TCSS Faces Backlash, Walks Back Decision to End Athletics at Holt

Holt—After facing significant backlash, the Tuscaloosa County School System reversed its announcement that Holt High School would discontinue sports after the 2025-2026 academic year.

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A contentious community meeting on Monday night at the school led to the reversal of the original decision almost one week later. The original announcement, signed by TCSS Superintendent Keri Johnson and Holt Principal Daniel Dickens, informed students, family members, and community members that the school program's athletic departments would shut down following the 2025-2026 school year.

"We should not have made it sound like it was set in stone. It was not set in stone," Johnson told attendees. "We are not going to be getting rid of Holt athletics."

Several of Holt High School's athletic teams still play at the old location despite the school's new campus opening in 2018. School system representatives boasted upgrades to the softball and baseball facilities and an updated football locker room and weight room.

"We don't want athletics to go away at Holt, but we have to be able to sustain them," Johnson said. "We got to have that parental participation, the community participation, and then I believe that we will see an increase in student participation when they know people are going to be there cheering them on."

On Monday evening, the school system explained that revenue generated by Holt athletics is significantly lower than other TCSS schools.

The statement, sent in an email last Wednesday, said Holt students would have the ability to either attend Holt academically and play at either Tuscaloosa County or Brookwood High School; or they could transfer to one of the two schools as student athletes.

"The decision to no longer have varsity sports at Holt High after 2025-2026 is based on steadily declining participation rates and the financial unsustainability caused by this," the statement read. "We want to give our student-athletes the best opportunity for success."

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.