The Alabama Senate on Thursday approved a $9.3 billion education budget for 2025 that includes pay raises for school employees and increased funding for most education programs.
This budget is $549.9 million (6.8%) higher than the 2024 Education Trust Fund. The Senate also approved an additional bill allocating $651 million for education programs and schools in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
All bills were passed unanimously with little debate. The Senate made relatively minor changes to the House budget bill, which was passed by the House. last month.
The increase includes:
-
- 2% pay increase for education staff, effective October 1st.
- Contributions to local boards of education increased by $189.2 million (3.6%) from $5.125 billion to $5.314 billion. The increases include a $23.9 million (36%) increase for school nurses from $65.5 million to $89.5 million.
- The Alabama Department of Education saw an increase of $172.4 million, or 32.2%, from $534.7 million to $707.1 million. Most of that reflects increased funding for individual programs.
- The state's public universities increased by $112.5 million, or 7.2 percent, from $1.553 billion to $1.666 billion.
- Alabama Community College System increased $35.6 million, or 6.4%, from $551.3 million to $586.9 million.
Ministry of Education increase include Alabama Reading, an increase of $48.6 million (51.5%); leadingfrom $94.2 million to $142.8 million and $30.6 million increase (41.8%) in Alabama Math and Science; and Technology Initiatives, from $73.2 million to $103.9 million.
There was relatively little discussion about the budget itself, but Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, talked about the shift from daily funding to a state funding model. He spoke several times about the possibility of change.Number of people to allocate funds to as needed.
“We have to look at our students and their special needs. That's what we should and will continue to do…and frankly, we… Where are you going? And how are you going to get there?”
A coalition of education and civil rights groups launches a coalition advocating for change. Aligned with state funding models.
Other senators also raised personal concerns. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) praised the budget for funding Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), especially regarding security.
“What you're looking at is not just fenced security, it's cybersecurity,” he said. “We need tight security around the various campuses.”
Orr said there was a budget for security cameras and lighting. and Fences of various universities.
The budget goes back to the House for Senate changes or conference committee consent. If approved and signed by Gov. Kay Ivey, the budget would go into effect Oct. 1.
The supplemental bill includes an additional $109 million for local school boards.$63 million to the Alabama Department of Education, including $15 million for summer reading camps. and $50 million in funding Toward the CHOOSE Acta school voucher-like program that creates a tax credit program that allows parents to use up to $7,000 per school-age child for private school tuition, tutoring, and educational software and applications.
Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile, said she was disappointed to see money going to private schools, noting that retirees from education institutions received no additional funding in the budget.
“That's what makes it so difficult to understand how you can provide hundreds of millions of dollars to people who can already afford it. to I am paying for my children's private school tuition,” she said. “I truly believe that all children have the right to a high-quality, excellent education.”
