HB128 Alabama 2013 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Kerry Rich
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2013
Title: School attendance, to prohibit any child who withdraws from public, private, or church school to attend an accredited online school from being considered a drop-out or non-graduate for determining graduation rates, Sec. 16-28-3 am'd.
Summary: HB128 would stop counting students who switch to accredited online schools as dropouts and instead treat them as transfers, with grade placement testing if they return to public school.
What This Bill Does
It amends Section 16-28-3 to change how students who withdraw to attend an accredited online school are counted, so they are not considered dropouts or non-graduates for graduation-rate purposes. If enrollment in an online school is verified, the student would be counted as a transfer student; if they later return to a public school, semester exams would determine their grade placement. The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after it passes and is approved by the governor.

Who It Affects
Students who withdraw from public, church, or private schools to attend an accredited online school, who would be counted as transfers rather than dropouts.
Public, private, and church schools and local boards of education, which would see graduation rates reflect transfer counts instead of dropout counts.
Students who later return to public schools, who would be required to take semester exams to determine grade placement.
Parents/guardians of these students, whose child’s school status and graduation data would be recorded differently.

Key Provisions
Counts a child who withdraws to enroll in an accredited online school as a transfer student, not a dropout, for graduation-rate determinations.
Requires verification of enrollment in an accredited online school before applying the transfer status.
Requires semester exams to determine grade placement for any student who returns to a public school.
Takes effect on the first day of the third month after its passage and governor's approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Education