House Bill 238 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Danny GarrettRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Appropriations from Education Trust Fund for the support, maintenance, and development of public education for fiscal year ending September 30, 2027

Summary

HB238 would appropriate a broad set of Education Trust Fund and other funds to support Alabama public education for FY 2027, covering K-12, higher education, debt service, and capital outlay.

What This Bill Does

The bill specifies how funds from the Education Trust Fund and other sources will be used for public education for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, including debt service and capital outlay. It distributes money at the program level across many agencies and programs—ranging from K-12 core programs to scholarships, college operations, and workforce initiatives—with detailed funding lines for major initiatives like AMSTI, the Alabama Reading Initiative, and the RAiSE Act. It also establishes reporting requirements, local-board flexibility limits, and reappropriation rules for unspent funds, and sets an effective date of October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• K-12 local education agencies (LEAs) and students receive funding for foundational classroom salaries, reading and math programs, safety, nurse staffing, and Turnaround Schools, among others.
• Higher education institutions, students, teachers, and state agencies receive funding for AMSTI, ARI, dual enrollment, scholarships, workforce development, health programs, and related supports; this also affects staff and program administrators who manage these funds.

Key Provisions

• Establishes appropriations from the Education Trust Fund and other funds for public education, debt service, and capital outlay for FY 2027.
• Allocates funds at the program level to a wide range of agencies (K-12 through higher education) with specific line items and sources of funds (ETF, Federal/Local funds, transfers).
• Major K-12 provisions include the Foundation Program (with salary matrices and fringe benefits), K-3 Reading Coaches, Math and Science Teacher Program, Alabama Reading Initiative, AMSTI operations, Distance Learning (ACCESS), Dual Enrollment funding, and teacher/staff supplements (NBCT, CALT).
• RAISE Act Program uses a base funding factor of $7,829 per student with weights for poverty, ELL, special education, gifted, and other factors to allocate funds to school systems.
• Ample funding for AMSTI and ARI, along with reporting requirements (semi-annual to legislative chairs and budget officers).
• Local boards may exercise flexibility among line items but may not reduce earned teacher units or necessary support staff.
• Nongovernmental entities receiving funds must file reporting on expenditures and outcomes before the 2027 Regular Session.
• Provides reappropriation rules for unexpended funds from 2026 into FY 2027 and sets the October 1, 2026 effective date.
• Requires compliance with Budget Management and related statutes; includes provisions on operating and maintenance, debt service, and endowments as applicable.
• Spells out specific high-level funding totals for Foundation Program (ETF and Other Funds totaling 7,184,513,293), AMSTI, ARI, and other major education initiatives.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 11, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Appropriations