Alabama families who applied to receive funds through Alabama’s new voucher-like school choice program — created by 2024 legislation, the CHOOSE Act — have begun to receive their education savings accounts.
The CHOOSE Act provides $7,000 in tax credits through an ESA that can be used to pay for private education tuition or $2,000 in credits to spend on homeschooling to eligible families. The income threshold to participate in the program is $93,600, or 300% of the federal poverty level — a threshold that nearly 75% of the state’s households fall under.
For its inaugural year, the CHOOSE Act will provide $124 million in funding. The families of 37,000 students applied to receive a cut of the funds, and about 24,000 — 64% of applicants — were awarded ESAs.
Data released from the Alabama Department of Revenue last week shows that nearly 60% of the students who received ESAs through the CHOOSE Act intend to enroll in a private school for the 2025-26 school year. However, the vast majority of those students, 71%, were already enrolled in private school — indicating that many students who are receiving CHOOSE Act funds will remain in the same type of school they already attended. The data also shows that, of the 7,000 students who were awarded funds for homeschooling, most will continue to be homeschooled in the upcoming school year.
Of the 5,176 public school students whose families received EFAs, 58.6% will switch to a private school for the 2025-26 school year, while another 13.6% will begin homeschooling this upcoming school year.
School choice programs in other states have shown that private school students tend to be the students who most utilize school-choice programs, especially in a program’s inaugural year. However, participation from public school families tends to increase as a state’s school-choice program continues — participation in Arizona’s school choice program more than doubled in one year according to a study from FutureEd.
Alabama has more than 200 private schools participating in the CHOOSE Act, with tuition ranging dramatically across the state — with the highest tuition for one student at a private school in the state coming in at $30,600 at Indian Springs School in Indian Springs and the lowest recorded tuition coming in at $1,850 at Clay County Christian Academy.
Alabama top stories in brief
Ivey replaces controversial parole board chair
- Gov. Kay Ivey announced last week that she is opting to replace Leigh Gwathney on the Alabama Board of Pardon and Paroles. Gwathney’s spot on the three-member board expired on June 30.
- Ivey is replacing Gwathney with Hal Nash, the chief corrections officer with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
- Gwathney had the backing of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who issued a formal request asking Ivey to keep Gwathney on the board after her seat expired, but Gwathney has proven to be a controversial figure on the board as the most common “no” vote in parole hearings as parole rates in the state have dropped in recent years.
New University of Alabama president nets $800,000 salary
- Peter Mohler, the new president of the University of Alabama, will be one of the highest-paid university employees in the state as he starts his tenure this fall: his contract, approved last week, includes an $800,000 starting salary.
- Mohler will receive this salary through Sept. 30, 2026, as well as annual performance bonuses of $75,000 in 2025 and $150,000 in 2026 and $30,000 for covering relocation expenses.
- Mohler previously served as the interim president of the Ohio State University, where he earned a salary of $783,324 — about 2% less than what he will earn at UA.
Birmingham-area leaking dam repair project resumes after pause over budget concerns
- $28 million in repairs to the Lake Purdy dam in Shelby County will continue after maintenance was halted by the Birmingham Water Board early this month over budgetary concerns.
- “The board recognizes the seriousness of this project,” said board member Phillip Wiedmeyer. “We are certainly concerned about the safety of the public and we are not going to take any action that is going to jeopardize that.”
- The dam, which provides water for Birmingham-area suburbs and communities, was classified as a high hazard by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. According to the corps, 23 other dams in Shelby County and 20 in Jefferson County are also in need of repair.
Alabama elementary, middle school students’ state test scores improve
- Data released by the Alabama State Department of Education last week shows that elementary and middle school students’ math and language arts scores on the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment of Progress exams increased for the 2024-25 school year.
- The number of students who scored below the proficiency threshold decreased for every subject area in every grade level, except for eighth grade math.
- Students from second through eighth grades across the state took ACAP exams this past school year.
Alabama schedules fifth execution of 2025
- An execution date has been scheduled last week for Geoffery Todd West; the fifth execution to be carried out in Alabama this year.
- West was sentenced to death for the 1997 murder of Margaret Parrish Berry.
- West is set to be executed on Sept. 25 using nitrogen gas.
Our articles you might have missed:
- In the most recent episode of Alabama Spotlight, Wesley Hyde and Harrison Neville recount their visit to Ave Maria Grotto, a stunning collection of folk art and the life’s work of Brother Joseph Zoetl. Zoetl spent over 50 years working with concrete and creating Ave Maria Grotto. The conversation discusses not only Zoetl and his work, but also the inescapable sense of wonder that accompanies visitors to the Ave Maria Grotto.
- Check out the companion article on our website, and be sure to listen to the exclusive interview we recorded with Roger Steele, the director of Ava Maria Grotto.
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