House Bill 380 Alabama 2026 Session

Updated Mar 4, 2026

High Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Terri CollinsRepresentative
Republican
Session: 2026 Regular Session
Title: Public K-12 education; process for the consolidation of county boards of education provided, procedure for protesting a proposed consolidation provided, adoption of rules and impact study by State Board of Education required, constitutional amendment
Summary: This bill would create a constitutional process to consolidate contiguous county school systems by merging county boards, with an impact study, protest procedures, and a voter referendum before consolidation.
What This Bill Does
It allows two or more neighboring county boards of education to merge into one multi-county board. It requires the State Board of Education to study the potential effects and publish the results before finalizing the consolidation. If protests are filed, a referendum is held; consolidation only proceeds if a majority of voters in the affected area approve at the next general election. The consolidation would not erase existing obligations or liabilities, and the new multi-county board would take on duties and obligations; rules and implementing legislation would guide implementation.

Who It Affects
Qualified electors residing in the affected counties will vote in a referendum to approve or reject the consolidation
County boards of education in the affected counties, which would merge into a single multi-county board and assume new roles and duties
State Board of Education, which must conduct the impact study, publish it, and adopt rules to implement the process
Students, families, and school staff in the affected districts, who may see changes in educational programs, governance, and resources

Key Provisions
Creates a process for consolidating two or more contiguous county boards of education into one multi-county board
Requires the State Board of Education to conduct an impact study and publish it at least 30 days before finalizing consolidation
Establishes a protest mechanism: 25% of qualified electors in the affected districts can protest within 30 days after the formal resolution, triggering a referendum
Provides that consolidation is final only if approved by a majority of qualified electors in the combined territory at the next general election and specifies ballot language
States the consolidation does not relieve pre-existing liabilities or rights, binds the involved boards, and allows the remaining board to enforce pre-consolidation obligations; authorizes rules and potential implementing legislation

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 4, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Constitutional Amendments Statewide