This morning, Governor Kay Ivey’s signature on school choice legislation has placed Alabama at the forefront of states in expanding educational freedom in 2024. With the creation of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), Alabama joins fourteen other states in offering comprehensive choice programs as state legislatures across the U.S. consider similar expansions in 2024.
“Today is a historic day as we officially sign our education savings account bill, the CHOOSE Act, into law,” Gov. Ivey said at a ceremonial bill signing alongside students, lawmakers and advocates. “Our plan will not only work for Alabama families – it will work for the state and will be effective and sustainable for generations to come.
“At the end of the day, we all want every Alabama student – no matter the zip code, no matter the school, to receive a quality education,” Ivey said.
The CHOOSE Act was ushered through the legislature by State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville), who each serve as the chairman of the Education Trust Fund committees in their respective chamber.
The law creates $7,000 ESAs for eligible students to use toward education expenses beginning in 2025-26 school year. It will be available to all students by the 2027-28 school year. Eligible students must be between ages 5 and 19 — or up to 21 for students with disabilities — and have not graduated from high school.
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The first 500 ESAs are reserved for students with special needs, following priority groups that include siblings of eligible students, students in military families zoned to priority schools, and students in families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level.
Lawmakers will allocate at least $100 million each year to fund ESAs, with a cap of $500 million in any one year, managed by the Alabama Department of Revenue.
“Ultimately we need to be funding the students’ education and focus on the students and not so much on institutions,” State Sen. Arthur Orr told lawmakers.
Orr also praised Governor Kay Ivey’s leadership on the matter.
“It was an honor to work with Governor Ivey and her team to swiftly pass a school choice bill that she declared her number one priority this Session,” he said. “I believe Governor Ivey desires nothing but the best for all Alabama’s school children and their families both today and in the years to come.”
Also under the law, parents who homeschool can receive a tax credit of up to $2,000 per child for educational materials from approved venders. That is capped at $4,000 per homeschool family.
Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed (R-Jasper) said today, “Alabama put school children and their families first.
“Children are our future, and there is no greater responsibility for lawmakers than ensuring our kids have every resource needed for academic success regardless of their zip code,” said Reed. “We want our children to achieve their dreams and reach their full potential, and the CHOOSE Act provides this opportunity in a fiscally responsible way.”
“I am proud of the investment we are making that will have a positive impact on our young students across Alabama,” Reed said.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl called the the legislation a “historic achievement.”
“The Alabama Republican Party has been working tirelessly towards School Choice for years, and we are thrilled to see the enactment of HB129. There is still much to do in the fight for school freedom, but this bill takes a massive step forward in putting parents back in control of their children’s education,” said Wahl.
“A child’s quality of education should never be based on their background or where they live. We firmly believe that every family should have the opportunity to secure a better education, and School Choice is a pivotal component in accomplishing that goal.”
He also made sure to give special credit to Sen. Orr and Rep. Garret for sponsoring the legislation.
“On behalf of the Alabama GOP, I extend our heartfelt appreciation to the legislators – especially bill sponsors Representative Danny Garrett and Senator Arthur Orr – as well as Governor Ivey for their collaborative efforts in making this critical advancement possible.”
RELATED: School Choice Week: Alabama leaders promise to ‘continue the fight’
According to non-profit EdChoice, there are 25 states currently considering education reform bills in, nearly 80% of which relate to education savings accounts.
The organization’s President and CEO, Robert Enlow, said that he expects the number of states to grow.
“While legislative bodies typically avoid enacting transformative policy reform in election years, 2024 is shaping up to be different, as policymakers are seeing that educational choice is overwhelmingly popular among parents and adults, supported by robust research, and legal sound,” Enlow said.
“Alabama is the first state to take a stance this year, but we don’t expect it to be the last.”
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
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