Tuscaloosa Academy


Tuscaloosa Academy is a private school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It serves 438 students and has been described as a segregation academy.

History

The school opened with grades one through seven in September 1967, the year Alabama public schools were forced to desegregate. In 1973, the first graduation exercises were held. In a 1979 interview, headmaster William Garrison denied that it was founded as a segregation academy, as did all other private schools in Tuscaloosa, and said the school was "actively recruiting for blacks". In 2017, Tuscaloosa Academy serves students from preschool through 12th grade.
It was initially housed in the Northington Army Hospital, in proximity to the University Mall, and had 113 students. The property was state-owned, which stimulated protest by opponents.
In 2016, the school enrolled twelve black students, in a community that is 47% black.