On Wednesday, the Senate Education Policy Committee will meet to consider school choice legislation.
Senate Bill 202 (SB202) is sponsored by Sen. Larry Stutts.
The Parental Rights In Children’s Education (PRICE) Act for K-12 education “would secure the fundamental constitutional rights of parents to direct the education of their children according to their religious faith, beliefs, values, and morals. This bill would create and provide for the PRICE Program and would establish a three-year phase-in period.”
It establishes a Parent Advisory Board and “would provide for the funding of the PRICE ESA Fund and the PRICE Administration Fund for the costs of administering the PRICE Program.” The bill would also provide for implementing and administrating the PRICE Program and using education savings accounts. It would specify the qualified expenses that can be paid from an education savings account.
The bill would give parents $6,900 to put into an Education Savings Account that the parents could use at a public school, a public charter school, a private school, or a religious school.
The Alabama Republican Party has been adamant that the Party favors giving parents the power to decide where they send their kids to school. Yet, the overwhelming majority of children in the state are still trapped with only the option to go to the legacy public school they are assigned to.
The GOP released a poll on Tuesday showing that most Alabama voters want school choice in the state of Alabama. The poll asked 1,610 respondents the following question: “The State Legislature is considering a bill that would allow parents to choose which schools their children attend using state funds. Do you support or oppose school choice legislation?”
57% answered support, only 16% responded that they oppose, and 27% said they were undecided.
The GOP has a commanding supermajority in both Houses of the Legislature, so they can pass this if they choose to. Many legislators, however, fear pushback from teachers, superintendents, and prominent supporters of local public school systems.
The GOP polls showed that support for school choice was highest among Republican voters (67% to 9%) but also overwhelmingly popular with independent voters (55% to 17%) and still the first choice among Democrats (37% to 30%). The survey also showed school choice had extremely strong support from black voters (52% to 21%).
In 2022 then, Senator Del Marsh brought his school choice bill to the same committee, and it was effectively killed there without reaching the floor of the Senate. Dozens of Alabama’s public school superintendents flooded the room and were all over that session lobbying to kill that bill. The school superintendents were joined by the Alabama Education Association in steadfast opposition to the bill.
Proponents of school choice argue that competition will benefit Alabama’s children and that if multiple schools compete for students, that will produce improved performance. Proponents say that the parent will act in the best interest of their child and will send them to the school that best serves the child academically with the family’s value system and religious beliefs. Polling shows that protecting children from “Woke indoctrination” by liberal public school teachers, curriculum, and texts has become an increasingly important issue with Alabama families.
Opponents argue that if tax dollars are allowed to follow the children to private and religious schools that the most involved parents, higher-income families, and the most talented students will leave the public system leaving the legacy system underfunded and with the remaining student body increasingly poor and disadvantaged. Some opponents also oppose tax dollars going to religious schools.
The Committee will meet at 9:00 a.m. in the Finance and Taxation Room on the eighth floor of the Alabama State House.
Thursday will be day 15 of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
