Tuscaloosa City Schools adjusts reserves to avoid deeper job cuts

TUSCALOOSA, AL (WBMA) — The Tuscaloosa City School Board voted Tuesday to adjust its financial reserves, a move aimed at providing the district with greater flexibility in its long-term planning. Without this change, the district would have faced the reduction of approximately 84 positions for the 2025-2026 school year due to a budget shortfall. However, the approved policy adjustment will limit the workforce reduction to 60 employees, primarily through attrition, preserving around 24 jobs.

Superintendent Mike Daria emphasized the district's commitment to maintaining educational quality. "Our mission at TCS is to prepare students for life and career success by offering the best education possible," Daria said. "We want to protect student programs and the academic rigor of our instruction first and foremost, and ensure that the academic progress our district has experienced in recent years continues. This change in financial policy will help us do that, while allowing us to reduce fewer positions next school year."

The policy change will reduce the district's reserves from $24 million, covering two months of operating costs, to $18 million, covering 1.5 months. Alabama state law requires only a one-month reserve. Jay Duke, the chief school financial officer for TCS, noted, "TCS has been operating with two months of operating costs in reserves for a number of years, but it is not required to do so by the state. This would reduce our reserves from $24 million to $18 million, but we would still have more in reserves than is required by the Alabama State Department of Education."

The district's plan to reduce its workforce is largely through attrition, meaning positions vacated by retiring or departing employees may not be filled. This strategy is part of the district's response to a $6 million budget shortfall, with a focus on protecting the quality of instruction, student programs, and academic rigor.