Hoover school board finalists discuss growth, rezoning, tax increases, virtual instruction

Growth, rezoning, tax increases, virtual instruction and mandatory vaccinations were among the topics Hoover City Council members raised with school board candidates during interviews Wednesday night.

The Hoover City Council’s Education Committee interviewed seven finalists in the running to replace Deanna Bamman on the Hoover school board for the next five years. They were among 15 who applied for the school board seat, though one of those 15 removed his name from consideration.

The finalists are TherapySouth executive Doug Cole, minister Lucas Dorion, UAB pharmacist Shilpa Gaggar, real estate manager Alan Paquette, health care manager Madison Prokop, cybersecurity consultant Robin Schultz and retired health care executive Jackie Taylor. The council plans to appoint one of them at Monday's City Council meeting.

GROWTH, REZONING

Every finalist was asked what they thought about the city’s growth in relation to the school system, and most of them talked about the need for good communication and cooperation between the school system and elected and appointed city leaders, particularly the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission.

Cole said he has a child at Hoover High School, and the school is larger than the high school he attended, but that’s not a bad thing, and neither is growth.

“I’m a big fan of what Hoover has done and what it’s continuing to try to do,” Cole said. “My take is if you’re not growing, you’re dying, so I’d like to see us continue to grow but grow smartly, and that would involve hopefully consulting with the school board.”

The school board can continue to try to maximize existing facilities, as well as the need for additional schools and programs, he said.

Paquette said one of the reasons the city is growing is its great school system, and the school system needs a seat at the table. Schools need to be considered on the front end of making decisions and not as an afterthought, he said.

Council President John Lyda noted that no Hoover school is currently over capacity and asked each finalist that if a school were reaching capacity, would their first inclination be to redraw school zones to move students to another school where capacity exists or build a new school.

Gaggar said both options should be reviewed. Rezoning probably would be the best use of resources, but the school system may get to a point where there is no more room for students at another school either, she said.

Several finalists noted that building a new school would involve rezoning, too. And the federal court would have to approve any change in school attendance zones, Schultz noted.

Taylor said a school works best at about 85% of capacity. She said, speaking from the hip, she would be inclined to build a new school, but rezoning also should be considered. The school board has to look at the big picture when making rezoning decisions, she said.

Dorion said his decision would depend upon the situation at the time, and there are many factors to be considered. He would listen to central office staff and also evaluate what the school system can afford, he said. If he had to choose between the two options right now, he would work to maximize the usage of current facilities first, he said.

Schultz said school officials likely will need to do a blend of rezoning and new construction. Rezoning probably will be necessary, but “we’re going to have to make capital improvements. There’s no getting away from that.”

A third high school is the elephant in the room, Schultz said. “At some point in time, it will need to happen,” he said.

Also, Bluff Park Elementary School already is at 95% capacity, Schultz said.

TAX INCREASE?

Steve McClinton, chairman of the council’s Education Committee, asked the finalists what they would do to help sell the need for a property tax increase for schools, bringing Hoover property taxes up to the maximum currently allowable by law or taking Hoover beyond the general statewide maximum, as some other over-the-mountain communities have been able to do.

Cole said he thinks getting to the maximum amount of property tax currently allowed for Hoover — 75 mills — is a “doable ask” that is reasonable.

Hoover residents in Jefferson County now pay 72.6 mills of property taxes, while Hoover residents in Shelby County pay 66.5 mills. The difference is in county taxes, not city taxes.

A 2.4-mill increase would amount to an extra $24 a year for a $100,000 home or $72 a year for a $300,000 home. A 2.4-mill increase would generate an estimated $3.6 million per year for the Hoover school system, officials said a few years ago.

While every bit helps, that doesn’t go very far when monthly operating expenditures are $12 million to $13 million, former Superintendent Kathy Murphy said shortly before she left to become president at Gadsden State Community College at the end of 2020.

That’s why Hoover voters may want to consider going over the property tax cap, she said. Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills both are above that level already.

Schultz noted that when an effort by Homewood to go above 75 mills failed due to opposition in other parts of Jefferson County, “that was almost a stake in the heart.”

But Hoover residents care a lot about their school system, and the last property tax increase passed with flying colors, Schultz said. The effort needs a good public relations plan, and while using the term “raising your taxes” is truthful, it’s also dangerous, he said.

Taylor said she does foresee that Hoover City Schools will have to find additional funding to keep up with the growth that is expected, but school officials have to demonstrate that they are being responsible with existing tax revenues, she said.

Dorion thanked the council for seeking legislative approval to call for an election regarding a property tax increase for schools to give Hoover residents a vote. The Legislature gave approval for such an election, but no election date has been set yet. That effort stalled after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Dorion said it will be important to give the community the facts and keep it simple.

Prokop said she is not in favor of raising taxes. She would rather work to boost the amount of business taking place in Hoover to stimulate additional revenue under the current tax rate, she said.

“A lot of people are not going to be in favor of increasing taxes right now,” Prokop said.

McClinton asked Prokop if it came down to raising Hoover’s student-teacher ratio or increasing tax rates, which would she choose? Prokop said she would look to find other things to cut in the budget first, but if a tax increase has to be done, she would advocate for that.

Paquette said “we all want better everything, but a lot of times we don’t want to pay for it.”

However, if a school system or other entity shows that it has been a good steward of resources and that it needs more, “we need to find a way to get it to them,” Paquette said.

He would be in favor of asking the Legislature for an exemption to the property tax cap and to allow the residents of Hoover to vote on that, but not people from outside the city of Hoover.

VIRTUAL LEARNING

Council members also asked the finalists their views on virtual instruction versus in-person instruction.

Prokop has been a vocal advocate for in-person instruction but said virtual instruction could continue to be an option going forward. However, school officials need to survey parents to see what parents want, and any virtual instruction would need to be tailored a little better than it was this past year, she said.

Cole, who has children in elementary, middle and high school, said there’s no doubt that in-person instruction is better for elementary students, but he is torn about the value of virtual instruction for middle school students and sees some benefits to have virtual options for high school students. Some type of hybrid instruction might work well for high schoolers, he said.

Taylor said virtual instruction could be an option for families that want it, especially if it helps resolve any crowding issues. However, the system would need to invest in better equipment to be able to offer more synchronized instruction that mimics the in-person environment, she said.

Gaggar said her understanding is that K-8 instruction generally works better with in-person instruction, with some exceptions. However, it would be fair to see if there is interest in further virtual instruction, but school officials would need to look at the cost-effectiveness, she said. It makes sense to continue virtual options at the high school level, which were there before the pandemic began, and consider expanding those options, she said.

Dorion said community feedback is critical to decisions about virtual instruction, and school officials must consider the financial implications. “Every dollar counts,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re putting our money in the best format for virtual options.”

The city recorded each of the interviews with the finalists, and they are available for the public to view on the city’s website. Also, each finalist provided written answers to additional questions, and those answers are available for public review as well on the city website.

See summaries of background information on each of the finalists, along with others who applied, here.