The Alabama Public Charter School Commission has again rejected a proposal from the Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School (AAHS) to open a Birmingham campus, marking the second denial for the project in less than a year.
Commissioners voted against the application during their August 11 meeting, citing concerns over enrollment, student retention, and a lack of demonstrated community demand. The decision upheld the earlier rejection issued by the Birmingham Board of Education, according to reporting by the Alabama Reflector.
AAHS, which began operating in Bessemer in 2022, targets students in grades nine through twelve with coursework in aviation, aerospace, and other STEM disciplines. The school’s first graduating class included 13 students — among them three student pilots and four certified mechanics. Last school year ended with 146 students enrolled, well below the 365-student projection set when the school opened.
School founder Ruben Morris had proposed locating the Birmingham campus at Birmingham-Southern College, with a planned partnership with Miles College to boost academic rigor and introduce courses in artificial intelligence. He told commissioners that more than 80 families had expressed interest in the new campus.
Some commissioners were not convinced those numbers were enough to support a second location. Others expressed concern that splitting resources between Birmingham and Bessemer could weaken the original campus, which has faced retention issues. Commissioner Sharon Porterfield noted that 80 prospective students fell far short of the original enrollment goals, while Commissioner Cynthia McCarthy warned that a new site might slow growth and stability at the Bessemer school.
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Morris attributed retention challenges to students leaving when they are not selected for the school’s flight training program or when they feel they do not fit the school’s culture. He also pointed to facility limits in Bessemer, where the school cannot use its upper floor or place portable classrooms.
Birmingham City Schools opposed the plan. District representative Cedric Tatum told the commission the proposal suffered from deficiencies in its educational, operational, and financial plans, and said no parents or community members attended public hearings for the project.
This latest vote follows a May 12, 2025 resolution in which the commission formally denied AAHS’s first appeal to open a Birmingham campus. That decision encouraged the school to refine its proposal and reapply — an option that remains open despite this most recent setback.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
