Tuscaloosa City Schools board approves personnel changes, budget reserve policy and several contracts

The Tuscaloosa City Schools Board of Education voted April 1 to approve a package of routine and operational items including personnel recommendations, a student-teacher intern compensation plan for 2025–26, a revised budget reserve policy, new contracts for bus GPS/tablet services and a position-control assessment, and a renovation contract for Stars Academy.

The actions were taken during the board’s regular meeting at which Superintendent Dr. Cameron presented the personnel and operational recommendations. The board voted in favor of the motions on each item; one supplemental personnel item (identified in the meeting as item 43) was approved with one abstention reported by the chair.

Why it matters: the approvals affect district staffing, transportation technology and facility work; the reserve-policy change establishes the district’s formal target for fund balance going forward.

Major board actions and outcomes

- Personnel changes (Agenda item 12A): The board approved the superintendent’s recommendation of retirements, resignations, new support personnel, reassignments and a supplemental list that included retirements, transfers and summer-learning staffing contingent on enrollment. The superintendent presented the supplemental list; the board approved it after taking a separate vote on a named supplemental item (number 43). The meeting record shows that the vote on the supplemental item passed with one abstention.

- Student-teacher intern compensation (Agenda item 12D): The board approved a program to pay up to 10 paid student-teacher internships for 2025–26 in exchange for a commitment to one year of service to the district, with priority for Tuscaloosa City Schools graduates and subjects in high demand (math, science, special education). The superintendent said the district has used the approach before and that it helps attract educators.

- Revision to policy 03/2002 (budget reserve) (Second reading, Agenda item 12C): The board approved amendments that consolidate the district’s reserve goal and policy into a single policy number. Finance staff said the state’s calculation for the official one-month reserve is performed annually on Sept. 30 and that the district will monitor its balance monthly to maintain the new 1.5-month policy target. As Finance lead Mr. Duke told the board, "the calculation by the state of the official 1 month reserve requirement is an annual calculation and that's on September 30 of each year."

- AT&T GPS and data agreement for transportation (Agenda item 12D): The board approved a contract to provide tablets and GPS service for buses, replacing the district’s prior platform. Dr. Cameron said each bus driver "will have a tablet" and that the contract will save about $8,000 annually; the GPS also will support a parent-facing stop-finder app and substitute drivers.

- LeanFrog position-control assessment (Agenda item 12E): The board approved a contract with LeanFrog for a comprehensive review of position control across HR, finance and payroll. The vendor will conduct on-site mapping and deliver documentation to align budgeted positions with actual workforce costs; staff estimated a five- to six-month engagement starting late April or early May.

- Stars Academy renovation bid (Bid 2025-3, Agenda item 12F): The board awarded the renovation contract to the lowest responsive bidder, NC Morgan, at a total bid of $344,100. The district said the bid was $15,900 below the anticipated budget, with work slated to start April 22 and finish July 22.

- Motion to enter executive session (final business): The board approved a motion to go into executive session to receive briefing on district legal matters. Board counsel certified that the subject matter—pending litigation or matters imminently likely to be litigated—was appropriate for executive session. As counsel stated: "I'm recommending the board go into executive session to discuss pending litigation or matters imminently likely to be litigated if the board follows a proposed course of action." The chair said the executive session was not expected to exceed three hours.

The board also approved standard procedural items earlier in the meeting, including the meeting agenda, prior meeting minutes and a consent agenda of operational items. No ordinances or long-term budget amendments were taken at this session.

Next steps and follow-up

Staff will implement the approved agreements (transportation and LeanFrog) and proceed with the Stars Academy renovations; the district will report progress through normal administrative channels. The executive session will be followed only by adjournment, per the board’s certification.