Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
Autauga County School Board approved a resolution at the April 9 board meeting to increase the ad valorem taxes by seven mills or approximately $7 million within Autauga County.
Superintendent of Autauga County Schools Lyman Woodfin, not only addressed the board about the proposed ad valorem tax increase but also addressed parents on this topic in the State of the Schools meetings. These meetings took place in Autaugaville, Pinelevel/Marbury, Prattville and Billingsley where one of the many topics Woodfin covered for parents was the how and why the increase is needed for ACS.
Woodfin explained that the money would go to supporting teaching units and support staff, paying down debt, and would be used for renovating facilities. Many of which are showing the age of time.
“We’re trying to be as transparent as we can legally be. We need to better equip our teachers and students with what they need. We literally operate on bare minimum because we’re completely relying upon what we get from the state. I do not anticipate building new facilities because, quite frankly, seven mills, I don’t know if that’s enough. But it will allow us to pay down our debt and renovate and get us to the point where we can build quicker than what we can on the current path,” Woodfin said.
Autauga County currently pays 10 mills in ad valorem taxes which is the state required minimum. These funds are collected and sent back to the state for them to be distributed back to the earmarked funds the state has chosen, ACS confirmed.
“The number seven was us looking at our minimum, what do we need? We all pay taxes. The seven mills number was us trying to solve as many immediate needs as we could, but it also allows us the flexibility to start building long-term plans on where this system is going to go. I think we have to factor in the reality of our people’s lives.”
“We know it’s not going to be easy and I don’t feel comfortable asking our people with the current economy but I have to give teachers what they need to be able to teach at a better pace,” Woodfin said.
In order to get approval for this increase, the district has to pursue a constitutional amendment, and the board approving the resolution for the increase in the April 9 meeting is the first step in multiple actions required to bring a referendum to a ballot. If approved during this legislative session, the constitutional amendment could appear on ballots during the general election in November or on a special election ballot if called before then.
A successful referendum would allow for the hiring of 10-20 local teachers, referred to as teaching units, and additional support staff, security enhancements, and allow for a new performance-based employee incentive program directly tied to schools’ state report card data. Any additional funds would be used to renovate facilities and reduce debt, ACS confirms.
“We’re investing in our employees. We’re investing in our students. When good teachers, good principals and good support staff walk out the door… it’s hard enough to hire people right now. I have to give them a better opportunity to get what they need to teach our kids,” Woodfin said.
Currently the ESSER funds, or “covid money” is slated to be used by September of this year. Woodfin confirmed that the district has been using the ESSER funds to stock up on custodial supplies, regular maintenance and building long-term facilities to combat the older buildings throughout the district and the uncertainty in funding when ESSER runs out. ACS has confirmed that every penny of ESSER funds has and will be accounted for.
Currently, Autauga County is ranked 128th out of 138 school systems in the state, this ranking system is determined by totaling all funding in federal, state and local entities. Woodfin’s goal, if the tax increase is approved, is to jump to 114th ranked in the state.
“Our biggest obstacle we’re fighting right now is historically our district has done so much with so little and our success is one of the major reasons that people go, well, the schools are good, why do you need this funding? What people don’t see is our teachers are doing so much. If they were working in another district, those districts are able to compensate them. We are not. So what’s starting to happen is we’re losing our teachers. We’re losing our support staff and there’s no incentive to keep them here,” Woodfin said.
When Woodfin was hired as superintendent, he used a third party financial advisor to take a look at the financial situation for ACS going forward. Rice Advisory, a financial planning company in Montgomery is the third party entity that took a look over the financials for ACS.
In an email that Woodfin shared at the State of the Schools meetings this past month, and at the April 9 board meeting, stated the conclusions of Rice Advisory for ACS.
The email stated, “in order to increase the operating efficiency of the system, either revenues need to be generated or expenses need to be cut. A growth in revenue would include an increase in ad valorem taxes and a cut in expenses might include but not limited to a decrease in existing services offered, layoffs and possibly closing a school.”
“I would look at what is the least impactful to my employees. I need people to understand that we’re just asking for the excess funds to start making our schools look like somewhere where your child wants to go, to give our teachers the ability to have professional development to do what they need to do,” Woodfin said.
Woodfin went on to explain the analogy given to him from Rice Advisory. Stating that ACS qualifies to buy the “bigger house”, but then ACS can’t have a car payment, can’t go out to eat, and money would extremely tight, even more so than it already is. Loans can technically be pulled out, but then what happens when Prattville High School needs a $3 million AC unit again or a repair? Payroll doesn’t get paid, Woodfin explained.
“If this gets voted down, which we’re a democracy, and if that’s the answer and the people are telling us that’s what they want. It’s my job to make it happen, regardless. The answer is going to be I have to cut expenses. I know that’s a terrible one, but it’s true. If I’m not doing my job, the board will replace me. It’s business. While I’m in this role, I’m going to be transparent. I’m going to attack the day. We’re going to try to give our people what they need,” Woodfin said.
