SB103 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Will BarfootSenator

Republican

Co-Sponsor

Tom Butler

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

School Choice and Student Opportunity Act, formation of charter schools on or near military installation, with focus on serving military dependents, authorized, Sec. 16-6F-5 am'd.

Summary

SB103 creates public charter schools near military installations that prioritize enrollment for military dependents, with specific admission rules and a 400-student cap.

What This Bill Does

It amends the Alabama School Choice and Student Opportunity Act to authorize charter schools located within or near military installations, focusing on military dependents. Admissions follow open enrollment and a lottery when capacity is reached, with local residents admitted first; preferences exist for siblings, prior-year enrollees, and up to 10% of students who are children of founders, board members, or full-time staff. Once 400 students are enrolled, all additional students must be dependents of military members or DoD civilian employees assigned to the installation.

Who It Affects

• Military dependents or Department of Defense civilian employees assigned to the installation, who would have priority access to enrollment and become the eligible pool for any overflow after 400 students.
• Students and families in the local school system where the charter is located, who participate in local-first admissions and potential lottery allocations if capacity is limited.
• Founders, governing board members, and full-time employees of the charter school (and their children), who may receive enrollment preference up to 10% of the student body.
• Students transferring from other public schools to a charter school, whose credits must transfer in a uniform and consistent manner.

Key Provisions

• Allows formation of public charter schools located within one mile of a military installation, with a mission to serve military dependents or DoD civilian employees assigned to that installation.
• Establishes open enrollment with non-discrimination and a lottery process when capacity is insufficient; prioritizes local residents before non-residents.
• Imposes a 400-student cap for these military-focused charter schools; after reaching 400, all new admissions must be dependents of military members or DoD civilians assigned to the installation.
• Provides enrollment preferences for siblings, previous-year enrollees, and up to 10% of students who are children of founders, board members, or full-time staff.
• Requires credits earned at charter schools to be transferable to other public schools under uniform criteria; capacity decisions are made annually by the charter school in coordination with the authorizer.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Charter Schools