The schools in 35404 belong to two different public districts plus one private school. Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) operates four campuses with 35404 addresses: Arcadia Elementary, The Alberta School of Performing Arts, and the two Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools that share one building on McFarland Boulevard East. The Tuscaloosa County School System (TCSS) operates three more in the Holt area: Holt Elementary, Holt High and TCSS Academy. American Christian Academy, a private school, also has a 35404 address.
That mix makes 35404 the clearest example in the area of a single ZIP code split between the city and county school systems. This directory lists each campus by its published physical address and explains how to tell which system a given street belongs to.
Where the two districts meet in 35404
Tuscaloosa City Schools and the Tuscaloosa County School System are separate districts with their own boards, attendance zones and enrollment offices. Neither one follows ZIP code lines. In 35404, the general pattern on the map is that the Alberta and University Boulevard East area and the McFarland Boulevard East corridor have city-system campuses, while the Holt community has county-system campuses, all with street addresses ending in “NE.”
The Holt campuses also show that school districts and city limits are separate questions. County 911 address data places Holt Elementary, Holt High and TCSS Academy inside Tuscaloosa city limits, yet all three are county-system schools. That pattern describes where the buildings are, not where every household is zoned. The line between the two systems runs through neighborhoods rather than along the ZIP boundary. The only reliable answer for one address is the district’s own lookup, covered near the end of this guide.
Public schools in 35404 by district
| School | Type / grades | District | Address | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia Elementary School | Elementary, PK–5 | Tuscaloosa City Schools | 3740 Arcadia Drive, Tuscaloosa 35404 | Website |
| The Alberta School of Performing Arts (TASPA) | Pre-K through 8; performing arts program in grades 6–8 by application | Tuscaloosa City Schools | 2700 University Boulevard East, Tuscaloosa 35404 | Website |
| Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools – Elementary (TMSE) | Magnet elementary, 1–5 | Tuscaloosa City Schools | 315 McFarland Boulevard East, Tuscaloosa 35404 | Website |
| Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools – Middle (TMSM) | Magnet middle, 6–8 | Tuscaloosa City Schools | 315 McFarland Boulevard East, Suite M, Tuscaloosa 35404 | Website |
| Holt Elementary School | Elementary, PK–5 | Tuscaloosa County School System | 1001 Crescent Ridge Rd NE, Tuscaloosa 35404 | Website |
| Holt High School | High school, 9–12 | Tuscaloosa County School System | 301 44th Ct NE, Tuscaloosa 35404 | Website |
| TCSS Academy | Alternative learning program, 6–12; also GRAD Academy and Global Pathways | Tuscaloosa County School System | 3801 Alabama Ave NE, Tuscaloosa 35404 | Website |
Tuscaloosa City Schools campuses
Arcadia Elementary is a traditional zoned elementary school. TCS feeder patterns place it in the Paul W. Bryant High School pattern, with Eastwood Middle as the middle school. Northington Elementary, which closed after the 2017–18 school year, sent part of its students to Arcadia, so older maps that show Northington near University Mall are out of date.
The Alberta School of Performing Arts serves pre-K through 8th grade. TCS lists it among the elementary feeders for Northridge High School, but the district also says its grades 6–8 performing arts program is application-based and not part of the feeder pattern. The school’s website links to audition requirements; those details were not published on the pages checked, so contact the school directly. The Alberta neighborhood ZIP code guide covers the surrounding community.
Two magnet schools, one campus
Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools–Elementary and Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools–Middle are separate schools with separate federal school records, but they share the same campus at 315 McFarland Boulevard East. The middle school’s website adds “Suite M” to the address; the district directory does not. If you are sending mail or a records request, use the name of the specific school rather than the street address alone.
Tuscaloosa County School System campuses
Holt Elementary and Holt High are the county system’s neighborhood schools in this ZIP. TCSS Academy is not a zoned school. According to its website, it houses an alternative learning program for grades 6–12, the GRAD Academy for students working to finish high school, and Global Pathways for students who are new to learning English.
TCSS Academy’s address needs one caution. The school’s own website and the West Alabama Chamber directory list 3801 Alabama Ave NE and describe the building as the former Holt High School. The county system’s back-to-school table lists 1967 Alabama Ave NE. Both use 35404. This guide uses the school’s own address, but call the school before relying on either for a visit.
Magnet admissions: what the TCS policy says
Because two magnet schools sit in 35404, families often assume living nearby helps. It does not. The Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools admission policy sets these rules:
- Applicants must live in a Tuscaloosa City Schools zone. A Holt-area address zoned for the county system would not qualify on that basis.
- Students who attend private school or are homeschooled may apply if they live in a TCS zone, with proof of residence and a report card.
- Applications are due the last workday of January, and late applications are not accepted.
- Applicants need an overall score of 73% or higher. Seats are filled by score from each sending school, not by lottery.
Current magnet students who want to continue in International Baccalaureate submit an intent form each spring to move into the IB Programme at Central High School. Criteria and deadlines can change from year to year, so verify the current rules on the TCS specialty schools page each winter.
Private school in the 35404 ZIP code
| School | Type / grades | Operator | Address | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Christian Academy | Private Christian; preschool through 12th grade programs | American Christian Academy | 2300 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Tuscaloosa 35404 | Website |
American Christian Academy’s website describes preschool, elementary (K4 through 5th grade), middle and high school programs. Admission is handled by the school and has nothing to do with city or county attendance zones.
How to tell which district serves a 35404 address
Run the address through both systems. Enter it in the TCS zoning map, which opens an ArcGIS address lookup, and in the TCSS Infofinder; then confirm the result with the district office. The school zones explainer covers why a ZIP code cannot settle the question, and the guide to mailing addresses and city limits explains the separate question of whether a home is inside the City of Tuscaloosa.
Frequently asked questions
Is Holt part of Tuscaloosa City Schools?
Holt Elementary, Holt High and TCSS Academy are operated by the Tuscaloosa County School System, not Tuscaloosa City Schools, even though county 911 address data places all three buildings inside Tuscaloosa city limits. Individual homes near Holt can fall on either side of the line, so check the address in both lookup tools.
Which schools in 35404 require an application?
Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools–Elementary, Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools–Middle and the grades 6–8 program at The Alberta School of Performing Arts are listed by TCS as specialty programs. American Christian Academy has its own private admissions.
Where are the high schools for 35404?
Holt High is the only zoned public high school in the ZIP. TCSS Academy’s alternative program reaches grade 12 but is not a zoned school, and American Christian Academy has a private high school program. City-system students in 35404 may be zoned to a high school in another ZIP; TCS feeder patterns, for example, connect Arcadia to Paul W. Bryant High and TASPA to Northridge High. Nearby campuses are listed in the schools in 35406 and schools in 35405 directories.
For neighborhoods and roads in this ZIP, see the 35404 ZIP code guide.
Facts in this guide were checked against the sources below on October 10, 2026. Addresses, programs and boundaries can change; confirm with the official source before relying on them.
Sources
- Tuscaloosa City Schools — Our Schools (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa City Schools — Feeder patterns (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa City Schools — Specialty schools (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools — Admission policy (accessed October 10, 2026)
- The Alberta School of Performing Arts — School website (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools – Middle — School website (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa City Schools — Zoning map (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa County School System — Back to school directory (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Holt Elementary School — About (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Holt High School — Our school (accessed October 10, 2026)
- TCSS Academy — Our school (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa County School System — Student Services and Infofinder (accessed October 10, 2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data — Tuscaloosa City school list (accessed October 10, 2026)
- American Christian Academy — About (accessed October 10, 2026)
- WBRC — Final year for longtime Tuscaloosa elementary school (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa County — City and County Unified Address Points (county 911 address data) (accessed October 10, 2026)
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