines was the long jump champion. Um that just goes to show you it's not always about winning um individual stuff. It is collaboration of the whole group um that what allows all those points to stack up together and help us win a championship. We're very very fortunate. We thank you for this. >> Yeah. >> Coach, while they're coming down here, coach, while they're coming down here, will you remind us
009in case we forgot how many state championships is this for you? >> Uh about 16. W is not bad. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We uh let's see. Sean England is one of our captains. Uh maybe he would like to who is uh going to be attending West Point in the fall. Jennings is at is going to be at Sanford. Preston is going to be at Belmont. They signed. Um Sam, KD, and PJ are all signing uh on the sixth or seventh sixth. Yeah, I'm sorry. I almost slapped there. So, but I did. So, and the other just a youngster. So, um and we we got out of got out of uh out of practice. So, A few of them might not have been able to make it, but um we uh we had a list.
010Um they're all up there. Jordan Lewis, Zack Lovelin, Jayla McCrae, Ashton Perry. Fortunately, they're all up there. I I have a photo of that, too. So, it it's a group of about 30 guys. Um and uh we're going to miss about 15 guys are going to be seniors and it's going to be hard to make up for that. Uh our girls are only losing nine of those. So, uh we'll uh we'll come back uh rebuild and and go to work. So, >> coach, how do you how do you explain the amazing successes that you had? >> Uh great coaching staff. Um I'm fortunate to have the best group of coaches I've ever had. Um a another product, uh Caitlyn Jones is a product of Tus City Schools. David Herro's a product of Tus City Schools.
011Uh Tommy Danner's product Tus City Schools. And Tommy just uh finished up running for for well he wasn't running in Alabama but he was throwing at Alabama. Caitlin ran in college. Um coach Har should be in college but he's going to college working a job. He's all into computers and he's uh one of the best jump coaches in the country. Uh this guy right here is the number one sprinter in the state of Alabama and do own coach Jones. Uh she came on staff. I said two or three words and said they're they're yours. I expect you to teach him everything you learned in college. And um vault coach is a a well-invested um former parent who I had uh chased off the runway and he wouldn't go away and he hey coach I really
012like this a lot and uh teach me all about it and we did and he's learned on his own just just good uh hired a young distance guy this fall from UAH and uh he's a former collegiate runner and we're just uh having the having the time of our life. um coaching and teaching the kids. >> Well, I think we've said this type of program is such a shining beacon for TCS athletics, but also >> Thank you. Appreciate y'all support. One thing that you recognize all different >> Yeah. Modern. Thank you. Modern technology. Dr. Williams got uh got Caitlyn Jones. She had her in the office interview and we were texting back and forth. She goes, "I I got one for you. I got one for you." Well, hire hire her quick quick before someone
013else gets her. So, um we were looking for her and um she just happened happened upon us and she's uh going to be a great asset for us. So, >> we will be celebrating. >> Yeah. One more thing. >> That's our plan. >> I can remember when I was in school, you've been sending people not just having to get these scholarship. >> Well, today it pretty much does itself. Uh we're broadcast all over social media. They're able to they're tremendous amount of of parent groups. Someone was asking me about recruiting the other day. I said, "You don't sign up for no recruiting service." Uh they they get blown up on social media. uh we have a little social media thing and and they have their own social media accounts and before we can leave the
014meet uh most people know how what that what that means I don't know um but um the coach are out there looking they don't have a hard time finding we've got very very fortunate to have some really really top quality athletes uh um in the state of Alabama Make us a blue blue map or something. Congratulations you all. Proud of you. >> Guys, you don't have to stay. >> If you want to, feel free. >> Thank you. Okay. Item seven is public comments. No one has signed up. Item eight reports. received fiscal year 25 audit report manager examiner public accounts. Good evening. >> Good evening everyone. Uh my name is Taylor Carter. I'm the audit manager of Tuscaloosa County. So, I'm just here to present the audit report in accordance with the provisions of act
015number 2006-196, the acts of Alabama, code of Alabama 1975, section 1613A73e, commonly referred to as the school physical accountability act. I'm here on behalf of the state of Alabama department of examiners of public accounts to present our audit report on Tuscaloosa City Board of Education covering the period October 1st, 2024 through September 30th, 2025. The financial statement audit report and the single audit of federal awards audit report was released on March 27th, 2026. We conducted our audit in accordance with the generally accepted auditing standards and the government auditing standards for the purpose of rendering an opinion on the financial statements and to determine whether the board complied with all applicable laws and regulations. We also conducted an audit on the board's federal financial assistant programs in accordance with those same standards and the requirements of
016title 2 US code of federal regulations part 200 uniform administrative requirements cost principles and the audit requirements for federal awards also known as uniform guidance. We issued an unmodified opinion on the board's financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended September 30th 2025. This means that the financial statements are presented fairly in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles. In addition, we issued an unmodified opinion on the board's major federal financial assistant programs which for the fiscal year were title one grants to local education agencies, the 21st century community learning centers, and the child nutrition cluster. The local schools selected for comprehensive testing were Central High, North Ridge High, Stars Academy, and Tuscaloosa Middle Magnet. All other schools were subjected to limited testing. We reported no findings in our report. The entire report
017is available on our website at www.examiners.alam.gov under the audit reports tab. So, this concludes my presentation. I'd just like to thank you all and your central office staff. They make it possible for us to do what we do. So, thank you for your assistance and cooperation during the process. >> Thank you. >> All right. Item 8B. We will now hear from our CSFO to receive financial reports. And Jay, before you begin, we would like to of course commend you for another zero finding audit. You and your staff do a fantastic job. We're very proud to have you at TCS and you guys do amazing work. I think this is three years in a row, zero audit findings, which is tremendous. Uh it goes without saying that this board trusts the work that you that you
018and your team do implicitly and we appreciate you more than you know. >> Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. And if I could borrow the word spoken just a few moments ago by Mr. Marvin Lucas, you surround yourself with good people. things like that happen when he was talking about coach sparks and and um you you heard the the different divisions that Miss Carter mentioned title one 21st century CNP um and then our some of our executive directors here Robin Bishop's part of that audit Lydia Avant Chris Jinxen IT there's an IT component to it and um so there's so many people that that I could sit here all day and and name a laundry list of people that are part of that And uh we thank Dr. Derry for uh giving us the um
019items and the support that we need from the superintendent chair and then of course you as a board member set the tone uh for this system and which results in those type audits that we can uh project out back to you. So um team effort if there ever was one just like those people that won that state championship. So um with that I appreciate that those kind words and uh we'll move right into the January financial statements. The fourth month of our fiscal year and we will start off with property tax. Property tax are coming in healthy as we um budgeted and expected. good good month in January. And so we've got about probably four maybe five months of collections left. We think we'll slightly exceed budget. Moving right along to excuse me, car tag
020tax. Healthy month in car tag tax during January and that overall is tracking well. You'll notice it was down a little bit in December, but it came back in January. So, uh, we think we'll maybe finish slightly above budget with car tag tax. On to sales tax. This is the brick andmortar sales tax. Again, we get no SSU. We'll touch on that here just a minute, but sales tax almost about as flat as you can get. It has been now going on a couple years. I probably sound like a broken record, but sales tax is flat. Um, as you can see there, we'll move right in to a little bit more analysis on sales tax. >> Hey Jay, is there any way to know like what sales tax around the country, not necessarily Alabama, around
021the country is >> about the same. I I hear the same. I was at a national conference recently. very similar sales tax going back to 22 23 24 25 and then what we've collected so far this year which is one-third through the year and and you'll see that 8.3 million there that 8 million 306624 that's about a third of those amounts that you see but you see how kind of flat that is I just kind of wanted to put it in a graphic format for you. >> So, we should get somewhere close to 24 again. >> I think so. >> That's right. That's right. Mr. Luke owns our management report, which is a summary of our general fund revenues and expenditures. And our revenues are are again tracking good. You saw that on property tax
022and sales tax and car tax a little bit above what we uh were thinking. So that's good. Not much but a little bit. Our expenditures which are summarized there in the red. Our targets about 33% through this time of the year and we're about 31%. That's to be expected because we've got some school bus um purchases that are have have now happened. They'll show up when we do the March and April financial statements, but that's some of that us being below our target there. But you can see all of them are in a tight range at the top there. And so it's very uneventful other than we've got some bus purchases coming which we knew were coming and they they were budgeted. So, uh, we like uneventful in the accounting world and the budgeting world.
023So, uh, that's a good thing. S SUT. I don't know that we've shown this exact chart yet, but this goes back to the origin of SSUT, the simplified sellers use tax or the online sales tax. This chart goes back to when it started in in 2016. And when I say it was nominal, the amount wouldn't even show up on my chart. That 2016 amount there is something like a few thousand dollars. uh and you see how slowly over time it just exploded. And then you get especially at 2020, if you look from 2019 to 2020, it went from 1.2 million almost to 2.2 million in one year. That's when COVID hit and and things shut down. People started shopping online. They were afraid to go in stores. Well, it hasn't slowed up. You see that
024chart there. And so th this issue is a huge issue. It's 5.5 million that we are out if you want to call it that. And so remember back at the chart I showed just a couple of slides ago where the brickandmortar sales tax were basically flat. You look at the online sales tax. It's not flat. So that's why you've seen so much going on. You've seen the lawsuit. you've seen the uh potential legislation which not did not happen but which has led to some negotiations and I think they those will be ongoing during the off season of the legislature if you want to uh want to call it that and hopefully at some point maybe next legislative session we may have some type of a resolution I don't know what that will look like I'm
025not saying it would bring us in that 5.5 million but whatever we get is more than we are getting Now, one more slide on this just to kind of put it in perspective. That 24 million, Mr. Lucas, that you mentioned that we think we'll collect. Here's what that would look like if you overlaid that 5.5 on top of it just to kind of give you some. So, instead of about 24 or 25 million, we would if we were getting some if we were getting that SSUT, it'd be about 30 million. Again, not saying that any resolution will give us dollar for dollar what we're out, but we've got to end up getting something out of this. So, there's a look at SSUT. Again, we get zero from SSUT. Last but not least, the comprehensive look
026at all of our funds. This is a form that we send in to the state of Alabama, Department of Education every month. This is an overall snapshot of all of our financial statements compressed into one. The general fund being over there on the lefth hand column, that's the detail report that we looked at earlier. And then the special revenue fund, think mostly federal funds, the debt service fund, and then our capital projects funds. You won't see a lot going on in the capital projects funds right now because we have no major building pro projects ongoing. So, Mr. Chairman, with that I will wind it up, but of course always available for any questions. >> Thank you, Mr. Duke. Does anybody have a question for Mr. Duke? >> No. Just want to say thank you again.
027>> We appreciate you. >> Thank you. >> All right, board. Item number nine is introduction of motions, resolutions for our first reading of which we are of which there are none. Brings us to item 10, the consent agenda. We have consent agenda items 10 A and 10B. Board may have a motion to approve. >> So moved. Second. >> Call for vote. All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposed? Consent agenda items 10A and 10B will be approved. Item 11, regular agenda items for final adoption. 11A is approve the superintendent 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 a supplemental list. I'll go through both with you. Starting on page one, we have three retirements, 16 resignations, two reassignments, one new
028certified personnel, two new classified personnel, one transfer of a certified personnel, one interim assignment, eight part-time extended tutors, one volunteer coach, and one 2020 2526 contracted coach. For the supplemental list, you have five resignations, 14 new certified personnel, one new administrative personnel, two new classified personnel, two transfer of certified personnel, five reassignments, 12526 contracted coach, and 23 summer learning academy. All right. Thank you, Dr. Cameron. Board, are there any set aides for a separate vote? >> Last call for set aides. Do I have any set aides for a separate vote? Is that a set? >> So not a separate vote. Okay. Board may have a motion to approve >> questions discussion. Dr. Karen >> instructional leadership just ask So >> that >> you know >> right >> so what concept did not come out >>
029what direction are we going towards what are we what are we thinking growth mindset as far as that school is a little different and to have an instructional leadership um person So uh you remember back we used to have a mental health coordinator for that position. We don't have that um position anymore. This person will be the administrator per se over the children's learning center. Uh they'll go through some mental health training to help give some more uh assistance in there. You'll have the principal AP win AP who's 12 month and this is an AP that's a ninemonth AP looking they'll serve all the schools but primarily with the children's center and their needs. >> Yes ma'am. an assistant principal to do as much curriculum as possible working with with our special education needs in
030the children's center. >> Any further questions or comments? I'd like to say as to number one um sort of a old guard I guess she will be dearly missed. She's done a lot for this system. um tremendous leader for our system, a lot of years of wisdom and experience to replace, but we thank her for all the years that she has given and dedicated to, you know, this system in Rocky and she'll be she'll be missed. >> You're certainly right, Mr. Wilson. She will be missed. >> All right. Any other questions or comments before I call for a vote? Call for a vote. All in favor? I anybody opposed? Those will be approved. Thank you, Dr. Cameron. 11B discuss approve Chanel communications intercoms for all TCS campus locations. >> Yes, sir. And board uh we're
031going to get new intercom systems in our schools. Um much of our parts are end of life uh where we're running out. we can't get replacement parts and they're going to integrate with our raptor management, with our visitor management, with our badge alert system as well. Uh we've got all of our schools will get the new intercoms by the end of this year. Now, we've got five to six schools that we'll work on first that during the summer that we'll need to Chanel Communications is going to have to rip out the wiring and and go it in. So, we'll uh go on to those five to six schools this summer. But we think with our timeline that every one of our schools will have these new intercon systems which will fit right into our Raptor
032safety suite with the integration and we're going to use funding for an advancement in technology funds and a little bit of general funds uh for this project. >> Okay. Board may have a motion to approve some >> questions for Dr. Cameron. >> Not a question but thank you my time. Any other questions or comments? For a vote. All in favor? I. >> Anybody opposed? Be approved. Thank you, Dr. Cameron. 11 C. Discuss. Approve. 2026 ALSDE arts textbook adoption. Dr. Pope. Good evening, sir. >> Good evening, board. >> Good evening. >> This is time for our um arts um textbook adoption. It says textbooks, but it's really um instructional resources. So, if you look on the list. There's um four that's listed on list and two that's off list. And that's because the way the um
033state um the way they do the arts, we don't have a quality um um recommendation for theater and for art for the overall K12. So that's off list. We had to do other resources off the um states list and the other ones here are on list. We did the process for our textbook policy. Um the teachers did their votes and surveys and from this this is where we are with the four on list and the two off list recommendations for purchasing for 2026 through 2034. >> May I have a motion to approve? >> Second. >> Questions discussion? >> Call for a vote. All in favor? >> I. Anybody opposed? I'll be approved. 11D discuss approved 2026 ALSD social studies textbook adoption. Dr. Poe. >> Yes, board. Um, same thing, but social studies, we've been in
034the waiting for a while to um adopt new social studies books. So, the process um same process for textbook adoption. Um, with this one, there were um three levels that were involved, elementary, middle, and high. the um list that you see before you. We're asking to adopt the entire list of um state recommendations, but the top um the ones that we want to purchase or 2026 is elementary studies weekly and um secondary for Milton High Singage. So, it's engaged um National Geog Geographic um and it will be textbooks, hard copies for um grades 6 through 12 classroom sets. And then because the way our consumables are, we asking for because the way they are, it's like news articles and um different um um geographic um opportunities that's dealing with social studies. They're consumable consumables that
035like look like a workbook. they'll be given to each one of our students and same things for um studies weekly. >> Thank you, Dr. Pope. Board may have a motion to approve someone. >> Second questions for Dr. >> Pope, >> all our textbooks are digital. We have digital copies but because this board asked for uh physical copies too. Um we do the classroom sets for hard copies but the way the new you know everything's digital now so it's a digital format so they can go online they can actually pull it up I think um in certain parts go through class link um technology has set up they can go into our instructional resources on class link and pull it up from home. Will it be able to take them home? Far as the student books,
036you know, in the classroom, >> the books that are um the reason uh we have a consumables, they have consumables that they are actually not the textbook, but it's a companion to the textbook. They won't be able to take the textbooks home for social studies, but they'll be able to take the the consumables that will um like homework activities or to um practice opportunities. But then the same way what Dr. Uh Karen was saying earlier if they have access to u the internet they can pull up the entire textbook online too. So they have access to it. >> So everybody has access >> everyone has access to it. Yes. That goes for every one of our um now with um math and ELA we bought a book for every student. So every we have a
037hard copy and they have the um digital copies for those books. Any further questions? Call for vote. All in favor? I. >> Anybody opposed? Approve. Thank you, Dr. Pope. >> Thank you. >> General announcements um next Tuesday, April 28th, Mr. Robbins, we have student hearing set. One student hearing that'll be at the region's room at 5:30. Does any board member have any general announcement to make? Saturday. >> Speak up. Say it. >> What's What's Saturday? >> What What does that do? >> It supports Okay. >> Okay. >> And >> you've got everybody's tutu to wear. >> I do not. Usually we go every year. I'm going this year. I'm going I'll be there. >> You going with the You going >> asking was I did I not follow instructions? >> You did. >> Instruction. >>
038You on? >> But we'll be there. Any other announcements? >> Yes. So, briefly today the uh who was that was where at the at Central High School. They're doing this the u >> Say it again. >> Liberty and learning. And what I want to just Make aware there was a student that got up there to give a recognition for his person that he chose and he was quite nervous and I think he started crying a little bit. But if you could have been in the room to see our support immediately walk him through and give him confidence in a nurturing way that young man was able to finish his speech and landed perfectly and just sometimes I don't think we realize what our team does to get people prepared but how that was affecting them
039even in the room they were on the edge of their seats. coaching in a way that was educationally appropriate because I just want to go up and grab him, but you want to give them confidence and they gave him the confidence to finish and you could hear his voice get stronger and I just want to applaud our team and the kids, the youth that were there was so well behaved um to be second graders. So, schools are going through this. So, um I noticed Curtis Travis and different others are supporting the initiative, but I just want to highlight that because to see a baby young man gain his confidence because our team is supporting them all the way. Um that was that was wonderful. I saw Dr. Pope almost cry. And thank you to Mr.
040Lucas for pointing out also on our calendars for next Tuesday is the retirement T starts at 4:30. Obviously, it ends at 6. We'll have to leave early for student hearings, but it's here at TCT. Okay. The retirement party. So, thank you, Mr. Lucas. And then tenatively um we're looking at May 28 for potential leadership party and cogn celebration. Is that right? So y'all be looking at y'all's calendars for May 28. That's at the beginning stages, but that's not finalized yet. start blocking off May 28th. Okay, >> that is a Thursday. >> All right, thank you everybody. We'll stand a journal.