In November 2020, Montgomery County voters approved a property tax increase for Montgomery Public Schools, a generational outcome that reflects years of planning, coalition building, and community listening.
Alabama is one of the hardest states in the country to pass a local school tax.
Many recent measures have failed, including Tuscaloosa City Schools in September 2024, Tuscaloosa County the prior year, and Autauga County in November 2024, often by wide margins.
That is the environment Montgomery was operating in.
PRC Impact's principal led qualitative research and civic strategy to support planning for the measure.
The work included audience understanding among Montgomery County voters across neighborhoods, generations, and civic perspectives, along with listening that informed how the case for the schools was made.
The intent was to give the coalition a clearer read on what residents already understood about MPS, where trust was strong, where it was strained, and what concerns needed to be answered honestly before the vote.
The decision belongs to voters, the coalition, MPS leadership, and the elected officials who carried it through.
PRC Impact's contribution was to help the planning process listen well before it spoke.
In a state where school tax measures routinely fail, Montgomery County said yes, securing a generation of investment in its public schools.
These sources provide public context on the tax referendum, voter approval, and projected public investment.