By Gary Lloyd
No schools from The Trussville Tribune coverage area were among the 78 “failing” schools released by the Alabama Department of Education on Tuesday morning.
Parents of students in the failing schools will be eligible for a state income tax credit to help send their child to a private school.
The criteria for being designated as “failing” was established by the Alabama Accountability Act, a school choice law approved by lawmakers in the recent legislative session.
The closest school to The Tribune coverage area listed as “failing” was Center Point High School.
The Alabama Accountability Act defines a “failing” school as one listed as low-performing in the state’s most recent school improvement grant application or has been in the bottom 6 percent of state standardized tests in reading and math for three or more times during the last six years. The new law will give tax credits for families at failing schools to use to pay tuition at a private school or a non-failing public school.
Pinson Valley High School Principal Terrence Brown said he was “excited” that his school was not on the list.
“However, we are looking beyond a failure list and creating opportunities for our students be ready for college or enter the workforce after graduation,” Brown said. “We look forward to working with the community and make this vision a reality.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.