This is a guest opinion column

Alabama has made record investments and policy reforms in education over the past few years and it’s starting to pay off. Last week, we learned that Alabama has catapulted from 52nd in 4th grade math in 2019 to 32nd in 2024 and we are the only state in the country to surpass our pre-pandemic NAEP math scores. We are incredibly proud of these results and what they mean for our state. They are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers, families, and state leaders.

When you take a closer look at these 4th-grade math scores, another important data point emerges. Students living in poverty are dramatically underperforming their peers who aren’t living in poverty, resulting in a 36-point gap between these student groups. Imagine what would be possible for our state if Alabama made a significant investment in supporting these students.

This is precisely why we, the Every Child Alabama Coalition, believe the time has come to address the upstream cause of our achievement gaps: our state’s school funding policy.

Recognizing the need for reform, the Alabama Legislature established the Joint Legislative Study Commission on Modernizing K-12 School Education Funding in the 2024 legislative session. Over five meetings, the commission explored pathways to modernize our outdated system. They examined our current Foundation Program formula, its inadequacies, and its inability to address each student’s unique needs. Some of their key takeaways:

● The current model is 30 years old and ranks 39th in the nation on per-pupil funding, which is $4,009 less than the national average per student.

● After adjusting for inflation, Alabama’s state funding decreased by $860 per student from 2008 to 2022.

● Our state is one of only six that still funds schools based solely on student headcount rather than individual needs.

● Most importantly, the $5.3 billion K-12 budget only allocates 1.2% to students with the greatest academic needs, including those in poverty, with disabilities, or English learners, which equates to approximately $138 per student.

With the guidance of state and national experts, the commission explored other funding models and whether Alabama could afford to implement a change. They learned:

• Forty-one states have a student-weighted formula.
• We can afford to make the transition. The Legislature can do this without a tax increase.
• The research shows money matters. An additional $1,000 through school funding reform efforts results in the same academic effect of roughly 72 additional days of learning. Increased funding also increases test scores, graduation rates, college-going rates, and adult wages, as well as improved economic outcomes for the state.
• Mississippi transitioned its funding model in 2024 and Tennessee in 2022. Other states, like North Carolina, are actively considering modernizing their funding formulas.

What’s next? The commission plans to finalize its recommendations in the first days of the 2025 legislative session, and they are examining three potential pathways forward:

• Option 1: Make no changes to the Foundation Program. Continue business as usual without any impactful investments in student needs.
• Option 2: Move to a Student-Weighted Formula. This option fully replaces the current Foundation Program.
• Option 3: Shift to a Hybrid Formula. This option pairs the existing Foundation Program with a new weighted formula for students who need additional support. In recent weeks, we have been excited to see and hear overwhelming bipartisan support for the hybrid model.

More money for students is a no-brainer! We encourage our Legislature to make modernizing school funding a priority for this session. An investment in Alabama’s students is an investment in our state’s future. And who knows! Alabama could break into the top twenty in 2026 NAEP scores, with every child performing at higher levels. We deeply believe it’s possible.

Signed by the following coalition members:

Jason Meadows, Advocacy and Partnerships Director A+ Education Partnership

Huntsville Committee of 100

David Wells, President & CEO, Goodwill Alabama

Tracye Strichik, Director, Alabama Expanded Learning Alliance

Bryan Billy, Executive Director, Teach For America Alabama

Dr. Jeremiah Newell, CEO, Mobile Area Education Foundation

Samantha Williams, Executive Director, Birmingham Promise

VOICES for Alabama’s Children

Baldwin County Education Coalition

Joel Brandon Smith, Chief Academic Officer, STAIR Birmingham

Mariohn Miichel, Executive Director, Breakthrough Birmingham

Dr. Andrew Pendola, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, Auburn University

Carlos Aleman, CEO, Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (¡HICA!)

Ashley Lucier, Executive Director, Amp Up Arts

Alabama Possible

Faith in Action Alabama

Ann McKimmon Sikes, Executive Director, Montgomery Education Foundation

Alabama Families for Great Schools

Dr. Melissa Capehart, Parent Advocate

Black Alabamians for Education

EmpowerEd

Tyler Barnett, CEO, New Schools for Alabama

Eugene McCall Jr., President and Founder, Education 4 Life

New Life COGIC

Shannon M. Shelley-Tremblay, Executive Director, The Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program

Susie Patrick, Parent Advocate

Dr. Erica Jewel Littleton, CEO, Learning Little People

Dr. Ashley Samuels, Executive Director, Birmingham Education Foundation

The E.WE Foundation AG Gaston Business Institute

Joan Wright, Executive Director, Childcare Resources

Dr. Jason Bryant

Annette Scogin, Lifetime Educator

Brittany Wade, Propel Education

About the Every Child Alabama Coalition:

Every Child Alabama is a coalition of organizations and individuals working to ensure every child across Alabama has access to a world-class education to reach their full potential. We share a unifying belief that when every child receives a transformative education, it strengthens communities, making them better places to live, work, and raise a family. The Every Child Alabama Coalition is powered by A+ Education Partnership.