The Alabama Senate on Thursday passed an $8.26 billion Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget, which represents the largest in state history.
Budget sponsor State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, detailed the increased investments provided in the historic ETF budget.
“The budget passed today in the Senate provides a substantial amount of funding that will allow us the opportunity to address several critical educational needs across the state, the most noteworthy of these being the desperate need to attract and retain educators,” stated Orr in a release. “I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for, and if we want to be serious about our ability to attract and keep educators, then we must make a substantial investment to support these individuals.”
He added, “This ETF budget allows for those critical investments to be made and enables Alabama to be competitive with neighboring states in the recruiting process, as well as growing and expanding in other areas to help improve education overall. I am pleased with the Senate’s passage of this historic education budget, and I applaud Ways and Means Education Chairman Danny Garrett for his work on this effort in the House of Representatives.”
The ETF includes record pay increases for experienced public school teachers, including a raise in minimum salaries for teachers with nine or more years of experience and an annual 1% raise for all educators. The budget also expands existing dual enrollment programs through the Alabama Community College System and allows for continuing development of a dual enrollment scholarship program for academic and career-technical education programs.
Funding is allocated to initiate the Alabama Numeracy Act, a legislative effort to enhance mathematical proficiency. Additionally, all outstanding debt is repaid through the budget.
The ETF expands career and technical education programs by providing new or updated equipment ensuring that career tech programs meet current business and industry standards.
Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) applauded the work of his colleagues and attributed conservative fiscal practices to paving the way for increased ETF investments.
“I am proud to support this record setting education budget which will make an unprecedented investment in Alabama’s children while funding historic raises to keep great teachers in our classrooms,” said Reed. “The hard work and conservative budget practices by my colleagues in recent years have made this incredible day possible. I’d like to thank Finance and Taxation Education Chairman Arthur Orr and the members of the committee for their leadership and commitment to improving Alabama’s education system across the board.”
The Senate leader added, “Members of the Alabama Legislature continue to be dedicated to innovative solutions that ensure each child in Alabama has access to a high-quality education that prepares them for the 21st century workforce. At the end of the day, we want every student to be able to land a well-paying job so that they can live, work, worship, and raise a family of their own in a safe and strong community. The Alabama Senate and the entire legislature will not stop working to support Alabama’s students, teachers, and families.”
The ETF budget now heads to the Alabama House of Representatives for consideration.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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