Board approves renaming Central’s band room after Oscar Watts

April 19, 2023

WVUA 23 News,

By WVUA 23 News Student Reporter Rachel Nadeau

Tuscaloosa City Schools Board of Education members decided unanimously on Tuesday to move forward with the renaming of Central High School’s band room after beloved instructor Oscar Watts III.

Watts was a lifelong resident of Tuscaloosa. Before he retired in 2003, he served as band director at Druid and Central high schools for 30 years.

He received numerous awards throughout his career and helped more than 1,000 students get band scholarships estimated at more than $25 million to colleges all over the United States.

School Board Member Erica Grant said she knows firsthand how Watts helped change students’ lives.

“Mr. Watts was my band director when I was at Central High School and he was a great band director,” Grant said. “He was like a father to a lot of his students. He was fun, but he made sure we knew our work, knew our music. If you didn’t know your music, you couldn’t get into the band room. So I think it would be definitely an honor to him and his family to name that band room after him.”

No word yet on the date the name change will effect.