BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – On a night dominated by statewide races, Alabamians also made decisions that could reshape the finances of several local school systems. Voters rejected school tax renewals in Walker County, Russell County and Phenix City, while approving a new tax in Ragland to keep the community’s K-12 school open.
The results leave some school officials facing multimillion-dollar revenue questions, even as Ragland celebrated a vote supporters said preserved the heart of their community.
In Walker County, where voters rejected renewals totaling 5 mills, the outcome also raises questions about how the district will maintain Alabama’s required 10-mill level of local school support.
Ragland approves tax to keep K-12 school open
In St. Clair County, voters in the Ragland School Attendance area bucked the trend, approving a new property tax increase to support Ragland School.
Voters approved the new 5-mill property tax, 669-259, to help keep the K-12 school open.
According to ballot language, the tax begins Oct. 1, 2026, with first payments due Oct. 1, 2027. The Ragland community rallied behind the measure, saying it was necessary to keep Ragland High School open.
“We saved the school and we’re so excited,” parent Ashley Bowlin told ABC 33/40 after the vote.
Ragland Mayor Brian Phillips warned before the election that losing the school would mean losing “the heartbeat of our community and the focus of our town and our future,” he told WBRC.
There were 394 students enrolled in the K-12 school during the 2025-26 school year, or about 30 students per grade.
An estimate of annual revenue from the Ragland tax was not immediately available. The tax applies only within the Ragland School Attendance and Tax District, and Alabama State Department of Education figures reviewed by ADN did not include a one-mill value for that district.
Walker County renewals fail, raising 10-mill question
Walker County voters rejected two proposals to renew long-standing property taxes devoted to the district’s schools by more than a 2-to-1 margin.
The two tax renewals – one for 1.2 mills and one for 3.8 mills – were soundly defeated, with more than 70% of voters saying no. The vote also impacts Jasper City Schools.
Walker County levied the minimum 10 mills in school property tax support before the election. Without replacement revenue or a successful second vote, the failed renewals would reduce that support to 5 mills beginning Oct. 1, 2026.
Alabama Department of Education figures show one mill of local property tax is worth about $625,000 in Walker County. Based on that figure, the two rejected Walker County renewals, totaling 5 mills, represented an estimated $3.2 million annually.
In Jasper City Schools, the department’s figures show one mill of local property tax is worth about $297,000, meaning a loss of 5 mills could total $1.5 million annually.
Alabama’s school funding formula assumes every local system contributes the equivalent of 10 mills in local property tax support. If voter-approved school taxes expire and a system would otherwise fall below that threshold, the state does not simply replace the lost local revenue.
Instead, Alabama’s constitutional minimum school-tax provision requires the local taxing authority to levy enough qualifying school tax to bring the system to the 10-mill equivalent.
State education officials said that can be in the form of a new property tax or could mean shifting an equivalent amount of already existing local revenue into the school district.
Russell County, Phenix City reject school tax renewals
Russell County and Phenix City voters also rejected school tax renewals Tuesday.
Russell County voters rejected a 4.5-mill countywide school tax renewal. Voters in the Phenix City school district rejected a 4-mill renewal.
In a social media post in April, Russell County officials said the 4.5-mill tax adds up to $5.7 million annually and not renewing the tax could impact classrooms, transportation and school facilities.
Alabama Department of Education figures show one mill of local property tax is worth about $370,000 in Russell County.
Information from the Alabama Department of Revenue shows those rejections will not result in either district dipping below the 10-mill threshold, but the losses could total as much as $1.5 million for Phenix City Schools.
In a demonstration of how widely school funding impacts communities, the East Alabama Chamber of Commerce last week took to social media to ask residents to vote to support the tax renewals.
School systems are given two attempts to pass a property tax renewal, but it was unclear Wednesday whether any of the districts would seek a second vote.
Unofficial school tax vote results
5 mill Ragland School Attendance Area new property tax
-Against 259
-For 669
1.2 mill Walker County school tax renewal
-Against 10,126
-For 4,191
3.8 mill Walker County school tax renewal
-Against 10,142
-For 4,149
4 mill Phenix City school tax renewal
-Against 1,146
-For 1,132
4.5 mill Russell County countywide school tax renewal
-Against 3,081
-For 2,514