Major Changes in Alabama Education for 2024

News Summary

Alabama’s education system is undergoing significant transformations in 2024, featuring new education savings accounts (ESAs) for families and notable improvements in literacy rates. The CHOOSE Act enables eligible families to gain financial control over education, while the Alabama Literacy Act has heightened reading standards for third graders. It’s a year full of challenges, including financial shortages and closures of institutions like Birmingham-Southern College, yet enrollment continues to rise in many areas, showcasing progress amidst the changes.

Major Changes in Education Update for Alabama: 2024 Transformation

It’s a pivotal year for education in Alabama, with a slew of transformations making waves across the state in 2024. Families are buzzing with the opportunities presented by the new education savings accounts (ESAs), which are designed to give more control over educational choices to families. This initiative aligns with the newly passed Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education Act, also known as the CHOOSE Act.

What Are ESAs and Who Gets Them?

Picture this: eligible K-12 students can now snag a whopping $7,000 ESA to fund qualified educational expenses, making school choice a reality for many families. Additionally, homeschoolers aren’t left behind, as they have access to a $2,000 ESA, capped at $4,000 per family. Excitingly, starting next fall, students from families earning under 300% of the federal poverty level will qualify for this financial freedom. Lawmakers have initially set aside a cool $100 million for ESAs, promising at least the same amount in future years. By the school year 2027-28, every family will have access to these funds, no matter their income.

Statewide Reactions and Concerns

While many see this as a step towards educational freedom, critics argue that it unfairly shifts private education costs onto taxpayers. It’s also worth noting that Alabama doesn’t regulate private schools, leading to a lack of clarity around enrollment numbers—approximately 82,000 students are currently enrolled in 470 private schools across the state.

Raising the Bar in Literacy

In an exciting turn for literacy, Alabama reported fantastic progress in third-grade reading scores. In spring 2024, a remarkable 91% of third graders achieved the necessary score to move on to the fourth grade, up from 83% in 2023! This increase raises spirits, although some members of the state board have voiced concerns, suggesting that the cut score might have been set a little too low.

This year also marked the first enforcement of the Alabama Literacy Act, which now allows third graders to be held back if they struggle with reading. Thankfully, students had options to attend free summer reading camps and retest, helping around 1,300 additional students advance to the next grade. Unfortunately, over 1,800 students found themselves held back due to reading issues.

Financial Trials Ahead

Despite the advancements, Alabama schools are facing broader financial challenges ahead. With nearly $5 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds spent, the situation requires careful attention. K-12 schools utilized $3.1 billion, while colleges received $1.5 billion. Alarmingly, the decades-old K-12 funding formula is being reviewed, as it hasn’t been effectively meeting student needs. A legislative commission is hard at work exploring new funding models that account for student necessity.

Education Choices and Options Expand

In a bittersweet twist, Birmingham-Southern College closed its doors for good in May 2024 after 168 years, despite attempts to secure funding. However, there’s a silver lining: more than 15,000 Alabamians have seen their student loan debts forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which has recently been revamped, raising approval rates remarkably.

Enrollment on the Rise

Against a backdrop of national declines, enrollment at Alabama’s two-year and four-year colleges has been on a steady uptrend since 2022. Birmingham City Schools have taken the lead with innovative intersession programs that provide supplemental support, increasing participation from 1,800 students in 2021 to around 7,000 in fall 2024. Research shows that these programs are instrumental in lifting literacy and math skills among students. To back these efforts, the state legislature allocated an additional $1.8 million to support ongoing intersession initiatives.

In summation, 2024 has been a remarkable year for Alabama’s education system, with new opportunities, challenges, and a continued emphasis on improvement as communities work together for the educational future of their children.