Central Elementary School
Character Houses
Tuscaloosa City Schools
Principal: Mrs. Cynthia Huff
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Daria
Central Elementary School is in the heart of Tuscaloosa’s western cluster, an area marked by high poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment rates, where students face challenges such as violence and inequities. Student surveys, discipline infractions, and counseling observations determined that students needed additional support in conflict resolution skills, character development, and a sense of belonging. Having recognized the need for a safe, supportive, and motivating learning environment for all stakeholders, the school created Character Houses, which inspired students to achieve their highest potential by building character and academic growth. Through collaboration with the school, local community, and partners, Central Elementary’s supportive Character House program positively impacted students’ character and sense of belonging and equipped them with positive moral and ethical values to be applied to their daily lives. The multi-age House System allowed students from different grades to collaborate on activities, team building, and character development, creating a broader support, community, and sense of belonging. The program combined the school’s core values and the world’s elements, making the program unique. The Character Houses program was structured into 4 houses: Self-Discipline (Earth House), Open-Minded (Wind House), Accountable (Fire House), and Respect (Ice House) signifying that just as these core elements sustain the natural world, Central Elementary students were empowered to sustain the school’s core values.
