The Alabama State Board of Education unanimously approved a $6.8 billion fiscal year 2028 budget request Thursday, the same day State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey informed the board that Alabama public schools are reporting about 12,000 fewer students this year. That's more than double last year's record drop, and it could cost school systems roughly 800 teacher units.

The FY28 budget request seeks a $246.9 million increase from the Education Trust Fund (ETF). Mackey said it "reflects many of the board's priorities," led by carrying the state's literacy and math gains into the middle grades. The FY28 ETF is projected to grow 5.75%, or about $602 million, to $11.01 billion. Based on this year's 68% K-12 share, roughly $400 million of that growth would be available for public K-12 education.

FY28 Budget Request: What's In It
The largest requests are for school bus fleet renewal, struggling readers beyond third grade, and summer and after-school programs. The request also creates a new line item for school breakfast and moves programs that have previously relied on one-time supplemental appropriations, including College and Career Readiness Grants and school safety, into the recurring ETF budget.

Key increases:

• $56 million for Transportation
• $45 million for Struggling Readers Beyond 3rd Grade
• $30 million for Summer and After-School Programming
• $25 million for School Safety, Security, and Climate
• $20 million for College and Career Readiness Grants
• $14 million for School Breakfast
• $10 million for the Career Tech Initiative
• $8 million for Startup Charter Schools
• $7.4 million for the Principal Leadership Mentoring Act
• $7.2 million for School Safety, Security, and Climate
• $6 million for the Math and Science Teacher Salary Matrix
• $4 million for the High Needs Special Education Grant Program
• $3.3 million for Data Literacy
• $2.5 million for the Alabama Numeracy Act
• $2.4 million for Paid Parental Leave
• $2 million for Career Tech Operations and Maintenance

View the full FY28 budget request here.

What's next: The request goes to the Executive Budget Office by the Nov. 1 constitutional deadline. The incoming governor will present a recommended budget when the 2027 Regular Legislative Session convenes Feb. 2, following the Jan. 12 Organizational Session.

Enrollment Drop More Than Doubles
Preliminary numbers show Alabama public schools enrolled about 12,000 fewer students this year. Last year's drop of about 5,300 students was the largest in five decades and cost systems 366 teacher units. Because Foundation Program teacher units are earned based on average daily membership (ADM), this year's loss could mean about 800 fewer units in FY28.

Final numbers are due by the end of next week, after the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) corrects errors and double counts. System-level data isn't available yet, but Mackey said the decline appears fairly uniform statewide.

• Little growth: Only the state's fastest-growing cities gained students, and just a few systems grew by more than 200.
• Fewer kindergartners: Kindergarten enrollment is down 2,500, tracking national declines in births.
• A new largest grade: Fifth grade now has more students than any other grade.
• Virtual schools are shifting students: Virtual programs in Limestone County and Tuscaloosa County grew by thousands of students, while Eufaula City and Chickasaw City lost students.
• The CHOOSE Act doesn't explain the loss: Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) data shows more than 70% of this year's 48,927 voucher applicants were already in private or home school last year, not public school.

Read more about CHOOSE Act voucher recipients here.

AASB will share system-level figures once ALSDE finalizes them. Members should plan now for the impact on FY28 teacher units, especially as ETF revenue growth slows.

First in the Nation: Numeracy Course Sequence Approved
The board unanimously approved new numeracy course sequences for educator preparation programs (EPPs). The Alabama Numeracy Act requires EPPs to update math course sequences for elementary and special education teachers, and the board extended the requirement to all EPPs, including six private institutions. Mackey said Alabama is the first state in the nation to take this step, after more than two years of work.

Summer Learning: "The Fifth Quarter"
ALSDE's Office of Extended Learning called summer "the fifth quarter," a time to keep learning and prepare for the next school year. Many systems serve far more students than the law requires: services are mandated only for identified third graders, but programs often run through grades K-6 or K-12.

• Participation:
  • K-3 reading camps: 29,633 of 53,519 invited students attended (55%)
  • Grades 4-5 math camps: 8,809 of 20,427 invited students attended (43%)
  • 3rd grade reading: 6,767 students scored below sufficiency, and more than 7,000 students attended
• Results: 45% of students who took the ACAP supplemental assessment after summer programs passed.
• Funding streams:
  • $25 million in the ETF for K-3 summer reading camps and grades 4-5 summer math camps, level funded in FY27
  • $30 million in one-time supplemental funding for PreK-12 summer and after-school programs, level funded with FY26 funds
  • ARI program grants, which 87% of systems are using in FY27 in part to fund a local reading specialist
  • A $17.2 million competitive ASAP grant cycle
• Program types: Literacy and Numeracy Act summer camps; before- and after-school tutoring; extended-day and enrichment programs; credit recovery; and ASAP and 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant programs.

Mackey said ALSDE plans to bring data presentations, program reports, and survey results to the board more regularly, especially heading into the legislative session.

Resolutions and Recognitions Passed

• Benjamin "Ben" Baker, 2027 Alabama Superintendent of the Year – Dale County Schools (District 2)
• Erica Cruthirds, Assistant Principal, Florence B. Mathis Elementary School, Alabama's National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) National Outstanding Elementary Assistant Principal – Baldwin County Schools (District 1)
• Brenda Sue Box, Assistant Principal, Mary G. Montgomery High School, 2025-2026 Alabama High School Assistant Principal of the Year – Mobile County Schools (District 1)
• Katherine "Kelli" Fischer, Principal, Opelika High School, 2025-2026 Alabama High School Principal of the Year – Opelika City Schools (District 2)
• Dr. Preeti Nichani, Principal, Northridge Middle School, Alabama 2026 NAESP National Distinguished Principal – Tuscaloosa City Schools (District 4)
• Clint Brannon, Assistant Principal, Sardis Middle School, 2025-2026 Alabama Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year – Etowah County Schools (District 6)
• Heather Renee Bardwell, Principal, Mountain Gap Middle School, 2025-2026 Alabama Middle School Principal of the Year – Huntsville City Schools (District 8)
• David Michael Martin, Jr., Verbena High School, Alabama's 2026 History Teacher of the Year – Chilton County Schools (District 3)
• 2025 Alabama School Counseling Programs of Distinction
• Shumeka Robinson, Barbara Fannin Memorial Employee of the Quarter, October-December 2026
• Resolution to Acknowledge Numeracy Course Sequence Approval
• Oct. 19-23, 2026, as Alabama School Bus Safety Week
• October 2026 as Principals Month
• Oct. 18-24, 2026, as Alabama Farm to Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week

Up for Adoption in November

• Northridge Middle School (Tuscaloosa City Schools, District 4) and West Point Intermediate School (Cullman County Schools, District 6), 2026 NAESP National Gold Star Schools
• 2026 A+ College Ready Schools of Distinction: Cullman High School – Cullman County Schools; Pike Road Jr. High School – Pike Road City Schools; Russellville Middle School – Russellville City Schools; and Northridge Middle School – Tuscaloosa City Schools
• 2026 A+ College Ready Schools of Excellence: i3 Academy Middle School – i3 Academy; Central School and Madison County Elementary School – Madison County Schools; Handley High School – Roanoke City Schools; Moody High School, Springville High School, and St. Clair County High School – St. Clair County Schools; Northridge High School – Tuscaloosa City Schools; Deshler Middle School – Tuscumbia City Schools; and Lynn High School – Winston County Schools
• 2026 A+ College Ready Mary D. Boehm Schools of Achievement: Hoke Bluff Middle School – Etowah County Schools; Fort Payne Middle School – Fort Payne City Schools; and Bankhead Middle School – Walker County Schools
• Inclusion in Alabama Schools, Dec. 7-11, 2026

Next SBOE Meeting and Work Session
The board's next regular meeting will take place Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, at 10 a.m. in Montgomery, the day after the Veterans Day holiday, with a work session 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/