Tarrant Middle/High School
Tarrant Middle/High School is a combined high school and middle school in the Tarrant City Schools system. It is located on a 98-acre site at 91 Black Creek Road, property formerly part of the Glenn Ireland Developmental Center site in Tarrant.
The 112,000 square foot school building was built to serve students from the former Tarrant High School (previously Jefferson County High School) and Tarrant Middle School. The $17 million building was designed by McElrath & Oliver Architects of Gadsden and built by Golden & Associates Construction. The school has 36 classrooms, and competition and practice gymnasiums. Groundbreaking for construction was held on July 11, 2008 and it opened for the 2009-10 school year. The principal of the high school is Andrew Smith. Judy Matthews serves as middle school principal.
Tarrant's athletic teams, which compete in AHSAA Class 3A Region 5, are called the "Wildcats" and its colors are navy blue and gold. Eric Johnson is the head football coach. In 2010 the board considered dropping all spring sports from the schedule as a cost-saving measure, but later the principal announced that baseball and softball would be played.
In April 2010 several incidents of violence were reported at the new school, resulting in 16 arrests. The Alabama Education Association urged superintendent Martha Rizzuto to implement a violence reduction plan immediately. She announced plans that would be implemented in the 2010-11 school year. In May 2010 the Tarrant School Board voted not to renew her contract.
In 2019, a new $6 million stadium was built adjacent to the school. Construction began on October 1, 2018 and was completed in the fall of 2019. The stadium replaced one that had been at the old location of the high school prior to the move to the new facility in 2009. The old stadium was sold in 2009 and Tarrant had been playing all of its home games using the stadium at Fultondale High School.
References
- Tomberlin, Michael (July 3, 2008) "$17 million Tarrant school starting construction." The Birmingham News
- Crenshaw, Solomon, Jr (May 14, 2010) "Tarrant principal says school will field baseball, softball teams next season." The Birmingham News
- Osburn, Lisa (May 26, 2010) "Tarrant school board votes out Superintendent Martha Rizzuto." The Birmingham News
- Faulk, Kent (August 4, 2019) "New $6 million Tarrant HS stadium almost complete" The Birmingham News
External links
- Tarrant Middle/High School website