All 16 Hoover schools made a national health list, plus the fall dates worth writing down
Every Hoover City school was named to America's Healthiest Schools for 2026, five with All-Star Awards. We also pulled the confirmed fall dates out of the city's August 24 council wrap-up, including a September 11 nomination deadline.
Two things from the past week that are worth a Riverchase household knowing: a school district recognition, and a short list of fall dates that are already set.
All 16 schools recognized, five as All-Stars
Every one of Hoover City Schools’ 16 campuses was named to the 2026 list of America’s Healthiest Schools, up from 14 in 2025 (Shelby County Reporter, September 2, 2026).
Five earned All-Star Awards, given for excelling across all nine categories: Deer Valley Elementary, Rocky Ridge Elementary, Shades Mountain Elementary, Berry Middle School and Hoover High School. The nine categories are school health services, local school wellness policy, nutrition and food access, physical education and activity, health education, social-emotional health and learning, tobacco-free schools, staff wellbeing, and family and community engagement (Shelby County Reporter). HCS Superintendent Dr. Kevin Maddox is quoted in the coverage.
We will not oversell what a recognition list means. It is not a test score and it does not tell you how a particular classroom is going. What it does measure is whether the systems around a kid’s day — meals, movement, health services, staff support — are actually built out, and going 16 for 16 after 14 last year is a real improvement in something measurable rather than a press release about intentions.
Confirmed fall dates
The city’s only publication in the past ten days was its wrap-up of the August 24 City Council meeting, posted August 28. These dates came out of it, and all of them are confirmed (City of Hoover, City Council 8.24.26 wrap up):
- September 11 — last day for Hoover Business Excellence Awards nominations, from the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce. Winners are announced at a luncheon October 15. Nan Baldwin, President and CEO of the Chamber, presented the update to the council.
- October 1 — Hoover Workforce Initiative Career Fair at the Park Crest Event Center.
- October 17 — the first annual Mayor’s Ball, benefiting the Hoover Arts Foundation, announced by First Lady Stephanie Derzis. Individual tickets went on sale September 3. The city lists the venue as the Hyatt Regency-The Wynfrey Hotel with doors at 6 p.m. (City of Hoover).
Also from that meeting: Fire Chief Clay Bentley reported the Hoover Fire Department earned its second consecutive accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, judged against 250 criteria across 11 categories (City of Hoover).
The nearest date on that list is the September 11 nomination deadline, which is Friday. If you run a business in Hoover, that is the one with a clock on it.
For the Riverchase-adjacent event still ahead this week, the 9/11 memorial stair climb at the Galleria is September 12.