During an interview with Mobile radio's FM Talk 106.5, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) said he anticipated the 2024 CHOOSE Act would ultimately make Alabama one of the "strongest" school choice states in the country.
According to the DeKalb County Republican lawmaker, participation is expected to increase as eligibility is expanded.
"We went slow and methodical to make sure we could do it the right way," he explained. "One of the things that I wanted to do when we first started is make sure that the people that could least afford going to a private school or a different school had the opportunity. So that's why we put 300% poverty level in there. As you know, that goes away. And I suspect that we should see a great number of kids that benefits from that. And yeah, you get a little bit that you're giving money to private schools and things like that. But the fact of the matter is, it's taxpayer dollars. And the parents that pay those taxes, the dollar follows them. And it does the same thing in public school. The money follows the child, wherever it goes, based on percentages or numbers. So yeah, I think we'll see it fully funded. I think it'll continue to grow."
"It has been [very popular]," Ledbetter added. "I think the numbers indicate that. The last time I looked, I think, even though we had the poverty level in there, I think we were over 24,000 kids. And so I wouldn't be surprised, Jeff, if that doesn't double once we open it up."
Ledbetter insisted the benefits would go beyond private schools.
"Yeah, and I think this is going to make Alabama probably the strongest school choice state in the country," he said. "If not, it will probably be for sure in the top five. So things have changed. I mean, we talked about public and private schools. Now we got charter schools and public schools and magnet schools. And I mean, I don't think that's a bad thing. I think it gives opportunities for people, and sometimes it's not about just being in a poor school or being in a bad school. Sometimes it's about just personalities and being able to get in a location where you can be successful. I think we've all seen it sometimes where you're held back, or they're held back because maybe their personalities collide, but then they get in a situation where they're able to blossom. And I've seen some of that during the CHOOSE Act. I've seen that happen. I've had parents tell me, 'You know, we had conflict over here, and this was causing an issue. But now, since we've moved to this new school, man, things are great.' So, I do think it gives an opportunity for that.
Ledbetter added, "And there is some misconception. I mean, there is some people who use the money to go to public schools because, you know, if it's a city school, sometimes they require that you get, you know, you have some type of funding to pay if you're out of the district. You have to more or less do a scholarship. So, it does go to — I think the last time I've seen there were over 1,500 public school kids using it. So I suspect that number will grow too."
Jeff Poor is the editor-in-chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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