Will Hewson family and Tuscaloosa Education Foundation donate to Reading Allies; $75,000 check presented

The Tuscaloosa City Schools board on Sept. 30 accepted a donation to support Reading Allies, the district’s volunteer literacy program.

Superintendent Dr. Darius and representatives from the Tuscaloosa Education Foundation and the Houston Family Foundation told trustees that Will Hewson and his family pledged a major gift to keep volunteers in schools and expand the Reading Allies effort. Caroline, a representative of the Education Foundation, presented the board with a first installment check for $75,000. The board recognized the Education Foundation and the Houston family for their continued support.

Dr. Darius praised community partners and cited several hundred volunteers who work with students across the district, saying that the program’s scale and reported outcomes reflected strong community investment. Caroline (representing the Education Foundation) said the Hewson family pledged $800,000 to the foundation to support Reading Allies; she described the $75,000 presented at the meeting as the first installment for the year and said the foundation will hold and steward the funds and meet with district leadership to determine annual allocations.

Will Hewson, speaking for his family, said the gift is intended to help put students “on a better trajectory” and emphasized the family’s interest in the volunteer-based program.

Board members thanked the donors and staff and accepted the donation at the meeting. There was no formal competitive bidding or contract described; the Education Foundation will manage the gift and coordinate with district officials on annual distributions and school-level priorities.

The presentation concluded with brief public thanks from the board and a photo opportunity.