Four Tuscaloosa-Area Schools Among Just 12 in Alabama Honored for Character

Several Tuscaloosa-area schools earned prestigious recognition for the way they develop character in students this week, with four regional institutions earning honors given to less than 100 schools nationwide.

A nonprofit called Character.org gives the School of Character designation to those places where school culture is shaped around doing more than just educating students, but also sharply focusing on making them good people who make others feel like they belong.

This year, Character.org only named 98 State Schools of Character across the U.S., but last week, three Tuscaloosa City Schools and another in the Tuscaloosa County School System got that honor - four of just 12 designations awarded in Alabama.

“We are excited to announce today the 2025 State Schools and Districts of Character,” Character.org’s President Dr. Arthur Schwartz said last week. “Each of these schools and districts have put into place an initiative that equips and empowers their staff to reinforce and model a range of positive core values that will shape and form the hearts, minds, and choices of their students.”

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Inside city limits, Rock Quarry Elementary, Central Elementary and Northridge Middle School received the honor.

“We are excited and proud that three more schools in our system were recognized for their character education efforts,” said Superintendent Mike Daria. “It is truly having a profound, positive impact on our schools.”

"At Central Elementary, our commitment to our core values-respect, open-mindedness, accountability, and respect has fostered a stronger, more unified school community," CES principal Cynthia Huff said in a press release. "This unwavering dedication to character development is what helped us earn this recognition."

In the announcement, Northridge Middle Principal Jami Rainey said it all boils down to the question of what it means to be a Jag.

"Throughout the school and NMS community, our daily interactions and expectations reflect these character traits," Rainey said. "A Jag is respectful, supportive, dedicated to community and committed to excellence. We are all proud to be a Jag. NMS is excited and honored to be designated as a State School of Character."

Rock Quarry counselor Angela Chandler echoed those sentiments and said education is about more than curriculum.

"We know that academics are an incredibly important protective factor in our kids’ lives; but, we want them to be the best version of themselves that they can be," Chandler said. "We envision our students growing up to be healthy, well-balanced individuals with great friends, great citizens, and to do important work making the world a better place. We know that teaching about character plants the seeds for true character development. We do our best to make sure all of our students feel seen, heard, and understood."

In the Tuscaloosa County School System, Huntington Place Elementary School earned the designation for the second time, immediately after its five-year designation as a National School of Character lapsed.

"At Huntington Place, the Wildcat Way reinforces the school’s core values of kindness, respect, compassion, honesty, and responsibility," a TCSS spokesperson said. "HPES was first selected as both a State and National School of Character in 2020. The designation of National School of Character remains in place for five years, and then a school has the opportunity to reapply."

Now HPES and the three designated TCS schools will be considered for for the National School of Character designation, the highest honor a school or district can receive from Character.org.

TCS has had total of eight State Schools of Character and five National Schools of Character. The county school system has had five State designations and three national honorees.