Vetoed by Governor Robert Bentley

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that amends the "Accountability Act" relating to tax credits for students to transfer out of failing schools, effective retroactively to March 14, 2013.

Highlights:

• Amends the definition of a “failing school” to be a school that meets at least 1 of certain criteria including, but not limited to, the following criteria (Sec. 1):
• The school is designated as a failing school by the Superintendent of Education;
• The school, until June 1, 2017, does not exclusively serve a special population of students and has been listed in the lowest 6 percent of public K-12 schools on state standardized tests 3 or more times during the most recent 6 years; or
• The school, on or after June 1, 2017, does not exclusively serve a special population of students and has received at least 1 grade of “F” or, during the most recent 4 years has earned at least 3 consecutive grades of “D” on the school grading system.

• Prohibits a public or nonpublic school from being required to enroll a student (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes a public or nonpublic school to develop terms and conditions for the enrollment of a student transferring from a failing school, except for terms and conditions which discriminate based on the race, gender, religion, color, disability, or ethnicity of the student or the student’s parent (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that each year after a student transfers from a failing school to a nonpublic school and remains enrolled there, 20 percent of the cost of attendance for a public school student will be paid to the failing school (Sec. 1).

• Requires the parent of a student attempting to transfer out of a failing school to first attempt to enroll his or her child in a non-failing public school in the same local system in which the student is already enrolled before seeking space in another school system (Sec. 1).

• Requires the parent of a student enrolled in a non-failing public school within another school system to be responsible for the student’s transportation (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes a corporate taxpayer to claim a tax credit for 100 percent of their total contributions made to educational scholarship granting organizations, if the following conditions are met (Sec. 1):
• The tax credit does not exceed 50 percent of the taxpayer’s total tax liability; and
• The tax credits granted through this provision do not exceed $25 million.

• Specifies that any scholarship funds that are unaccounted for by September 15 of each year will be made available for low-income students to attend qualifying schools (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits any donations that directly benefit specifically designated scholarship recipients (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the "Accountability Act" relating to tax credits for students to transfer out of failing schools, effective retroactively to March 14, 2013.

Highlights:

• Amends the definition of a “failing school” to be a school that meets at least 1 of certain criteria including, but not limited to, the following criteria (Sec. 1):
• The school is designated as a failing school by the Superintendent of Education;
• The school, until June 1, 2017, does not exclusively serve a special population of students and has been listed in the lowest 6 percent of public K-12 schools on state standardized tests 3 or more times during the most recent 6 years; or
• The school, on or after June 1, 2017, does not exclusively serve a special population of students and has received at least 1 grade of “F” or, during the most recent 4 years has earned at least 3 consecutive grades of “D” on the school grading system.

• Prohibits a public or nonpublic school from being required to enroll a student (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes a public or nonpublic school to develop terms and conditions for the enrollment of a student transferring from a failing school, except for terms and conditions which discriminate based on the race, gender, religion, color, disability, or ethnicity of the student or the student’s parent (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that each year after a student transfers from a failing school to a nonpublic school and remains enrolled there, 20 percent of the cost of attendance for a public school student will be paid to the failing school (Sec. 1).

• Requires the parent of a student attempting to transfer out of a failing school to first attempt to enroll his or her child in a non-failing public school in the same local system in which the student is already enrolled before seeking space in another school system (Sec. 1).

• Requires the parent of a student enrolled in a non-failing public school within another school system to be responsible for the student’s transportation (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes a corporate taxpayer to claim a tax credit for 100 percent of their total contributions made to educational scholarship granting organizations, if the following conditions are met (Sec. 1):
• The tax credit does not exceed 50 percent of the taxpayer’s total tax liability; and
• The tax credits granted through this provision do not exceed $25 million.

• Specifies that any scholarship funds that are unaccounted for by September 15 of each year will be made available for low-income students to attend qualifying schools (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits any donations that directly benefit specifically designated scholarship recipients (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text