By Gary Lloyd
MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Senate on Tuesday passed to bill that strengthens the Alabama Accountability Act sponsored by Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston).
First passed in 2013, the Alabama Accountability Act allows schools and school districts the opportunity to enter into flexibility contracts with the purpose of improving education for their students.
The bill also provides income tax credits for families with students in a failing school to attend a non-failing school. Individuals or businesses who donate to a nonprofit that provides scholarships for students who receive free and reduced lunches to attend a non-failing school will also be able to receive tax credits.
Changes to the Alabama Accountability Act include:
• A cap on the amount an SGO can give any one student, ,000 for elementary, ,000 for middle school, and ,000 for high school.
• Lowering the income eligibility to 185 percent of the federal poverty level, which means only those who qualify for free or reduced lunches under federal law will be eligible for a scholarship as a low income student.
• Turning over any money left over at the end of the following academic year to the ETF by way of their At-Risk Student Program.
• Clarifies that the Department of Revenue can audit SGOs.
• Requiring quarterly reports that show how much money goes to each school, how many scholarships are awarded, what percentage are for students zoned in failing schools and other accountability measures.
“This has been a great year for school choice in Alabama, the Senate has passed the School Choice and Student Opportunity Act, and we have now passed legislation to make the Alabama Accountability Act even stronger and more transparent,” Marsh said. “As with previous legislation, we worked closely with all interested parties to make this bill the best bill possible for parents, teachers and students.
“At the end of the day, we all want the children of Alabama to receive the best education possible in order to be competitive in an increasingly globalized job market and I believe that this bill helps achieve that goal.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.