The Alabama House of Representatives approved several bills on Thursday, directing over $12 billion in state funding and supplemental appropriations from the Education Trust Fund (ETF).
The House has already passed its General Fund budget and is awaiting Senate action.
"As Alabama continues to make remarkable strides in public education, it's vital that lawmakers in Montgomery remain committed to equipping our school systems with the necessary resources to help students thrive," House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) said. "This year's ETF is significant for several reasons. It funds paid parental leave for teachers, expands summer and afterschool programs, and increases funding for the Alabama numeracy act, which has been a catalyst for our state's nation-leading gains in 4th grade math. We’re making another strong investment in the CHOOSE Act, Alabama’s school choice program that is proving to be in high demand. Finally, we are creating the RAISE Program, a student-weighted funding model that funds schools based on their specific needs rather than headcount."
This year’s budgets are significantly less ambitious than in previous years. Despite another year with record income receipts, lawmakers and state leaders have warned about potentially declining revenues.
The budget covers the 2026 fiscal year, which begins in Alabama on October 1, 2025, and ends on September 30, 2026.
The first bill, covering over $500 million in ETF supplemental appropriations, was relatively benign. However, debate on it led to a tense exchange between House ETF chairman Danny Garrett (R-Trusville), who carried all the budget bills before the body, and State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham).
Givan was seemingly peeved that a priority for her did not make it into the budget for a conflict resolution non-profit, accusing Garrett and others of opposing it due to concerns over Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
When Garrett said that he and the committee did not find the non-profit and did not approve of including it in the budget, he also balked at the accusation that he opposed the program over cultural issues.
The exchange was repeatedly filled with Garrett telling Givan, “You cannot speak to what’s in my mind.” Givan would respond that she was basing her claims on Garrett’s words.”
“I’m yielding my time to you, but I’m not going to let you put words in my mouth,” Garrett said.
He continued, “I did not say what you said. I said nothing about DEI. I said nothing about culture.”
After several minutes of back-and-forth, Ledbetter slammed the gavel and exhorted Givan to stay on subject. Givan continued to balk, exclaiming, “This is about the budget. And since I was so rudely gaveled down.”
Despite the exchange, the supplemental passed unanimously with a technical amendment.
The House also passed supplemental appropriations from the ETF Advancement and Technology Fund. The bill initially included $422,000 to the controversial Magic City Acceptance Academy. However, it was amended to include a final number of $375,000.
Lawmakers have touted a complete defunding of Homewood’s progressive charter school over its continued implementation of DEI initiatives in contravention of state law.
The House also passed the Renewing Alabama's Investment in Student Excellence (RAISE) Act, which changes how K-12 public schools are funded in Alabama.
House Democrats did spend some time questioning Garrett and quibbling over details in the full $9.9 billion ETF budget bill. However, it lacked substantive disagreement over funding and revolved around more general complaints of differing funding priorities.
While this year’s budget did not include teacher pay raises, it did provide funding for paid parental leave and a workers’ compensation program, which came from bills passed earlier this session. Notably, the package included an $80 million increase for the CHOOSE Act, Alabama’s school choice education savings account program. Any unused portions of the additional funding would revert back to the reserve fund.
Despite the mild Democratic pushback, the ETF funding and appropriations package passed unanimously, gaining Garrett's applause throughout the room.
"I'm proud to have passed another strong Education Budget that positions our school systems for success," Garrett said after the budgets passed. "For the first time ever, we are funding schools based off the needs of the specific students they serve instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach and funding on headcount alone. We're also making significant investments in programs supporting teachers and students. Public education is on the rise in Alabama, and I believe that the passage of this budget will help us continue moving in the right direction."
Notable highlights from the ETF and supplemental bills include:
- $27 million increase for the Numeracy Act
- $14.4 million increase for Summer/Afterschool Programs
- $9.6 million for Paid Parental Leave
- $15.6 million for Teachers Workman's Compensation
- $58 million for the RAISE Act
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