What's new at Tuscaloosa City Schools for 2023-24 academic year
Students in the Tuscaloosa City Schools system will be greeted with some upgraded facilities and a few new leaders when they return to the classroom Aug. 9, which is the first day of school for Tuscaloosa city and county schools.
Mike Daria, who has served as Tuscaloosa City Schools' superintendent since 2016, said he is excited about the new school year and the school system will continue efforts to ensure every student is on the right path before they graduate.
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"We just want our students to be in a rigorous experience while they're here at school, all in preparation for making sure that they're employed, enlisted or enrolled (in post-secondary education) before they exit high school," he said.
According to TCS, 89% of the system's 2023 high school graduates had a confirmed plan for after graduation, 15% higher than the class of 2022. The breakdown at the system's three high schools was 98% at Northridge, 84% at Paul W. Bryant and 81% at Central.
By 2027, the system has set a goal that every high school graduate must have confirmed post-secondary plans.
Tuscaloosa City Schools has around 10,231 students and 1,321 full-time employees in the system's 21 schools.
Construction projects
Two main construction projects are in the works for two Tuscaloosa City Schools for the 2023-24 school year, Daria said.
A new gym will soon be under construction at the Alberta School of Performing Arts or TASPA, which opened in 2014 at 2700 University Blvd. E and serves pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students. The new $3.2 million, 8,400- square-foot gym will feature full-size courts, bleachers with a seating capacity of 200 and two restrooms.
Construction is scheduled to begin Aug. 1, with an expected completion date of July 17, 2024.
TASPA features a curriculum that puts visual and performing arts at the center of student learning.
Improvements are also planned for the courtyard at Central Elementary School, including a more landscaped appearance, shade structures and picnic tables. Plans also include an area in the courtyard that can be used by classes for instructional use.
The upgrades will cost $157,900, with funding from a combination of grants and money from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. The courtyard project is expected to be finished by Sept. 30.
Central Elementary School is at 1510 Dinah Washington Ave.
New principals
The Tuscaloosa City Schools system will welcome four new principals for the 2023-24 school year.
Eric Hines, the former principal at Eastwood Middle School, has been appointed as principal at Paul W. for Bryant High. Jessica Williams has moved up from assistant principal to principal at Northridge High.
Evelyn Peoples will assume Hines' position as principal at Eastwood Middle School. Teresa Croom Bivens has been appointed as principal at Woodland Forrest Elementary.
Top priorities
Daria said the city school system's top priorities this year include a focus on building on academic gains, encouraging student involvement in extra-curricular or co-curricular activities and making sure students are taken care of socially and emotionally.
Daria said school leaders will also continue to push dual enrollment programs, which allow students to earn college credit while they are still enrolled in high school.
"We're seeing a pretty solid increase in students participating in dual enrollment. We want to continue that this year because we know when our students have rigorous course experiences they do well and they thrive and it prepares them for success after high school," Daria said.
According to TCS, students completed 5,146 dual enrollment courses in the 2021-22 school year.
School leaders are reminding students and parents about the importance of attending school every day. Attendance has been a challenge for the school system and will be a top priority in the upcoming year, Daria said.
"We're pushing that we need our students on our first day on Aug. 9 and every day all the way to the last day and we don't need our students to miss school ... every day matters," Daria said.
School leaders are also making efforts to reduce chronic absences through the school system's HERE (Have Everyone Ready to Educate) campaign.
Summer learning
This summer, TCS again offered learning opportunities at 18 of the system's school sites, with the goal of helping prevent the academic "summer slide."
The free voluntary summer program combined small class sizes with enriched academics and fun learning activities.
Andrew Maxey, director of strategic initiatives at TCS, said in a news release that the summer program is a proven way to prevent learning loss, particularly in reading and math.
“Kids love it and parents want their children to be a part of it. If the children are safe and happy and the parents are confident in that, that has a ripple effect,” Maxey said. “I believe that summer learning is a great gift for Tuscaloosa and the evidence suggests that Tuscaloosa feels that way, too.”
In addition to free meals, some of the students went on field trips, including to the Georgia Aquarium, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, the McWane Center in Birmingham and more.
High school students in the summer learning program had the option of credit advancement, credit recovery, or participating in job apprenticeships or internships.
The summer learning program ended on June 30.
Key dates
Here's the 2023-24 calendar for Tuscaloosa City Schools:
Aug. 2: School employees return, with professional development and work days continuing through Aug. 8
Aug. 9: Students return for first day of classes for the fall semester
Aug. 17: High school open house
Aug. 22: Elementary open house
Aug. 24: Middle school open house
Aug. 31: Open house at the Tuscaloosa Career and Technology Academy
Sept. 4: Schools closed for Labor Day
Oct. 9: Staff planning day; no classes for students
Nov. 10: Schools closed for Veterans Day
Nov. 20-24: School closed for Thanksgiving
Dec. 15: End of the semester
Jan. 2: Employees return
Jan. 4: Students return for first day of classes after winter break
Jan. 15: Schools closed for Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
Feb. 19: Schools closed for Presidents' Day
Feb. 20: Staff planning day; no classes
March 11-15: Schools closed for spring break
April 4: Staff planning day; no classes
April 5: Spring holiday
May 22-23: Last day of classes; half-days for students, full days for teachers
May 24: Teachers' work day
Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa City Schools has new principals, new projects for 2023-24
