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Tuscaloosa schools finance chief: district tracking to budget but missing $5 million in expected SSU tax
Summary
At a March 3 board meeting, CSFO J. Duke said the district’s spending is close to plan three months into the fiscal year but flagged an expected roughly $5 million shortfall in SSU tax revenue and outlined upcoming capital projects including a Central High track refurbish and a Woodland Forest Elementary roof replacement.
CSFO J. Duke told the Tuscaloosa City Schools board on March 3 that the district’s finances are generally tracking to plan three months into the fiscal year, but he warned the board the district is not receiving about $5 million in expected SSU tax revenue.
Duke said property-tax receipts and sales-tax receipts are near budgeted levels after the first quarter. “We’re kind of about where we thought we would be,” he said. He described sales tax as “flat” compared with the last four years and said car-tag tax collections are roughly in line with projections.
The report called attention to several upcoming capital projects that will increase near-term spending. Duke said the district budgeted $4 million for capital outlay but has spent only $134,000 so far. Major projects expected to begin in April–May and finish by July–August include a track refurbishment at Central High School and a roof replacement at Woodland Forest Elementary School. The district also has several buses on order; Duke said the buses, at roughly $140,000 each, are in state and being prepped for delivery.
Duke characterized the presentation as “a little bit uneventful” in a good way, noting expenditures in most categories were at or slightly below a 25% year-to-date target. He said some categories are below target by design because work remains to be done later in the year.
On the missing revenue, Duke said the district is not receiving the SSU tax the district expects and estimated that shortfall at roughly $5 million. He did not provide additional detail in the presentation on remedies or whether the shortfall will prompt midyear budget adjustments; he outlined the district’s plans to make the first debt-service payment in January on a recently authorized borrowing, and noted the comprehensive fund report will show more detail in future months.
The board had no substantive follow-up questions after Duke’s overview. The financial update concluded with an offer to take questions and Duke said he would return with further detail in future reports.
The board’s fiscal-year planning will continue as capital work starts in spring and as staff track whether SSU tax receipts are restored or require budget adjustments.
