Northport Officials Present Schools With $350K In Grant Funding

NORTHPORT, AL — City of Northport officials were on hand during Tuscaloosa County High School's home basketball game against Thompson Tuesday evening to present $350,000 in educational grants to schools inside the city limits.

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As Patch previously reported, this marks the third year Northport has set aside revenue generated by the city's 1-cent sales tax for the grants, awarding more than $600,000 in grants to from the 2020 and 2021 budgeting periods combined.

District 4 Councilwoman Jamie Dykes, who chairs the council's Community Outreach Committee tasked with administering the education grants, said the funding is intended to take care of Northport's "most precious" citizens.

"With our educational grants steaming from Northport First funds, it’s always a pleasure to be able to do for the schools in the City of Northport," she told Patch. "Our teachers, staff, and administrators are a vital part of our community."

The largest allocation of the funds will go to Tuscaloosa County High School, with school officials presented a ceremonial check Tuesday in the amount of $90,000.

"We would like to thank the Northport Mayor and City Council for their generous donation for the students of Tuscaloosa County High School," TCHS Principal Darrell Williams told Patch on Tuesday. "We are very fortunate to have a city government that has committed to supporting education in our city."

As part of the latest round of donations, each elementary school within the Northport city limits will receive $25,000: Crestmont Elementary, Faucett-Vestavia Elementary, Flatwoods Elementary, Huntington Place Elementary, Matthews Elementary and Northport Elementary.

In addition to the funding provided to the elementary schools, the following schools will receive $35,000 each: Echols Middle, Collins-Riverside Middle and Northport Intermediate.

"We really want to thank Northport for their generosity and continued support," Northport Intermediate Principal Michael Tilford said. "It’s because of the support of our council, and our entire community, that NIS and Northport as a whole is such a special place."

Lastly, Lloyd Wood Education Center was presented a grant in the amount of $5,000.

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