Nearly every graduate leaving Tuscaloosa City Schools this summer has a plan for what comes next, with more than 99 percent of this year’s graduating class having confirmed plans for their future.

Success Beyond the Classroom

A confirmed plan includes enrollment in a college or training program, military enlistment, or full-time employment. Superintendent Mike Daria credited the milestone to a district-wide effort that extends well beyond the classroom.

The Class of 2026 also set a new benchmark in dual enrollment, with nearly half of all graduates — 49.7% — earning college credit while still in high school, up from 41.3% the previous year.

The city’s ELEVATE scholarship program has been instrumental in this growth, allowing eligible TCS students to take up to nine dual enrollment courses through the University of Alabama’s Early College program at no cost or earn up to 12 credit hours through Shelton State Community College or Stillman College — with tuition, fees, and textbooks fully covered.

Additionally, 100 percent of graduates earned at least one College and Career Readiness Indicator, a metric that includes earning college credit, achieving qualifying scores on readiness assessments, completing career technical education pathways, or earning industry credentials.

Original reporting: The Tuscaloosa Thread — read the source article.