SB184 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Trip Pittman

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

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

Summary

SB184 is Alabama's 2015 education appropriations act that allocates Education Trust Fund and earmarked funds for public education, debt service, and capital outlay for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015.

What This Bill Does

It distributes funds from the Education Trust Fund and other sources to K-12, higher education, and related programs for FY2015, including debt service and capital projects. It funds the K-12 Foundation Program using a salary-cost framework with fringe benefits, sets a cap on total instructional salary costs, and allows local boards to reallocate funds within 2015 without reducing teachers or support staff. It also funds statewide initiatives such as the Alabama Reading Initiative, Distance Learning ACCESS, and various at-risk and health programs, and provides targeted funding to colleges and universities (including an Alabama Innovation Fund for economic development and research). The act includes reporting requirements to legislative leaders, restrictions on use of funds (e.g., not for Common Core after 2013), and provisions for auditing, local board flexibility, and handling of outside gifts and grants.

Who It Affects

• K-12 students and local boards of education: receive Foundation Program funding, health/nurse allocations, transportation funding, at-risk program support, and instructional resources; local boards gain limited 2015 flexibility to reallocate funds within lines while maintaining teacher and staff levels.
• Colleges and universities in Alabama and their students: receive operating and maintenance funds, auxiliary enterprises, restricted funds, and targeted program funding (including dual enrollment, Career-Tech initiatives, and the Alabama Innovation Fund), with allocations distributed to each institution and its programs.

Key Provisions

• Fund sources: Appropriations are made from the Education Trust Fund (ETF) and 'Federal and Local Funds' for both ETF and earmarked programs, with detailed distribution across numerous agencies and programs.
• Foundation Program details: Uses a salary matrix to determine instructional salary costs (based on contract days), includes fringe benefits, sets specific grant and unit calculations for funding, and explicitly prohibits an extra 1% over the calculated cost of instructional salaries for FY2015.
• Local board flexibility: Section 10 allows local boards to move funds among line items within FY2015 without reducing earned teacher units or support personnel; Section 11 allows redirecting pass-through funds to the Child Nutrition Program if it does not deplete reserves.
• Alabama Innovation Fund: A new ETF-funded $6,000,000 initiative to support economic development and research, with targeted allocations including $500,000 for Hudson Alpha Institute, $1,000,000 for Neurological Research, $1,000,000 for a Cyber Security Center, and other related programs as approved by the Governor and Director of Commerce.
• Distance Learning ACCESS: $18,565,768 ETF funds to expand ACCESS statewide, with participation by non-public schools on a fee basis covering actual costs; job descriptions for distance learning staff are developed and monitored.
• Alabama Reading Initiative and related reform: Substantial ETF funds are dedicated to the Alabama Reading Initiative, with reporting on expenditures and outcomes; funds are to be used only for this initiative with semiannual reporting to the legislature.
• Not-for-Common Core restriction: Funds appropriated may not be used to implement standards or assessments created by the Common Core State Standards Initiative after April 1, 2013.
• Gifts and outside funds: Section 4 requires gifts, grants, and other outside funds (including federal grants) to be appropriated or reappropriated as the grantor intended, and authorizes mutual cost-sharing audits with state and local entities.
• Auditing and accountability: The Act empowers Examiners of Public Accounts to audit appropriations for compliance, with reimbursement of auditing costs from funds where appropriate, and requires quarterly reporting on workforce training expenditures.
• Rainy Day and other fiscal controls: The Act includes Rainy Day Account provisions and distribution rules if funds are insufficient to fully repay the Rainy Day Account, including prioritization across Foundation Program reductions and higher education funding if needed.
• Effective date: The act takes effect October 1, 2014, and covers fiscal year 2015 through September 30, 2015.

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