The Alabama Senate passed a record-high $12.1 billion education spending package, including $2.15 billion for this year and $9.9 billion for fiscal year 2026. The package includes increases in funding for K-12 schools, higher education, and other entities. Senator Arthur Orr sponsored the package and a bill to revamp the state’s funding formula to better provide for students who cost more to educate. Orr highlighted the importance of the RAISE Act, which establishes a fund to provide more resources to K-12 schools for students in poverty, English-language learners, special education students, and gifted students.
Senate Bill 111, one of three supplemental education spending bills passed, would allocate $375 million from the Education Opportunities Reserve Fund to fund the RAISE Act. The legislation aims to move towards a weighted student funding formula, as opposed to the current resource-based model, to better allocate funding based on the specific educational needs of students. Orr emphasized that additional resources can help improve the educational process for these students.
Orr expressed hope that the House would quickly take up the education spending bills, as many lawmakers were up for reelection next year and fundraising for the 2025 legislative session starting in late May. The passage of the education spending package marks a significant step in providing more resources to support Alabama’s educational system.
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