SB5 Alabama 2016 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Gerald O. Dial

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2016

Title

Alabama Ahead Act, commencing with 2015-2016 school year, to delete pen-enabled requirement, phase-in requirement and reassignment provisions, advisory committee revised, schools participation voluntary, local school systems to contribute 25 percent of funding, Section 14 of Act 2012-560, 2012 Reg. Sess., am'd; Secs. 16-16B-1, 16-16B-2 am'd.

Description

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 provides for the reassignment of the tablets and mobile computers to students, requires the State Department of Education to establish an advisory committee, and provides for a bond issue. The law authorizes the Alabama Public School and College Authority to issue bonds for the purposes of the law contingent upon a separate legislative enactment.

This bill, commencing with the 2015-2016 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 Implementation Committee.

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

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

This bill would also make an appropriation of up to $75,000,000 from the Education Trust Fund Budget Stabilization Fund and/or the Education Trust Fund Capital Fund to the Alabama Public School and College Authority for the purpose of implementing the Alabama Ahead Act, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016.

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Subjects

Alabama Ahead Act