It's a complex issue. The Holt community, which is not in Tuscaloosa city, has been woefully neglected by the county commission after the tornado destroyed much of the area. You drive through Alberta City and it's really quite stunning now; then, you turn on Crescent Ridge Road to go to Holt and the difference is almost immediate. Many people moved down 69s after the storm, contributing to the demographic change at Hillcrest High. You also have the more rural areas in Cottondale that are increasingly Hispanic. Crossville High School in north Alabama has had similar changes and dropped varsity football due to lack of interest. As can be imagined, soccer has grown at lot at Holt.
The original Holt facility was built by the WPA in 1945, with additions in the 60s & 70s, as the community grew due to the proximity of the industrial plants on the river. When the new school was finally opened in 2018 no athletic facilities were built (in contrast with Sipsey Valley High School in 2014). The athletes had to commute to the old campus and use the fields there. I believe that a baseball and softball field are actually in the final stages of completion at the new campus, but no football field has been planned.
Holt has been quite a conundrum for the county schools. It's a little pocket surrounded completely Northridge & Bryant High in the city system. In fact, Northridge is only 4 miles from the old campus; but, what do you do? Build a new facility and pour a bunch of money into it, close it and bus the kids outrageous distances to TCHS, Brookwood, or Hillcrest (which are all overcrowded), or turn it into something different? IMO, the county schools are slowly moving toward eliminating attendance zones and giving everyone school choice, with this being the first step.
