HB245 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bill Poole

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Education budget, appropriations for the support, maintenance, and development of public education

Summary

HB245 is Alabama's 2015 education budget bill that largely funds public education, debt service, and capital outlay from the Education Trust Fund and other sources for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015.

What This Bill Does

It allocates a broad set of appropriations to public schools, higher education, and education-related programs. It funds the Foundation Program for K-12 schools (including teacher salaries, fringe benefits, substitutes, and other instructional costs), school nurses, distance learning, dual enrollment expansion, and workforce/career tech initiatives. It also prescribes funding for debt service, capital outlays, and numerous earmarked programs across state agencies and universities, with reappropriation of prior-year funds and local-flexibility provisions for 2015.

Who It Affects

• Public school students and local school districts, who receive Foundation Program funding, school nurse allocations, At-Risk and technology-related supports, and district-level budgeting flexibility.
• Colleges and universities in Alabama, along with their students and faculty, who receive funds for operations, maintenance, auxiliary services, restricted funds, and program-specific allocations (including Knight settlement-related items) across the higher education system.

Key Provisions

• Foundation Program: establishes state funding to support K-12 instructional salaries for a 180-day year, uses a salary matrix by experience and degree, provides fringe benefits and retirement costs, and allows local boards to reallocate funds within line items in 2015 without reducing teacher units or support personnel.
• School Nurses Program: funds a nurse allocation per school district based on a salary matrix, allocates amounts for health data systems (ASIMS) and district technology coordinators, and sets salary and staffing standards to meet nurse staffing goals.
• Distance Learning ACCESS program: allocates a substantial ETF amount to support statewide distance learning (ACCESS) with non-public schools eligible through a fee-based expansion.
• Dual Enrollment: appropriates funds to expand dual enrollment in technical education programs across eligible institutions.
• Career Tech and workforce development: includes funding for the Industrial Development Training Institute, regional career coaches, and seed funding for regional councils to develop local workforce strategies; requires reporting on training efforts and outcomes.
• Higher education funding: distributes funds to all state universities and colleges for operations/maintenance, auxiliary enterprises, and restricted funds, including specific Knight v. Alabama settlement-related items; total amounts are itemized by institution and fund type.
• Debt service and capital outlay: provides for principal and interest payments on General Obligation bonds and endowments, with provisions for potential refunding or new issuances and the ability to shift debt service among ETF appropriations with director and gubernatorial approval.
• Public school and local governance flexibilities: allows local boards to adjust line-item expenditures within the Foundation Program and pass-through funds while maintaining compliance with federal comparability and supplanting guidelines.
• Reappropriations and administration: unexpended appropriations from FY2014 may be reappropriated for FY2015, and gifts/grants/entitlements may be appropriated or reappropriated to the relevant department for their designated purposes; audits and interagency charges are addressed.
• Insurance and personnel provisions: sets the State Employees' Insurance Board rate at $825 per month for full-time staff and directs related adjustments; requires transfer of funds for personnel services and other typical education-related expenses.

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 Trust Fund