MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — More than half of families who applied for Alabama’s new school voucher program have children attending a private school or are home schooling, numbers that buoy school choice advocates who say the flood of applications proves the approach is what parents want
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey’s office disclosed the application statistics on Tuesday. the CHOOSE Act, the latest initiative This initiative will assist qualifying households in accessing government funds to cover expenses related to private schooling or homeschooling. Households have turned in 22,167 applications representing a total of 36,873 students.
Ivey stated that the strong volume of applications indicates, "undoubtedly, tax-paying families in Alabama desire school choice."
"The CHOOSE Act, which is Alabama’s education savings account initiative, will provide additional tax-paying Alabama families with the chance to select a schooling option that caters to their child’s specific requirements. We are greatly encouraged by the robust initial reaction to this program," stated Ivey regarding the application figures.
A large volume of submissions increases the likelihood that the state might deplete the initial $100 million allocated for the program’s inaugural year. Consequently, legislators may consider allocating extra funds to support the initiative further.
The statistics indicated that over fifty percent of the applications originated from students currently enrolled in either private institutions or homeschooling programs. Among these 36,873 students, 10,287 were from public schools, 15,436 came from private schools, and 9,070 were homeschooled.
Alabama is among the states that are using vouchers, tax credits or scholarships to parents to help families pay for private school or education costs outside of the public school setting.
Alabama’s CHOOSE Act, The Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students' Education Act of 2024 aims to offer qualifying families up to $7,000 in state funds via education savings accounts. This can be used towards private school fees or expenditures at an approved institution. Additionally, parents may receive as much as $2,000 for homeschooling costs.
The initial 500 spots are set aside for families of students who have disabilities. At first, eligibility is restricted to those whose annual income does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty line, equivalent to roughly $77,460 for a household of three individuals. However, starting from 2027, this income restriction will be removed; nonetheless, lower-income households as well as those with children having disabilities would still receive preference when allocating resources.
Lawmakers in Alabama have set aside $100 million for the initial phase of the program. According to Gina Maiola, who speaks on behalf of Ivey, the state aims to distribute "as many grants as feasible" using the funds at their disposal.
Starting from May 1st, families will be informed whether they will receive an award.
This greatly surpassed our expectations for the first year regarding the volume of applications," Senator Arthur Orr, who chairs the Senate education budget-writing committee, stated. "The question now is: out of these applicants, how many meet the criteria? Specifically, how many fall below the 300% income threshold?
Orr from R-Decatur mentioned that he is considering the option of a conditional or supplementary allocation if the initial $100 million proves insufficient for all qualifying applicants.
White families made up 58.6% of the applications, whereas non-white families constituted 41.4%. The state of Alabama has approximately 64.1% of its population identified as white.
Proponents argue that these programs allow parents to select the most suitable educational approach for their kids. However, opponents contend that they siphon funds away from public schools, potentially benefiting families who had already planned to send their children to private institutions.
“I’m concerned about the fact that we have about 150 failing schools and those schools need additional revenue,” Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, said referencing the designation for schools with low test scores.
"As this expands, it will draw funds away from public education," Smitherman noted additionally.
Kim Chandler from The Associated Press