Photo by Erin Nelson.
If the 1Rebel 1Future plan is approved, Vestavia Hills Elementary West will receive new spaces for multipurpose use and for STEM classrooms, among other upgrades.
For the first time in the history of Vestavia Hills, voters rejected a request to increase taxes for Vestavia Hills City Schools.
A proposed 9.8-mill increase that would have funded a litany of new programs and offerings for students, as well as numerous improvements and additions to campuses throughout the system, was rejected by about 900 votes May 9. The final vote count saw 4,099 votes cast against the measure, with 3,200 votes cast for, a 56-44 percentage split.
An additional 9.8 mills would have meant an additional $487.50 annually, or $40.63 monthly, in property taxes for a home appraised at $500,000, around the median price of a Vestavia Hills home.
Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Todd Freeman thanked those who “invested energy and heart into the efforts to support the plan,” as well as those who took time to vote and considered the plan.
“The outcome of the election does not indicate a lack of support for our schools. I am confident that we will continue to benefit from the support our community has given our school system since its inception,” Freeman said. “We will respect the decision of voters and, accordingly, will begin to prioritize our academic, staffing, and facility needs within the level of financial support we currently receive.
“Vestavia Hills City Schools remains committed to the mission of providing every student the opportunity to learn without limits. Our focus on continually improving learning experiences for our students is unwavering. We will embrace the future with the same optimism that propelled our school system through the challenges it faced when it was founded 53 years ago,” Freeman said.
Roughly 24% of registered voters cast a ballot in the special election. This was the first tax referendum since 1990.
