Journal of Education Finance Pub Date : 2021-04-01 Brenda Mendiola, Philip Westbrook
- Alabama
- Brenda Mendiola (bio) and Philip Westbrook (bio)
Prior to the onset of COVID-19, Alabama was experiencing robust economic growth resulting in an estimated revenue increase for the Education Trust Fund of 4.46 percent for FY 2020.1 In February 2020, the unemployment rate was 2.7 percent, below the US average.2 Like all other states, COVID-19 disrupted the economy and created challenges for budgeting and planning. Unlike most states, Alabama operates under two separate budgets: The Education Trust Fund (ETF), which provides funding for public P-20, and the General Fund, which provides funding for all other state services.3 Alabama also operates under a fiscal year (FY) of October 1-September 30, which creates additional challenges for budgeting and planning as the fiscal year does not align with the academic year of July 1-June 30. Due to a prosperous economy in the beginning of FY 2020, the revenue to the ETF was higher than anticipated. Despite the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the Alabama legislature passed the largest education budget in the state's history for FY 2021-$7,204,431,488 which is an increase of $91,322,235 from FY 2020.4
funding priorities
In January of 2020, ALSDE presented four priorities for K12 growth5:
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• Implementing the Alabama Literacy Act including funding for items such as school-based reading coaches, regional reading specialists, professional development, summer and after school enrichment programs, and dyslexia learning lab pilots.
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• STEM Improvement and Growth with a focus on expansion of regional specialists, math coaches, and computer science along with early math improvements to include educator training, multi-sensory strategy training, implementation of new Alabama Math Standards, and support and resources.
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• School Safety and Climate with funding for regional safety training specialists, school-based mental health, and school-based mental health therapy.
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• Workforce Readiness Investments in Educators and Schools with a focus on career tech innovation and modernization, career coach expansion, funding for credentials, funding for Jobs for Alabama Graduates (JAG sites) and program expansion and support. [End Page 241]
In addition, Governor Kay Ivey's education priorities are detailed in her Strong Start, Strong Finish program which targets Pre to Three (Pr-3) preparation, Computer Science for Alabama, and Success Plus (workforce readiness).6 The Pr-3 initiative is an expansion of Alabama's nationally acclaimed First Class Pre-K Program, a state funded voluntary program for 4-year-old children. Serving more than 21,000 children in 2020, the program is run through The Office of School Readiness.7
changes to funding formula
Alabama's funding formula remained essentially the same for FY 2020 as it did in FY 2019.
pressing state issues
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• Economic uncertainty, high unemployment, declining tax revenues, and a decline in tourism.
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• Alabama is seeing a significant increase in the collection of funds from the Simplified Sellers Use Tax for online purchases.8 How this impacts schools remains to be seen since local taxes are allocated by jurisdiction and may vary greatly by school district.
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• K-12 schools in Alabama received $170,000,000 of the state's share of CARES Act funding with $100 million to be used for digital devices and software for virtual learning and $70 million for health and wellness to pay for items such as COVID-19 testing, isolation areas, temperature screening equipment, school bus modifications, facility improvement for COVID-19 response, and salaries for healthcare professionals or aides.9
exclusive to p-12: what are the alternatives to traditional public school offered by your state? what does the trend in funding look like for these alternatives?
The Alabama School Choice and Student Opportunity Act became effective March 19, 2015. The Alabama Charter Schools Commission (ACSC) is tasked with authorizing charter schools in the state. There are currently five functioning charter schools. Recently, the ACSC revoked the charter for Woodland Prep prior to the school's opening due to non-compliance with financial standards and lack of community support10. Additionally, the ACSC has approved two new charters to open next year and now twice denied a proposed charter aimed at serving the needs of LGBTQ+ students in the Birmingham metro area. The...
中文翻译:
阿拉巴马州
代替摘要,这里是内容的简要摘录:
- 阿拉巴马州
- 布伦达·门诺拉(Brenda Mendiola)(生物)和菲利普·威斯布鲁克(Philip Westbrook)(生物)
在COVID-19生效之前,阿拉巴马州经历了强劲的经济增长,预计教育信托基金的收入在2020财年将增长4.46%。1 2020年2月,失业率是2.7%,低于美国平均水平。2与所有其他州一样,COVID-19破坏了经济并为预算和规划带来了挑战。与大多数州不同,阿拉巴马州在两个单独的预算下运作:教育信托基金(ETF)为公共P-20提供资金,而普通基金为所有其他州的服务提供资金。3阿拉巴马州的会计年度(FY)为10月1日至9月30日,这会给预算和计划带来更多挑战,因为该会计年度与7月1日至6月30日的学年不符。从2020财年开始,ETF的收入高于预期。尽管COVID-19的对经济的影响,阿拉巴马州立法机关通过的最大的教育预算在国家的历史风云2021- $七二零四四三一四八八这是从2020年财年的$九一三二二二三五同比增长4
资金重点
2020年1月,ALSDE提出了K12增长5的四个优先事项:
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•实施《阿拉巴马州扫盲法案》,其中包括为学校的阅读教练,区域阅读专家,专业发展,暑期和课后充实计划以及阅读障碍学习实验室试点等项目提供资金。
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•STEM的改进和增长,重点在于扩展区域专家,数学教练和计算机科学,以及早期的数学改进,包括教育工作者培训,多感觉策略培训,新阿拉巴马州数学标准的实施以及支持和资源。
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•学校安全与气候,由区域安全培训专家,校本心理健康和校本心理健康治疗提供资金。
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•在教育工作者和学校进行劳动力就绪投资,重点是职业技术创新和现代化,职业教练扩展,证书资金,阿拉巴马州毕业生工作(JAG网站)资金以及计划扩展和支持。[结束页241]
此外,州长凯·艾维(Kay Ivey)的教育重点在她的“强壮开始”,“强壮完成”计划中得到了详细说明,该计划的目标是三到三(Pr-3)的准备,阿拉巴马州的计算机科学和Success Plus(劳动力就绪)。6 Pr-3计划是阿拉巴马州享誉全国的头等幼儿园计划的扩展,该计划是由州政府资助的针对4岁儿童的自愿计划。2020年,该计划将通过“学校就绪办公室”为21,000多名儿童提供服务。7
改变筹资方式
阿拉巴马州的2020财年筹资公式与2019财年基本相同。
紧迫的国家问题
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•经济不确定性,高失业率,税收下降以及旅游业下降。
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•阿拉巴马州从简化卖家使用税中进行在线购物的收款额显着增加。8这对学校的影响还有待观察,因为地方税是由司法管辖区分配的,并且可能因学区的不同而有很大差异。
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•阿拉巴马州的K-12学校获得了州政府CARES法案拨款的1.7亿美元,其中1亿美元用于数字设备和软件的虚拟学习,7000万美元用于健康和保健,用于支付COVID-19测试,隔离等项目区域,温度筛查设备,校车改造,COVID-19响应设施的改进以及医疗保健专业人员或助手的薪水。9
第-12页的专有内容:您所在州提供的传统公立学校的替代方案有哪些?这些替代方案的资金趋势如何?
《阿拉巴马州学校选择和学生机会法案》于2015年3月19日生效。阿拉巴马州特许学校委员会(ACSC)的任务是授权该州的特许学校。目前有五所运作的特许学校。最近,由于不遵守财务标准和缺乏社区支持10,ACSC在学校开放前撤销了《 Woodland Prep宪章》。此外,ACSC还批准了明年将要开放的两份新宪章,现在两次拒绝了旨在满足伯明翰都会区LGBTQ +学生需求的拟议宪章。这...