Alabama
Alabama Lawmakers Consider New School Funding Model
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With one legislative session finished and the next about eight months away, Alabama legislators will spend the time in-between deciding whether to develop an entirely new school funding formula.
The House and Senate committees that oversee the Education Trust Fund (ETF), the state’s education budget, held a joint meeting Tuesday to begin discussions about potential changes to the current public K-12 education funding formula.
“It has been 30 years since we changed our funding formula for education, and a lot has changed in the past 30 years,” said Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, the chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, in an interview after the meeting. “We are one of six states out of 50 that continues to fund the way we are funding, on a resource-model basis, so we are looking at what other options we have that would be better suited to that.”
It is the first in a series of meetings aimed at providing members an education on the workings of Alabama’s Foundation Program, the $4.6 billion program in the ETF which provides funding for schools around the state.
Many states fund their schools using a student-based model, one that takes into greater account not only the number of students within a given school system, but also the students’ composition, such as whether they are English Language learners or someone with special needs.
Under Alabama’s current formula, in place since 1995, the number of students creates a certain number of teacher units. That number of teacher units then becomes the basis of much of the funding.
At a recent State Board of Education work session, State Superintendent Eric Mackey had defined the school as a “hybrid program” rather than a true foundation program because those units are the basis of funding.
“You get what you get based on the number of units,” he said.
According to Allovue, Connecticut, Kansas, California, Tennessee, Maryland and Texas have all moved to a weighted student funding formula in the last decade.
Members discussed not only the funding formula, but also underfunding of schools in lower-income communities with significant minority populations; the role of economic development incentives and their effect on school funding, and the lack of funding for special needs students.
Kirk Fulford, deputy director of the Legislative Services Agency, provided lawmakers with an overview of the Foundation Program.
The amount that schools receive is based on a unit count. The state takes the average number of students enrolled in the school or school system for the 20 days following Labor Day. The number is then divided by the divisor, set by the Legislature for the number of students within a set of grade levels.
If a school has 100 students, and the divisor for K-3 grades is 14.25, the school or school district has a unit count for K-3 grade teachers of 7.01. That is then converted to dollars based on the salary schedule that is set.
The number of principals, assistant principals and counselors for a school is also calculated based on units, and the amount of Foundation Program funding for the school is converted by multiplying that unit count by the money per unit decided by legislators.
Other types of funding are added to the Foundation Program allocation for schools, from transportation expenses to additional money specifically for math and science teachers along with special education.
Money to fund the cost determined for each district is shared between municipalities and the state. The formula is designed so that more affluent locations pay a greater share of the cost than those whose residents are lower income.
Local governments must set property taxes at a minimum of 10 mills in order to receive money from the Foundation Program.
For the coming year, the state portion of the ETF for K-12 schools, including the Foundation Program; transportation, and programs run through the Alabama State Department of Education, is about $5.5 billion. The local fund portion is about $831.5 million.
The amount in local property taxes collected for the school system will vary by the assessed value of the properties within the school system’s boundaries. Poorer areas will generate less tax revenues than more prosperous ones.
Lowndes County, for example, an area with a significantly lower-income population, paid roughly $1.3 million into the Foundation program. Mountain Brook, a wealthy suburb of Birmingham, paid about $7.3 million to the Foundation Program.
School districts with wealthier populations tend to record higher scores on standardized tests, according to an analysis based on FY21-22 spending and School Year 2022-23 scores from the Edunomics Lab based at Georgetown.
The local allocation has irritated some lawmakers who work to increase their economic development to increase school funding, only to have their state allocation reduced, leaving them net neutral.
“We always were under the impression that, ‘Wow, we bring in industry, and they pay $200,000 of property taxes to our schools,’” said Rep. Troy Stubbs, R-Wetumpka, who used to be on the Elmore County Commission. “We felt like we were improving our local schools because we were bringing in more money. However, Elmore County is only a participant in our Foundation Program with our 10 mills. We do not have any local funding. Because of that, all we were really doing was lowering the amount that the state contributed to Elmore County.”
In Tennessee, which moved to a weighted student funding formula in recent years, school districts were required to keep funding at previous levels, according to the Commercial Appeal. The state provided overall more funding to the education budget so that districts received more money by numbers, even if the share they received from the state lowered.
Garrett previously told the Reflector that the Educational Opportunities Reserve Fund, created in the 2022 regular legislative session, could be used in shifting the funding formula.
Schools receive additional funding for specific students, such as those with special needs, from the Foundation Program. The formula automatically factors in the number of students who have special needs at 5%. The unit count is then weighted up to 2.5 for those students to give schools additional dollars for more resources.
Currently, the sole adaptation in the formula is headcount, and doesn’t incorporate the specific needs of some in schools, one that is based on each student, might.
“We know the cost to educate a special needs child is, far and away, more than the average child,” said Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, the chair of the Senate’s education budget committee. “The cost to educate an English Language Learner is much more than an average Alabama child. Following the trend, or at least looking at the other states who have gone down this road, seeing if we want to consider changing our funding model, how we fund based on a type of student instead of just a student.”
The committees plan to resume the discussions at an August meeting.
Reporter Jemma Stephenson contributed to this story.
Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com. Follow Alabama Reflector on Facebook and X.
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Austin Mack’s Rose Bowl story is well known. The Alabama football quarterback nearly predicted it himself.
In the middle of a hotel conference room days before the 2026 Rose Bowl, Mack, faced with countless questions on his Alabama future with an NCAA transfer portal window looming, remained assured. Everybody has their own journey, he said. He’ll be ready when his time comes, he said.
“I’m one play from playing in the Rose Bowl vs. Indiana,” Mack said in December. “That’s kind of where my mind’s at.”
Crimson Tide fans know the rest of the tale: Ty Simpson suffers an injury in the second quarter against Indiana, Mack enters as Alabama’s quarterback and leads Alabama to its only scoring drive of the day.
Nothing really changed. Indiana, the eventual College Football Playoff national champion, pounded Alabama 38-3, ending the Crimson Tide’s season.
But this story is not about a scoreboard. To those closest to Mack, it represented an opportunity, one he’d been waiting for, one that continues to be talked about as the turning point of a career defined by patience.
The Rose Bowl wasn’t perfect for Mack. But it was a chance. And that’s all that Mack and those close to him were waiting for.
‘He’s got this’
When Aidan Mack tells his version of the Rose Bowl story, he always starts with a caveat: he didn’t know what was happening.
Aidan, sitting with his parents Brad and Lisa Mack, was in the stands in Pasadena. There was no commentary, no context. Just actions and questions. The Macks didn’t know Simpson cracked a rib in the second quarter, nor did they know why Austin spoke with a member of the training staff as he walked off the field for halftime.
Austin Mack warmed up with Simpson heading into the second half, and continued to throw through a three-and-out to open the third quarter: the final plays of Simpson’s Alabama career.
Then Austin took the field. And immediate support fell on the Macks.
Julie Simpson, Ty’s mother, turned to Lisa, connected eyes and said, mother to mother, “He’s got this.” All Aidan could do was turn to his father, Brad, and say, “Here we go.”
“As a parent, you’re nervewracked,” Brad Mack said. “But watching him go out and operate, your heart just fills. It’s like, yes, he’s worked every day of his life for this moment right here.”
Brad, Lisa and Aidan Mack saw the quarterback they’ve always seen in Austin, one who came to life, one who confidently implored his offensive linemen not to look at the scoreboard and to simply play.
“It was a chance for him to go out and do what he does and be the guy,” Brad Mack said.
Austin showed athleticism. Austin showed maturity. Austin made throws. Austin made mistakes.
After years of waiting, that’s all Lisa Mack needed to see.
“That moment, I knew he could do the job,” she said.
‘It was incredibly rewarding for me’
Paul Doherty knows what Mack the starting quarterback looks like.
After two seasons of waiting, Mack had one season as Doherty’s quarterback at Folsom High School. But when Mack entered the Rose Bowl, production was not on Doherty’s mind.
Doherty was getting away from football, walking through an airport terminal after a quick San Diego vacation with his 8- and 10-year-old sons. One comment stopped Doherty dead in his tracks.
“Papa, Austin’s in the game.”
Suddenly nothing else mattered. Doherty found the nearest TV and watched.
Doherty knew what the moment meant. Mack dominated practice fields at Folsom, and whether he faced second-team reps or was leading the Bulldogs to a NorCal Championship against De La Salle, Mack never changed.
To Doherty’s two sons, Mack was an idol. As both sat in Doherty’s quarterback room during position meetings, they watched Mack take praise and criticism in stride. They watched Mack become a professional, soaking in lessons they may not realize until they are much older.
The process is what Doherty thought about while watching Mack at the Rose Bowl throwing completion after completion.
“It was incredibly rewarding for me,” Doherty said.
‘He is definitely capable’
Austin Mack’s Rose Bowl was something Kalen DeBoer had been waiting for, too.
Mack was in DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s quarterback room at Washington weeks after Mack’s 17th birthday. Mack showed his unwavering trust in DeBoer by following him and his staff to Alabama and remaining in his quarterback room despite hardly any significant reps through three seasons.
Mack is bought into the big picture. But DeBoer is also bought in. He saw, at the Rose Bowl, firsthand what Mack had developed into.
The energy came immediately, DeBoer remembers. Mack’s confidence and ability to execute quickly followed. There was no easing in, DeBoer said. Mack provided the spark, an inkling of light for the Crimson Tide to follow in the midst of extreme darkness.
“There’s an energy and a vibe you have about you, and he’s got that,” DeBoer told The Tuscaloosa News. “He’s a great teammate. I mean, a phenomenal teammate, and that’s not just what he wants to be. He’s going to be that naturally because that’s just who he is.
“He wants to be a starting quarterback. He wants to be the guy leading a team to a championship. He is definitely capable of that.”
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.
By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer
MONTEVALLO – Fireworks lit the sky above Independence Hall, patriotic music echoed across the grounds of American Village and thousands of visitors from across Alabama gathered in Montevallo as Sweet Home 250 marked the state’s official celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
Held July 3-4, the two-day festival transformed American Village into the centerpiece of Alabama’s observance of the nation’s semiquincentennial, drawing what organizers estimate was the largest public event ever hosted on the campus.
“It was everything we hoped it would be,” American Village President and CEO Alan Miller said. “For two days, people from every corner of Alabama came together to celebrate our nation’s history, our shared ideals and the people who continue to write the American story. The response from our guests was overwhelming.”
The celebration came three years after Gov. Kay Ivey designated American Village as Alabama’s Semiquincentennial Celebration Capital, placing the Montevallo campus at the heart of the state’s America 250 commemorations.
For organizers, the festival represented the culmination of years of planning.
“This wasn’t something that came together overnight,” Alabama USA Semiquincentennial Commission Executive Officer Natalie Steed said. “Planning involved countless hours from American Village staff, volunteers, performers, first responders, state and local agencies and community partners. Without the support of the Alabama Legislature, Gov. Ivey and the Alabama USA Semiquincentennial Commission, this celebration could not have happened. It truly took a statewide effort to create an event worthy of this historic anniversary.”
Visitors packed the 188-acre campus throughout the weekend, enjoying performances by 18 Alabama musical artists, historical reenactments, military encampments, culinary demonstrations and competitions, educational programs and family-friendly activities.
Among the weekend’s highlights were Revolutionary War battle reenactments at Concord Bridge, a military flyover following the National Anthem and a fireworks display over the replica of Independence Hall that capped the Fourth of July celebration.
While the large-scale attractions drew crowds, Miller said many of the weekend’s most meaningful moments came through smaller interactions.
“There was an incredible sense of pride and gratitude,” Miller said. “Families were making memories together. Children were experiencing history in a hands-on way. People weren’t just attending an event, they were celebrating what it means to be Americans.”
We’re just about a month away from the beginning of fall camp. Alabama’s season opener against East Carolina is on September 5th, so fall camp should start somewhere around 30 days before the opener.
The offseason is nearly over. It’s about to get real.
Even after signing a contract extension, Kalen DeBoer is still facing a pivotal third season as the Alabama head coach, at least in terms of perception. The public perception is that Alabama isn’t what it was under Nick Saban and never will be again. The perception inside the Crimson Tide’s fanbase is split. Some are fully on board the DeBoer train, while some wrote him off the moment he lost to Vanderbilt on the road in 2024. Nothing short of a national title will get the latter group back on board.
The first step to a strong 2026 season will be fall camp and sorting through several critical position battles. Today, we’ll take a look at five of them and where things stand before practice begins.
5 Alabama position battles that will be at the forefront of fall camp
5. Wide Receiver No. 3
It’s a foregone conclusion that two of Alabama’s starting wide receivers for this season will be Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks. They’ll make up one of the best tandems in the SEC. Coleman-Williams is a rising junior who looks to be on the precipice of a bounce-back junior campaign for the Crimson Tide. Brooks is a rising sophomore who had a strong freshman season that culminated in his breakout performance in the College Football Playoff against Oklahoma.
The No. 3 WR spot is up for grabs, though. It appeared that NC State transfer Noah Rogers had the inside track, but he suffered an injury during the A-Day scrimmage that will cost him the first part of the season. That leaves Alabama with a three-man race for the third starting spot at WR between redshirt sophomore Rico Scott, sophomore Derek Meadows, and true freshman Cederian Morgan.
Morgan has the highest ceiling of the trio, but Scott has the experience edge, and Meadows looked to be on the path to serious playing time as a freshman before suffering a concussion. It won’t be as pivotal as some of the other position battles, but that No. 3 WR spot will be one of the most intense.
4. Defensive Tackle
One of the biggest priorities of the offseason was bulking up the defensive line, and DeBoer and DC Kane Wommack did great work on paper. They added three experienced transfers out of the portal in USC’s Devan Thompkins, Oregon’s Terrance Green, and Mississippi State’s Kedrick Bingley-Jones. All three will see plenty of playing time next season.
Thompkins is the favorite to start at Bandit, replacing LT Overton. On the interior, Alabama will have a lot of options for two spots.
Right now, Green is probably the favorite at nose, and rising sophomore London Simmons is the likely starter at DT, but Alabama has a lot of options. Guys like Jeremiah Beaman, Bingley-Jones, Edric Hill, and Steve Bolo Mboumoua are all capable of earning one of the starting roles, however.
Regardless of who starts, all of those guys will be counted on for quality depth.
3. Linebacker
Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson is projected to start at one of the linebacker spots. He was a standout during spring practice, and his veteran experience will be key for a young group.
But sorting through the options next to Woodson will be difficult. Guys like QB Reese, Luke Metz, Cayden Jones, and even true freshman Xavier Griffin will have opportunities to make a move during fall camp before the season opener.
Reese has the experience edge, but Metz, Jones, and even Griffin should be taken seriously in the competition.
2. Right side of the OL
The left side of the Tide’s offensive line appears to be sorted out. LT Jackson Lloyd and C Racin Delgatty are penciled in as starters. The expectation is that Will Sanders will slot in at LG during fall camp after missing spring practice with an injury.
The right side is a lot more unsettled.
The expectation was that sophomore Michael Carroll would remain at RT, but in the spring, he spent a lot of time at guard in the interest of finding the best five. Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James, who started 21 games across stints in Starkville and at Toledo, is the likely favorite at RT, but other transfers like Ethan Fields (Ole Miss) and Nick Brooks (Texas) will have opportunities in the fall to earn a starting role.
Carroll will start, but it remains to be seen whether that will be at guard or tackle in 2026.
1. Quarterback
Could it be anything else? All eyes will be on the QB competition once camp starts between redshirt junior Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell. There’s confidence in the building and the fanbase that whoever wins the job will do a quality job, and the offensive line and other areas will be the determining factors for how far Alabama goes.
Russell exited spring practice as the perceived favorite following an impressive A-Day scrimmage, but the competition is still wide open, and Mack will certainly make a strong push to try and earn the job.
Russell seems likely to have the higher ceiling, particularly with his legs that could add a different – and much-needed – dynamic to a beleaguered Tide ground game. But Mack’s experience can’t be discounted as he enters his fourth season under DeBoer.
It will be one of the most discussed position battles in the country, and it could last all the way into the season.
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