[TheCapstone]

Latest plan calls for new middle school near Northridge, Skyland Elementary to remain open

The latest version of the Tuscaloosa City Schools’ strategic plan calls for closing University Place and Rock Quarry middle schools and building a new middle school in the Northridge High School zone.

The curriculum, finances and human resources components of the plan will be discussed during a meeting Sept. 1. Final public comments on the plan will be accepted at the meeting.

On Sept. 15, the plan will go before the school board for a vote.

On Monday, the education facility planning firm DeJong-Richter unveiled the plan, which could be the final version of the integrated curriculum, facilities and demographic strategic plan at the school board’s steering committee.

“There actually haven’t been a whole lot of major changes, other than Skyland (Elementary) remains open,” said DeJong-Richter CEO Tracy Richter. “In the last plan, we actually closed Skyland and moved it into the University Place solution. In this plan, we’re rebuilding the front part of that building.”

Under the plan, University Place and Rock Quarry middle schools’ students would be relocated along with a portion of Eastwood Middle’s students, to a 900-capacity middle school in the Northridge High School zone. Part of University Place Middle’s students — the ones living south of 15th Street — would be relocated to Westlawn Middle.

“The new north middle school allows for growth and lets Rock Quarry become just an elementary school,” Richter said. “We’d bring in some kids from the Northeast that currently go to Arcadia (Elementary) to bring some diversity in. They’d be closer to their middle and high schools so we get a win-win there.”