HB191 Alabama 2014 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Kerry Rich
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2014
Title: School attendance, a child who withdraws from public school to attend an accredited online school, prohibited from being considered a drop-out or non-graduate for determining graduation rates, Sec. 16-28-3 am'd.
Summary: HB191 ensures a student who leaves a public school to attend an accredited online school is counted as a transfer (not a dropout) for graduation-rate calculations, and requires grade placement testing if they return to public school.
What This Bill Does
If a student leaves public school to enroll in an accredited online school, that student is counted as a transfer rather than a dropout. This bill does not create online schools and protects the former public school from dropout counts. If the student returns to a public school, semester exams must be given to determine grade placement. Enrollment in an online school must be in an accredited, state-authorized online school recognized by accrediting agencies and authorized by the Alabama Department of Education.

Who It Affects
Students who withdraw from a public school to enroll in an accredited online school: counted as transfer students, not dropouts.
Public schools that lose students to accredited online schools: not penalized in dropout statistics for those students.
Students who later return to public schools: required to take semester exams to determine grade placement.
Accredited online schools: must be state-authorized and accredited by recognized national or regional agencies to qualify for transfer status.

Key Provisions
Amends Section 16-28-3 to count a withdrawal for enrollment in an accredited online school as a transfer, not a dropout.
Requires semester exams for any student who returns to a public school to determine grade placement.
Clarifies the bill does not create online schools and that the former public school should not be penalized in dropout counts when a student attends an accredited online school.
Specifies that online schooling must be accredited by recognized agencies and authorized by the Alabama Department of Education to provide instruction in lieu of in-person instruction.

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