Alabama

This year’s Alabama Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget of $8.1 billion is the largest in the state’s history. COVID-relief funds and a strong economy provided teacher pay raises and funded new programs aimed at improving reading and math performance. Supplemental appropriations are being used for technology advancements and other appropriations viewed as onetime expenses. Pressing issues include a teacher shortage that the state hopes to curtail by improving salaries and ensuring future budget stabilization should the economy weaken. The number of charter schools is gradually increasing, and it is expected that funding for students in schools other than public schools is likely to increase given the current push for school choice in the state. The largest percentage of the state’s ETF budget (68.50%) is allocated for K–12 schools with 25.51% to higher education and 6% to other earmarked programs.