Alabama

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey wants a $100M school choice plan: Here’s what to know about the bill

Published

2 years ago

February 8, 2024

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey wants a 0M school choice plan: Here’s what to know about the bill

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced her support for the Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education Act during her State of the State address on Tuesday.

Known as the CHOOSE Act, the bill would establish education savings accounts for parents of participating students to help offset costs of certain education expenses in the state — including private school.

The ESAs, a type of school voucher program, would be available to families whose gross incomes do not exceed 300 percent of the federal poverty line the preceding year for the 2025-2026 academic calendar under the proposal. They would become available to all parents of students who meet age guidelines starting Jan. 1, 2027.

“Passing an education savings account bill that works for families and for Alabama is my No. 1 legislative priority,” Ivey said, “and I am proud to have our education budget chairmen, Sen. Arthur Orr and Rep. Danny Garrett carry the CHOOSE Act.”

ESAs would be an annual credit, capped at $7,000, for participating students enrolled in participating schools. For students not enrolled in participating schools — like those being homeschooled — the credit would be capped at $2,000, with a $4,000 maximum per family. Also, the first 500 slots would be reserved for parents of eligible students with disabilities.

To fund the accounts, the Alabama State Treasury would establish the CHOOSE Act Fund. The legislature would be required to appropriate at least $100 million to the fund annually. The legislature considered a similar bill in 2023 that included $864 million in funding. The PRICE Act, introduced by Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia, would have provided $6,900 for public school students, but it failed to reach the Senate floor.

Qualifying expenses

The following are listed as qualifying educational expenses under the CHOOSE Act:

Tuition and fees at a participating school
Textbooks
Fees for after-school or summer education programs provided by a participating school
Private tutoring
Curricula or instructional materials
Tuition and fees for nonpublic online learning programs
Educational software applications
Fees for standardized and nationally recognized assessments, including college admissions tests, advanced placement exams and related preparatory courses
Education services for students with disabilities from a licensed or accredited practitioner or education service provider
Contracted services provided by a public school district including specific classroom instruction

How participation would work

To participate in the program, parents of eligible students would need to submit required information to the Alabama Department or Revenue to prove qualification. Participating students would also be required to take a standardized assessment. The assessment would be administered by a participating school, as part of the school’s requirements to participate in the program.

Qualifying assessments are as follows:

An assessment aligned to the curricula of the participating school
A nationally norm-referenced achievement assessment
A nationally recognized aptitude assessment of the participating school’s choice

Some students with disabilities would be exempt from the testing requirement.

What about oversight

Education services, public/private schools, charter schools, home schooling programs would have to hold a valid occupancy permit if required by the area’s municipality, provide financial statements to the Department or Revenue and continuously inform the department of the registration statuses of participating students or misuse of program funds.

Schools would also be in charge of creating a standard application form for parents wishing to participate, establish and publicize deadlines, explicitly provide written explanations to parents and remit all unused ESA funds to the CHOOSE Act Fund at the end of the academic year. A list of participating schools has not yet been specified.

The Alabama Department of Revenue would conduct random financial audits of ESAs, participating schools and other education service providers catch potential cases of fraud or misuse of funds.

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Alabama

Alabama AHSAA softball key dates and top teams approaching the 2026 playoffs

Published

7 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

Alabama AHSAA softball key dates and top teams approaching the 2026 playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Alabama’s AHSAA softball playoffs are just around the corner with three of the state’s top teams ranked in the national Top 15.

The No. 5 Orange Beach [AL] Makos, No. 10 Thompson [Alabaster, AL] Warriors, and No. 15 Wetumpka [AL] Indians are all ranked in the most recent edition of the MaxPreps Top 50 with the start of Alabama’s postseason less than two weeks away.

Orange Beach was previously ranked No. 1 before losing to the South Warren [Bowling Green, KY] Spartans last week. Both teams were undefeated going into the contest, and the Barbers Hill [Mt. Belvieu, TX] Eagles took the Makos’ place at the top of the rankings following the loss.

WATCH: ALABAMA AHSAA SOFTBALL ON THE NFHS NETWORK

Key dates for the Alabama AHSAA softball playoffs

DATE	PLAYOFF DEADLINES
5/1-5/26 Advertisement	Area Tournaments
5/11-14/26	Regional Tournaments
5/18-22/26	State Tournaments Advertisement

National Top 50 contenders by classification

Alabama’s three nationally-ranked teams all compete in different classifications.

Class 7A

The Thompson Warriors are 34-1-2, and they compete in the AHSAA’s top-level Class 7A ranks. The team’s only loss is to the No. 15 Wetumpka Indians in a 3-2 setback on April 3.

Class 6A

Wetumpka is 34-5, and as noted above, they are the only team to beat Thompson so far.

Class 4A

Orange Beach is the state’s top-ranked team despite competing at the AHSAA’s Class 4A level. Their loss to South Warren of Kentucky in a 6-1 setback on April 9 ended a 45-game win streak at the time. The Makos had only allowed 25 runs all season prior to the relative outburst by the Spartans.

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Alabama

Alabama edge to pattern his game after 2-time Super Bowl Champ

Published

19 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Alabama edge to pattern his game after 2-time Super Bowl Champ

Photo comes via Rodger Champion of Alabama athletics

How electric could Alabama football be on defense this season?

Alabama edge updates development of 4-star inside linebacker

The answer comes down to how many players Kane Wommack can produce to affect opposing quarterbacks in the pocket.

He returns Yhonzae Pierre, a fourth-year edge rusher, following a season where he collected eight sacks (team-high), 14.5 tackles for loss (team-high), nine quarterback hurries (team-high), and three forced fumbles. Pierre will draw much attention from offensive coaches; however, the Crimson Tide has a sophomore ready to help him on the outside.

Justin Hill, a former four-star from Cincinnati, Ohio, has made it his mission to become a complete pass rusher.

Alabama edge Justin Hill (#8) is modeling his game after a former two-time Suer Bowl Champion.

3/25/25 MFB Spring Practice
Alabama Linebacker Justin Hill (8)
Photo by Kent Gidley

He provided some excitement in 15 games last year, posting 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup.

Former 4-star edge “will stand out” at Alabama in 2026 season, per Yhonzae Pierre

Who is Justin Hill modeling his game after?

The 6-foot-3, 244-pounder had a good spring, and the coaching staff looks at him as someone that brings speed, power, and edge-bending abilities to harass quarterbacks. Hill mentioned to reporters after A-Day that he wants to ‘go through’ quarterbacks in generating pressure.

He also wants to pattern his game after a former two-time Super Bowl Champion.

Hill detailed the former two-time Butkus Award winner he’s emulating.

“I am watching guys like Von Miller,” Hill said. “I’m watching a lot of speed to power guys.”

Hill stated Nik Bonitto of the Denver Broncos as another National Football League pass rusher he is studying. Bonitto has 37 sacks and 44 tackles for loss in four seasons with the Broncos – including a career-high 14 sacks in 2025.

Miller is one of the greatest pass rushers in the history of the league. He has 138.5 career sacks, including seven seasons with 10-plus sacks.

Miller has two Super Bowl rings, a Super Bowl Most Valuable Player honor, three first-team All-Pro honors, eight Pro Bowl nods, and is on the NFL’s 2010 All-Decade Team.

Hill learned to ‘cut it loose’ as an edge rusher from Pierre, so the combination of that and studying film on Miller should prepare him to be a force in the fall.

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Stephen M. Smith is a team writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.

Stephen Smith is a 2015 graduate of the University of Alabama.
He is a seasoned writer that has covered Alabama football for Touchdown Alabama Magazine since 2009. Smith has extensive knowledge within the program, which has made him among the most respected journalist in his field. Throughout his career, Smith has been featured on ESPN and several other marquee outlets as an analyst.

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YMCA of South Alabama holds Healthy Kids Day in Spanish Fort

Published

1 day ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

YMCA of South Alabama holds Healthy Kids Day in Spanish Fort

SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WALA) – The YMCA of South Alabama held a Healthy Kids Day at Spanish Fort Town Center Park.

Saturday’s event featured games and demonstrations, along with interactive activities featuring police and fire vehicles.

“I think just seeing so many organizations come together that serve kids, and just seeing kids have fun,” said Gwen Summer, CEO of the YMCA of South Alabama.

Marissa Rennaker, director of development for the YMCA of South Alabama, said the event exposed children to new activities.

“I think it’s been seeing all the kids laugh and try different things that they probably haven’t tried before,” Rennaker said. “There was a big group doing pickleball and yoga. We had ballet earlier, so just getting them out and exposed to things, I think it’s been great.”

The event was designed to kick off a healthy, active summer.

The YMCA of South Alabama is located at 27080 Pollard Road in Daphne.

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