Superintendent Update: September 2024
As we settle into another school year, I can’t help but be overcome with gratitude for the community we’ve built here in Autauga County Schools! In the few quiet moments I’ve had over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been intentional about reflecting on my first year as your Superintendent. I’m excited about how far we’ve come but even more so about where we are headed.
While I’m always eager to jump over the next hurdle or get to the next big thing, I know we must remain rooted in today. We must continue to do the everyday, ordinary things that keep us committed to creating a culture centered on our students’ success. To this end, my expectations remain straightforward: treat people right, serve others, and do your job well. When everyone lives out these simple but powerful statements, we will continue to transform our district. This school year brings lots of anticipated excitement with the opening of Autauga Virtual Academy, the completion of the new Prattville Kindergarten School, and the opportunity for Autauga County residents to vote on a proposed ad valorem tax increase that could result in additional funding for all schools.
Having seen the FY2025 projections, I see the county-wide vote as a crucial moment for our system. We play the three-shell game really well. We are known for doing a lot with very little, but the reality is we will soon not be able to play the game quickly enough to keep up with all the expenses under our district’s current model. Autauga County Schools is currently ranked 128 out of 138 school systems in the state for total funding, so what we’re proposing is a 7-mill increase that would rank us at 114 with an additional cash flow of approximately $7 million annually. These additional funds would allow us to stabilize the system as we are wholly dependent on earmarked funding. We require local funding that allows us to divert dollars where they are needed most and not always where the appropriation requires it. School systems that are making it happen with facility upgrades, extra teacher units, and flashy things often use local funds. Simply put, when we pay all of our bills, there are not a lot of local dollars left, and the projections for FY2025 indicate that there could be even less once the bills are paid in the upcoming year.
Regardless of the outcome, we will work to provide the best educational experience for our students. Student safety and success will remain our top priorities with a model that makes sense financially. Until then, I encourage you to learn as much as you can on the ad valorem increase proposal. Feel free to review our plan at ACBOE.net/advalorem and share it with others as we work to ensure that every voter has access to this information to make an informed choice.
While I’m always eager to jump over the next hurdle or get to the next big thing, I know we must remain rooted in today. We must continue to do the everyday, ordinary things that keep us committed to creating a culture centered on our students’ success. To this end, my expectations remain straightforward: treat people right, serve others, and do your job well. When everyone lives out these simple but powerful statements, we will continue to transform our district. This school year brings lots of anticipated excitement with the opening of Autauga Virtual Academy, the completion of the new Prattville Kindergarten School, and the opportunity for Autauga County residents to vote on a proposed ad valorem tax increase that could result in additional funding for all schools.
Having seen the FY2025 projections, I see the county-wide vote as a crucial moment for our system. We play the three-shell game really well. We are known for doing a lot with very little, but the reality is we will soon not be able to play the game quickly enough to keep up with all the expenses under our district’s current model. Autauga County Schools is currently ranked 128 out of 138 school systems in the state for total funding, so what we’re proposing is a 7-mill increase that would rank us at 114 with an additional cash flow of approximately $7 million annually. These additional funds would allow us to stabilize the system as we are wholly dependent on earmarked funding. We require local funding that allows us to divert dollars where they are needed most and not always where the appropriation requires it. School systems that are making it happen with facility upgrades, extra teacher units, and flashy things often use local funds. Simply put, when we pay all of our bills, there are not a lot of local dollars left, and the projections for FY2025 indicate that there could be even less once the bills are paid in the upcoming year.
Regardless of the outcome, we will work to provide the best educational experience for our students. Student safety and success will remain our top priorities with a model that makes sense financially. Until then, I encourage you to learn as much as you can on the ad valorem increase proposal. Feel free to review our plan at ACBOE.net/advalorem and share it with others as we work to ensure that every voter has access to this information to make an informed choice.
Why Not Us,
Lyman Woodfin
Autauga County Schools Superintendent