SB351 Alabama 2016 Session

Under existing law, the Alabama Ahead Act, commencing with the 2012-2013 school year, phased in the provision of textbooks and other instructional materials to students and teachers in electronic format through pen-enabled tablets and mobile computers. The law requires the State Department of Education to establish an advisory committee

This bill, commencing with the 2016-2017 school year, would delete the requirement that the tablets and mobile computers be pen-enabled, would delete the phase-in provisions, would delete the reassignment provisions, would delete the requirement for the establishment of an advisory committee and would establish the Alabama Ahead Oversight Committee

This bill would amend the Alabama Ahead Act to provide that funds be used to purchase and install, maintain, or upgrade as a first priority, a high-quality standards-based broadband Wi-Fi infrastructure in every regular use classroom and library in every public school; and use remaining funds to purchase mobile digital resources

This bill would provide local school systems with the option of participating in the plan

To amend Sections 16-16B-1 and 16-16B-2, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the Alabama Ahead Act; commencing with the 2016-2017 school year, to delete the requirement that tablets and mobile computers be pen-enabled; to delete the phase-in provisions; to delete the reassignment provisions; to delete the requirement for the establishment of an advisory committee; to establish the Alabama Ahead Oversight Committee; to make participation by local school systems voluntary; to provide that funds be used to purchase and install, maintain or upgrade a high-quality, standards-based, broadband Wi-Fi infrastructure and mobile digital computing devices to enable access to digital instructional materials in all public school classrooms; and to amend Section 14 of Act 2012-560, 2012 Regular Session, to delete the requirement that implementation of the act be contingent upon separate legislative enactment.