The Tuscaloosa County Board of Education has approved the TCSS Academic Calendar for the 2023-2024 school year. View the calendar here.

The 2023-2024 calendar follows the same format as the previous year's calendar. In the 2021-2022 school year, TCSS conducted a survey, open to all TCSS families, faculty, and staff, to gather input to guide our calendar planning process. A committee of TCSS faculty, staff, administrators, and parents/guardians used the survey results to develop a calendar format to be used for the next two academic calendars. 

See below for guidelines and frequently asked questions regarding our academic calendar.

Calendar Guidelines

• By State Law, school systems must complete a minimum of 1,080 hours, or 64,800 minutes, of instructional time during an academic year. Previously, State law mandated 180 days, but did not allow any time for half days or other exceptions. Like most school systems in the State, the Tuscaloosa County School System has never had a problem with meeting the 64,800 minutes of instructional time. Instructional time cannot include time for lunch, breaks, or transitions such as class changes.
  
  
• At least seven faculty days are required, and faculty/staff must meet their contracted days, regardless of student days. Most nine-month employees are on a 187-day contract.
  
  
• Schools may not be in session on Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Schools may be in session any other day of the year that is approved by the local Board of Education.
  
  

Considerations and Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we start school so early in August? Can we be out by Memorial Day?
The start and end dates for school may be adjusted, but we have to meet the minimum number of instructional minutes requirement, as described above. The later we start, the fewer holidays that can be taken during the year, or school has to extend beyond Memorial Day.

Professional Development Days for Teachers
These are not a “day off” for teachers. These days provide time for educators to collaborate, align lessons to standards, develop intervention plans for struggling students, and develop extensions for students who need additional challenge. 

Fairly Consistent Time for Each Semester of School
Semesters should be fairly close in days and/or instructional time. 

Holiday Decisions
All holiday decisions impact start and end dates for the academic year. 

Coordination with the Tuscaloosa City Schools and The University of Alabama
In our community, many households have members who attend and/or are employed by TCSS, as well as either UA and/or TCS. Therefore, calendar coordination with TCS and UA is meaningful for many families, particularly for Spring Break, as well as other holiday breaks and school year start/end dates.