News & Announcements
- "TCSS News & Notes" - Community Newsletter
- Report Safety Concerns Confidentially Through SpeakUp for Safety Tip Line
- TCSS Appreciates Our Assistant Principals
- Alabama's Safer Apart Order & Masks in Our Schools
- Brookwood Elementary Student & Teachers Complete Half Marathon with Ainsley's Angels
- Davis-Emerson Middle Teacher Selected as Alabama Middle School Science Teacher of the Year
- April 5, 2021: Latest Data Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- Board Votes to Move Forward with CSFO Contract Negotiations
- Final Design Approved for Road at Northport Elementary & Northport Intermediate
- Myrtlewood Elementary Selected for Alabama's P-3 Program
- Thursday, March 25, 2021: TCSS Remote Learning Day
- TCSS Child Nutrition Team Serves More Than 2.8 Million Meals Throughout Pandemic
- WOW 2.0 Provides Job Interview Opportunities for High School Seniors
- March 12, 2021: Data Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- TCSS Named 2021 Innovative District by International Center for Leadership in Education
- TCSS Celebrates Our National Board Certified Teachers
- Meet Our TCSS Social Work Team
- 2021-2022 Kindergarten Registration
- Meet the Principal - Mr. Michael Tilford
- Hillcrest High Named 2020 CLAS School of Distinction
- Read Across America 2021
- TCHS Seniors Recognized Through National Merit Scholarship Program
- February 26, 2021: Data Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- Board Approves Temporary Pay Increase for Substitute Teachers & LPNs
- Architects & Construction Managers Approved for Construction Projects
- Planning for the Opening of Northport Intermediate & Reconfiguration of TCHS Feeder Pattern Schools
- 2021 TCSS Educator Recognition Awards
- TCHS Celebrates Mars Rover Landing & Classmate's Role in Historic Event
- Regular Operations to Resume Wednesday, February 17
- Schools & Central Office Closed Tuesday, February 16
- Schools & Central Office Closed Monday, February 15
- Monitoring the Weather for Monday, February 15
- February 12, 2021: Data Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- Neighborhood Bridges Tuscaloosa County Launches Friday, February 12
- Mr. Bill Squires Takes Oath of Office as District 7 Board of Education Member
- February 1-5 Is National School Counseling Week
- Tuesday, March 9: ACT for 11th Graders, E-Learning Day for 9th, 10th, & 12th Graders
- TCSS High Schools to Move to Block Schedule for 2021-2022 School Year
- TCSS Adds Mental Health Services Coordinator
- TCSS Adds New Digital Library Resource, SORA
- Thank You, Board Members!
- January 30, 2021: Data Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- Brookwood Middle Named 2021 State School of Character
- Commission Recognizes TCSS Career Technical Education Programs
- Celebrating 50 Years of Service to TCSS & Our Students
- Board to Hold Interviews January 21 for District 7 Board of Education Seat
- January 15, 2021: Data Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- TCSS Seeks Candidates for Position of Chief School Financial Officer
- TCSS to Implement Two-Hour Delay Tuesday, January 12, 2021
- Pre-Kindergarten Pre-Registration Deadline Is Monday, March 8
- TCSS to Implement Three-Hour Delay Monday, January 11, 2021
- TCSS to Return to Five-Day On-Campus Schedule Monday, January 11
- December 19, 2020: Data Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- TCSS to Implement A/B Schedule for On-Campus Students January 5 - 8, 2021
- Application Period Open Until January 7 for District 7 Board of Education Seat
- Photo Gallery - Celebrating the Holiday Season
- TCSS Educators Receive Tuscaloosa Education Foundation Grants
- Statement on the Passing of Board of Education Member Mr. Bill Copeland
- Board of Education Approves Extraordinary Compensation for Employees
- TCSS CSFO Announces Upcoming Retirement
- ADPH Updates Guidelines for Schools, Regarding Quarantine Period
- TCSS Teachers Receive Nick's Kids Teacher Excellence Awards
- Sipsey Valley Celebrates Addition of Athletics Facilities
- 2021-2022 TCSS Academic Calendar Approved
- TCSS to Shift to A/B Schedule Beginning Monday, December 14
- December 4, 2020: Latest Data Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- Board Members Begin New Terms in Office
- December 3: Update from the Office of the Superintendent
- Choose Your Learning Option for Third Nine Weeks
- Provide Feedback on Proposed 2021-2022 TCSS Academic Calendar
- November 20: Data Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- Meet Our Education Heroes
- November 17: Update from the Office of the Superintendent
- TEF, Jalapeno's, & TCSS Celebrate Our Education Heroes
- November 12: Information Regarding COVID-19 & Our Schools
- November 10: Data Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- Photo Gallery: Vocabulary Parade
- TCSS Celebrates Red Ribbon Week
- Celebrating Decades of Service to Our Schools
- TCSS Receives $389,000 Grant for Career Technical Education
- October 26: An Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- Unity Day 2020 - Photo Gallery
- Alabama College Application Week 2020
- October 15: An Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- CRMS Tigers Celebrate Championship Win & Undefeated Season
- Second Nine Weeks: Important Upcoming Dates
- TCSS Goes Blue for World Day of Bullying Prevention
- Celebrating Homecoming Traditions
- TCSS Promotes BRAVE Bullying Prevention Initiative
- October 1: An Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- TCSS E-Learning Day Set for Friday, October 16
- Schools Receive Tuscaloosa Education Foundation Grants for Character Education
- Big Sandy Receives Visit from National Organization to Mark Achievement
- TCHS Wind Ensemble Receives National Recognition
- Join Our Team as a Substitute
- September 17: An Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- TCSS to Implement Edgenuity Online Learning Solution for Remote Learners
- TCHS Student Named National Merit Semifinalist
- An Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
- Breakfast and Lunch Available to All TCSS Students, at No Cost to Families
- Continuous Improvement Planning
- Photo Gallery: Welcome Back to School!
- Welcome Dr. Johnson!
- Leaders Are Readers
- Celebrating Service to Our Students - Photo Gallery
- Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
- Thank You, Dr. Davie! - Photo Gallery
- Preparing for Our Return to School
- Holt Elementary Selected as 2020 Promising Practice School
- A Message to Our TCSS Community & Resources for Families
- Big Sandy Named First "Model PLC at Work" School in Alabama
- 2020 - 2021 Transportation Information
- Board Selects Candidates to Fill Superintendent and CSFO Positions
- Class of 2020 Graduation Celebrations on WVUA 23
- Two TCSS Schools Chosen as 2020 National Schools of Character
- Board Approves Revised 2020-2021 Academic Calendar
- 2020-2021 Kindergarten Registration
- New Principal Named for Lake View Elementary
- TCHS Junior Names NASA's Mars Helicopter
- Storm Shelter Information
- Superintendent & CSFO Update
- TCSS Reads Across America!
- Information on Search for TCSS Superintendent and Chief School Financial Officer
- Waiver Requested for February 11 Weather Day
- TCSS Students Spread Kindness
- National School Counseling Week 2020
- February Is Career Technical Education Month
- TCSS Schools Chosen as 2020 State Schools of Character
- School Board Member Recognition Month
- Fighting the Flu
- TCSS 2020 Educator Recognition Award Recipients
- TCSS Student Chosen as Finalist in NASA Contest
- Honors for TCHS Wind Ensemble
- Pre-K Registration Information for 2020-2021 School Year
- TCSS Superintendent and CSFO Announce Retirements
- Honors for Holt High Carpentry
- Nick's Kids Teacher Excellence Awards
- TCSS Celebrates Alabama's Bicentennial
- TCSS Teachers Achieve National Board Certification
- Holiday Book Drive
- 2020-2021 TCSS Academic Calendar Approved
- TCSS Students Honor Veterans
- Commission Provides Funding for Projects at Schools
- TCSS High School Students Participate in Reality Check
- Pumpkins Become Book Characters
- May 2020 Graduation Ceremonies Announced
- Alabama Education Report Card
- TCSS Teams Up Against Bullying on Friday, October 18
- TCSS Launches BRAVE Bullying Prevention Program
- TCSS Launching New Community Engagement Program
- TCSS Schools Selected as Bicentennial Schools of Excellence
- TEF Celebrates Superintendents & Supporters of Education
- Ribbon Cutting & Open House for Sipsey Valley Middle School
- TCSS Teacher on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"
- 2019 TCSS Summer Meals Program
- TCSS Names New Administrators
- TCSS Celebrates Alabama Bicentennial
- Tuscaloosa County School System
- September 17: An Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
September 17: An Update on COVID-19 & Our Schools
-
September 17, 2020
From the Office of the Superintendent
To Our TCSS Families, Faculty, Staff, and Community,
As we first shared with you on September 3, the Tuscaloosa County School System is compiling data regarding COVID-19 and its impact on our schools. Although there are many aspects of student, employee, and health-related information we are unable to share publicly, due to the need to protect the privacy of individuals, there is information that we can and want to share with you. We shared our first update on September 3, and from this point forward, we plan to share information on a bi-weekly basis. We have all learned that the COVID-19 situation changes rapidly, with so much information coming from so many sources. This is a way to keep our community informed of the current COVID-19 situation within our schools. If a student or faculty/staff member is identified as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case within the school, they will be contacted directly by their school.
The information below reflects cases from September 1 – September 11, 2020. This information is compiled by our TCSS Department of Health Services, working in conjunction with administration at local schools. Visit this page for our previous update with COVID-19 data from August 20 – September 1, 2020.
- We are aware of 48 TCSS students who have tested positive for COVID-19 during the September 1 through September 11 time period. TCSS has approximately 19,000 students, enrolled across 34 schools. District-wide, approximately 65 percent of our students are currently attending school on campus. Some schools have as much as 80 percent of their students on campus.
- During this time period, a total of 349 students have had to quarantine, due to possible COVID-19 exposure. TCSS identified these students following Alabama Department of Public Health guidelines. These students were not identified because they displayed COVID-19 symptoms, but because they were determined to be close contacts of positive cases within our schools.
Additional Information:
- Similar to our last update, schools with the largest numbers of quarantined students were at the secondary level. During this time period, Tuscaloosa County High School had 85 students quarantined, and Hillcrest High School had 46 students quarantined. TCHS has a total enrollment of more than 1600 students, and Hillcrest has a total enrollment of more than 1300. At the secondary level, students come in contact with more of their peers, due to extracurricular activities and class changes, as compared to elementary school. This is a contributing factor to the greater numbers of students potentially exposed, when there is a positive COVID-19 case at a middle or high school.
- At this time, we do not have a total number of faculty/staff who have quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure since the start of school. However, on September 17, 2020, 33 employees were listed as absent under the “COVID-19” absence code. This does not mean an individual has a COVID-19 diagnosis, but they may have been exposed to COVID-19 or needed other COVID-19 related leave. This is approximately one percent of our 2,275 employees.
- On September 15, the company that provides our substance used to disinfect surfaces, along with the Alabama Department of Public Health, conducted random testing at four TCSS schools. These schools were in an area where we recently had a higher number of students quarantined, due to possible COVID-19 exposure. Test results at three schools were classified in the “surgery safe” category, and results at one school scored very high in the “retail safe” category. This disinfectant product is used in all of our schools, and we are very pleased with these results regarding its performance.
Considering the highly contagious nature of the virus, we continue to be encouraged that the steps we are taking to reduce risks in our schools are effective. These key steps involve wearing masks, social distancing, cleaning within our schools, hand washing, and quarantine for those who have been exposed to the virus. We ask our entire TCSS community to keep maintaining these healthy practices, including when you are away from school. This is essential in keeping our schools open!