1 of 5
Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills City Schools.
Superintendent Todd Freeman greets faculty at new teacher orientation for Vestavia Hills City Schools on July 21.
2 of 5
Photo by Jon Anderson.
Crews from Brookstone Remediation were present at Vestavia Hills Elementary School West.
3 of 5
Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills City Schools.
New faculty members gather at the new teacher orientation for Vestavia Hills City Schools on July 21.
4 of 5
Staff photo.
New Vestavia Hills High School boys soccer coach David DiPiazza.
5 of 5
Staff photo.
A new state law prohibits students from having cellphones on their person during the school day.
As summer winds down, Vestavia Hills students return to familiar halls — and brand-new spaces.
The 2025–26 school year begins Thursday, Aug. 7, for students in grades 6-12, and Friday, Aug. 8, for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Superintendent Todd Freeman, who in June was named Alabama’s Superintendent of the Year, credited the system’s enduring success to its foundation of community support and high standards.
“It’s most humbling to be recognized for something, but it’s also a reminder of how truly excellent our school system is – and has been for a long time,” Freeman told the school board at the time. “I’m a parent in this school system. I get to benefit from it like we all do — a school system that has, since April 1970, been an outstanding school system.”
As students and families prepare to settle into a new school year, here’s a look at what’s new — and what’s next — in Vestavia Hills City Schools.
NEW RULES
Staff photo.
A new state law prohibits students from having cellphones on their person during the school day.
One of the most significant changes this year comes from a new state law, adopted by the Vestavia Hills Board of Education in June, that prohibits students from keeping cellphones and other personal communication devices on their person during the school day.
Previously, Vestavia already prohibited K-8 students from using phones at school. The updated policy mostly affects high school students, who now must keep phones in lockers, vehicles or at home, rather than in pockets or backpacks.
“It’s a significant change that will require some adjustment,” Freeman said. “There’s a lot of evidence showing how beneficial this can be to the school environment — helping students remove distractions, improve communication skills and focus on learning.”
Elementary students who bring phones will continue to have a designated place in the classroom to store them. Exceptions remain for documented medical or special education needs.
NEW SPACES
At Vestavia Hills Elementary East, a summer construction project turned the school’s old cafeteria into three new classrooms and office spaces, including a permanent STEM room. Principal Cindy Echols said the upgrades were necessary to keep pace with unexpected enrollment growth in the East zone.
“The reality is we have no more classroom space for that number of kindergartners,” Freeman said when the project was approved earlier this year.
A consultant a year ago predicted most schools in Vestavia Hills would begin to see drops in enrollment due to an aging population and other demographic trends, but the Vestavia Hills Elementary East attendance zone actually saw the opposite with a need for more space.
The district also added two new elementary math coaches this fall, further strengthening a program that has long been a point of pride for Vestavia. Just this spring, the Vestavia Hills High School math team repeated as state champions, continuing a tradition of excellence that stretches back decades.
At the high school, crews over the summer demolished a long-vacant house adjacent to the tennis courts to create 52 additional parking spaces — a needed upgrade for the largest junior class in school history.
The senior patio, closed for more than a month in the spring due to sewer line repairs, also has reopened.
At Vestavia Hills Elementary West, classrooms damaged by last spring’s flooding have been restored, including new cabinetry, after an intensive remediation and repair process.
The school was closed for two school days in May as remediation crews worked to dry out the school interior and ensure safe air quality following flooding after heavy rains sent water into the school.
Areas of impact included the lower level of the school, affecting kindergarten classrooms, some first grade and special education classrooms, and part of the gym. Water got up to about four inches.
Photo by Jon Anderson.
Crews from Brookstone Remediation were present at Vestavia Hills Elementary School West.
Crews from Brookstone Remediation were on site after the flooding and removed most of the water, dirt and mud. Additional work was completed to make sure it was safe for students to return.
“I think the cleanup work at the school was done very quickly and in a matter of hours, so what you ended up having was not a lot of lasting problems to take care of,” said Whit McGhee, director of communications for Vestavia Hills City Schools. “The school itself looks about the same as it did before the flooding, and I think that is largely in part to the fact they were able to get flood remediation within hours of the damage taking place.”
The primary focus was installing new cabinetry in classrooms affected by flooding. Ty Arendall, director of operations for VHCS, said in July that work to the classrooms was looking good for the beginning of the school year, and he did not anticipate any additional work as a result of flooding.
NEW FACES
Laura Casey begins her first full year as Vestavia Hills’ athletics director, having taken over last spring following Myra Miles’ retirement. Casey previously served as assistant athletic director and an assistant principal at Vestavia Hills High School.
Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills City Schools.
New faculty members gather at the new teacher orientation for Vestavia Hills City Schools on July 21.
The district also welcomes one of Alabama’s most accomplished high school soccer coaches: David Di Piazza, who takes over the Vestavia Hills High School boys soccer program this fall after taking Oak Mountain to the state finals this past spring. Di Piazza brings a track record of seven state championships and more than 500 wins across his career and has already set ambitious goals for the Rebels.
“My goal is to be in the final four next year,” he said. “There’s a sense of community at Vestavia that’s really appealing, and something I’ll build into this program. We’re going to work incredibly hard and do things right.”
At the board-level, Jay Stewart has stepped into the role of president of the Vestavia Hills Board of Education. Stewart, who has served on the board for four years, said his focus will be on recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers.
That is a lot of change, but one thing won’t be different: Meal prices at all Vestavia schools. They will remain at the rates they’ve held since 2015, according to Amanda Carlson, the district’s director of child nutrition.
Staff photo.
New Vestavia Hills High School boys soccer coach David DiPiazza.
‘THE VESTAVIA WAY’
The city of Vestavia Hills is marking its 75th anniversary this year, and district leaders are using the milestone as a chance to reflect on the culture and values that have shaped the city’s schools.
The district has rolled out a new comprehensive communication strategy this year, standardizing platforms, focusing on accessibility and clarity, and training teachers and staff as communicators. McGhee said the plan aims to make the school system the “first and best source” of information for families — while reinforcing the excellence of the brand Vestavia has built over five decades.
With the new year comes new goals — on the field, in the classroom and in the community — and a renewed sense of purpose to live up to high standards. The previous year certainly set a high bar for 2025-26, as the graduating seniors earned more than $46 million in scholarship offers and were part of yet another haul of team and individual state championships — from the math team to the robotics team and more.
McGhee said the school system has adopted a strategic planning theme this year — an effort to define what has made the district exceptional and how to build on that legacy.
“We’re just trying to discuss what has made our school system such an incredible place,” he said. “We like to refer to it as the Vestavia Way.”
