SB215 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Donnie ChesteenSenator

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Provisional release from educational intervention

Summary

SB215 expands state oversight during educational interventions, adds a provisional release option, and allows reinstatement of intervention within five years if release conditions aren’t met.

What This Bill Does

The bill gives the State Superintendent new powers to summon witnesses and subpoena records during an educational intervention and to reinstatement of intervention for a board released within the last five years if conditions aren’t satisfied. It creates a provisional release mechanism where a local board can be temporarily released from intervention for up to five years under Board resolution, with specific steps and hearings before any action. It also outlines how the State Board and the State Superintendent can oversee, intervene, or appoint a chief administrative officer to ensure deficiencies are addressed, and it sets an effective date of October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects

• Local city or county boards of education that are under educational intervention or have been released from intervention within the last five years (they could face reinstatement of intervention, provisional release, or oversight changes).
• State-level entities—the State Superintendent of Education, the State Board of Education, and the Alabama Department of Education (they gain expanded authority to subpoena, oversee interventions, authorize provisional releases, and appoint a chief administrative officer).

Key Provisions

• The State Superintendent of Education may summon witnesses and subpoena records and other information during an educational intervention.
• The State Superintendent may reinstate educational intervention for a local board that has been released within five years if the release conditions are not satisfied.
• A provisional release from educational intervention may be granted by the State Board of Education on recommendation of the State Superintendent or by a two-thirds petition of the local board; the provisional period lasts up to five years and includes a plan and timetable for addressing deficiencies, with processes for hearings before action is taken.
• If, during the provisional period, the State Superintendent determines conditions are not met or oversight is inadequate, the provisional release may be revoked and the local board returned to intervention; a board is only fully released if it is not returned to intervention within the five-year period, and a new five-year period begins if later provisional release occurs.
• The State Board of Education may authorize intervention and the State Superintendent or a designated chief administrative officer may exercise broad authority to implement interventions, meet schedules, delegate personnel actions, and require coordination with applicable laws and acts; status reports are required at least every six months.
• Effective date of October 1, 2025.

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

Subjects

Education