Signed by Governor Kay Ivey

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that appropriates $23 billion from the Education Trust Fund and other funds for the state education budget.

Highlights:

• Appropriates a total of $22,994,481,158 for the support of education in Alabama for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023 

• Specifies that these funds are coming from the Education Trust Fund (ETF), the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Fund, the Impaired Drivers Trust Fund, the Driver Education and Training Fund, the Special Education Catastrophic Fund, the Public School Fund, and other funds listed (Sec. 2, Pgs. 2 & 3).

• Appropriates $18,633,595 from the ETF to the Legislative Branch to ensure the lawful implementation of this act (Sec. 3, Pgs. 4 & 5).

• Appropriates $13,143,177,248 from the ETF and other local and federal funds to the Executive Branch to fund various items, including (Sec. 3, Pgs. 5-103):

• Funding for various scholarship and financial aid programs;

• Funding for the Alabama Center for the Arts, State Council for the Arts, and Alabama School of Fine Arts;

• Funding for the State Departments of Education, Commerce, Economic Development, Public Health, Mental Health, Rehabilitation Services, Veterans’ Affairs, Finance, Youth Services, and Human Resources;

• Funding for local Boards of Education, at-risk student programs, and student mental health programs;

• Funding for the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Community College System, the State colleges and universities, schools for the deaf and blind, and the Alabama Football and Baseball Coaches Associations;

• Funding for workforce development, training, and support programs for students and teachers;

• Funding for public school nursing staff and the children’s hospital;

• Funding for medical education, EMT training, and public health and emergency services;

• Funding for substitute teacher support for teachers on leave;

• Funding for violence prevention, anti-harassment, anti-bullying, and drug abuse prevention programs in public schools;

• Funding for public charter school startups;

• Funding for math, science, arts, and new computer science curriculum;

• Funding for the statewide student assessment and Early Childhood Classroom Assessment;

• Funding for childrens’ eye care and speech language support programs;

• Funding for the High Needs Special Education Grant Program and Special Education Preschool Program;

• Funding for military children support programs;

• Funding for English language learners support programs;

• Funding for distance learning and online teaching support;

• Funding for the Advanced Placement and A+ Education Partnership Programs;

• Funding for financial assistance and auxiliary teacher support programs for underperforming students and schools;

• Funding for the Educational Television Commission;

• Funding for resource, soil, and water conservation programs in higher education;

• Funding for the State Law Enforcement Agency for school safety purposes;

• Funding for public libraries and library services;

• Funding for several other departments, programs, and initiatives to support public education.

• Establishes a formula for distributing funds and labor for nursing in public schools (Sec. 3, Pg. 25).

• Establishes the salary calculation for the Math and Science Teacher Program (Sec. 3, Pg. 27).

• Establishes the salary matrix for teachers in the Foundation Program (Sec. 3, Pg. 29).

• Establishes a minimum school year requirement of 180 days, along with guidelines or adjustable grade-specific student-to-teacher ratios (Sec. 3, Pg. 29).

• Specifies the learning requirements necessary to become certified as a teacher in Alabama (Sec. 3, Pg. 30).

• Establishes salary rates for personal days and sick days, and for the Teachers’ Retirement System and health insurance plans (Sec. 3, Pg. 31).

• Specifies that the Public Education Employees’ Health insurance Program (PEEHIP) rate shall be $800 per month for full-time employees (Sec. 3, Pg. 31).

• Specifies funding per student for instructional resource support, such as textbooks (Sec. 3, Pg. 31).

• Appropriates $9,687,479,234 from the ETF and other funds to distribute to colleges and universities in the state of Alabama (Sec. 3, Pgs. 103-112).

• Appropriates $33,420,133 to the Alabama Innovation Fund for economic development and research (Sec. 3, Pg. 112).

• Appropriates $111,770,948 to the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (Sec. 3, Pg. 114).

• Requires colleges and universities to have their ETF appropriation reduced by the greater of $1,000,000 or 1/2 of 1% if they do not comply with Department of Education policies (Sec. 4, Pg. 115).

• Requires the State Superintendent to encourage Local Education Agencies to use federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund money to address costs of the COVID-19 pandemic in public schools (Sec. 5, Pg. 116).

• Requires Local Education Agencies to expend no less than $100,000,000 of federal stimulus funds to assist in the safe opening of public schools after the pandemic (Sec. 5, Pg. 117).

• Authorizes local boards of education to transfer funds to their local Child Nutrition Program (Sec. 12, Pg. 120).

• Specifies the State Employees’ Insurance Board (SEIB) rate of $930 per month for full-time employees (Sec. 13, Pg. 120).

• Specifies distribution of funds for at-risk student programs (Sec. 15, Pgs. 120-122).

• Requires local superintendents and finance officers to be notified of this budget and new funding, and requires funding to be disbursed on a non-discriminatory basis (Sec. 17, Pgs. 123 & 124).

• Repeals all laws expressly in violation of this act (Sec. 19, Pg. 124).

• Specifies that this act takes effect October 1, 2022 (Sec. 20, Pg. 124).

Full Bill Text