At the State Board of Education retreat Thursday in Huntsville, Alabama, the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) presented the draft FY28 budget request for discussion and review; it will be revised ahead of the September work session and prepared for approval in the October board meeting. State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey updated the board on the status of the three school systems currently under state intervention – Bessemer City, Dallas County, and Sumter County – with all showing some levels of positive student achievement growth.

Following the board retreat, the ALSDE posted system- and school-level 2026 Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) participation and proficiency results, showing statewide improvement in English language arts, math, and science proficiency.

Statewide proficiency on the 2026 ACAP:

• English language arts: 57.1% (up from 56.2% last year)
• Math: 34.3% (up from 33.4%)
• Science: 47% (up from 38.9%)

View system-level 2026 ACAP proficiency data here and school-level data here.

Budget Discussions

The board reviewed the ALSDE FY27 operating budget during its work session, which includes the 2% pay raise approved by the legislature this year. They also discussed the upcoming FY28 budget request, which will be revised over the next two months before board approval in October and submission to the Executive Budget Office by the statutory deadline of Nov. 1. 

Mackey cautioned the board that, with state revenues declining, the amount of excess revenue available from the Advancement and Technology Fund and the one-time supplemental budget will be significantly reduced in the coming years. The Advancement and Technology Fund, which allocates one-time funds to school boards for critical uses such as capital outlay, technology, and safety, is projected to be less than $1 billion for the first time since 2023 – likely less than $600 million. The supplemental budget, which is funded through excess revenues available from the previous fiscal year, is estimated to have around $240 million available - a significant reduction from previous years.

The FY28 Education Trust Fund (ETF) is currently projected to grow 5.75% over the FY27 budget, a spending cap established by law, totaling an estimated $600 million total increase over last year, of which approximately $402 million (68%) would be allocated to K-12 education. Mackey said this amount would cover a “basic budget request,” with level funding of most programs and requested increases for continued investment in Numeracy and Literacy Acts, specifically for Struggling Readers Beyond 3rd Grade. The board requested $52 million in the ETF for Struggling Readers last year, of which the legislature allocated $10 million in one-time supplemental funding, and will again be requesting a significant investment in the budget to sustain literacy proficiency beyond the third grade.

The board requested an additional $14 million for free school breakfast to be included in the ETF budget request, which had previously been funded at $7.3 million in a one-time supplemental appropriation.

Federal Wavier

Mackey notified the board that the U.S. Department of Education (USED) does not have the authority to approve the state’s request to use the ACT WorkKeys for high school accountability alongside the current single statewide assessment, the ACT with Writing, as this would require Congressional approval. ALSDE is requesting flexibility waivers from the USED for eight provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to remove administrative and regulatory barriers, to allow school systems more flexibility to better align federal funding with student needs and the state's strategic plan. While the other seven provisions of the waiver request are likely to be approved by the end of the year, the request to include the ACT WorkKeys as a high school academic achievement measure will be removed. 

Resolutions Passed

• Recognizing September 2026 as Attendance Awareness Month in Alabama

Next SBOE Meeting and Work Session

The board’s next regular meeting will take place Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, 10 a.m. in Montgomery with a work session at 11 a.m. or immediately following.

• Gordon Persons Building Auditorium
• Livestream viewing:  https://www.youtube.com/user/aldeptofed/live
• Archived meeting and work session recordings:  https://www.alabamaachieves.org/state-board-of-education/meeting-videos/