Mold Found at Tuscaloosa County’s Echols Middle School Ahead of Class Starting

Moisture problems have led to mold formation in a new wing of Echols Middle School in Northport, which will cause minor changes that will especially affect seventh graders.

In a Wednesday announcement, Principal Jason Stapp and Tuscaloosa County Schools Superintendent Keri Johnson said mold is visible in the new classroom addition at Echols, where the seventh-grade hall is located.

The issue means the building must be closed while the problem is addressed.

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"We are working with an outside environmental testing service to fully understand and correct the root of the problem," the administrators said in their announcement. "We must also follow strict state and federal guidelines pertaining to this situation. This building has a separate heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, so there is no air circulating from this building to the rest of the school."

The problem emerges a week ahead of the start of class for the 2025 - 2026 school year - TCSS students return to school on August 7th.

Stapp and Johnson said staff who were based in the affected building have been assigned to new locations. While the classes, periods, and teachers will not change, many seventh graders and a few eighth graders will be in different spaces than previously indicated.

Affected families will be sent a map showing where teachers have been moved and where classes will now be held. The school invites affected families to visit the campus on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. if they want to see the new classrooms in person.

"We sincerely appreciate our Echols faculty and staff for quickly adapting to this change. We also appreciate the cooperation of our students and families as we address this problem," they wrote. "We do not yet know a timeline for how long this project will take, but you will receive ongoing communication as we have updates."

For more coverage of this situation and other education news in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.