The Alabama House of Representatives passed the Senate’s $9.8 billion Education Trust Fund Budget on Thursday. 

The budget originated in the Senate and was passed to the house in early April for consideration. The budget will now be sent back to the Senate for concurrence. 

“I feel like it’s a good budget,” Rep. Marchus Paramore, R-Troy, said. “We can only spend so much of the money from the [Education Trust Fund] growth fund each year. That’s a good thing because we’re able to save money every year to allow the fund to grow. It forces us to save money every year. Overall, the budget provides money for our local school systems and Troy University. I think it’s a good, fair budget overall. 

Some of the highlights of the $9.8 billion budget include:

• $27 million increase for the Numeracy Act – a law designed to improve math efficiency in grades K-5 in public schools
• $14.4 million increase for Summer/After School Programs
• $9.6 million for Paid Parental Leave
• $15.6 million for Teachers Workman’s Compensation
• $58 million for the Renewing Alabama’s Investment in Student Excellence Act – which is designed to provide additional funding for K-12 public schools
• $80 million increase for the Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education Act – CHOOSE provides refundable income tax credits called education savings accounts for eligible K-12 students. 

Speaker of the House Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said the ETF budget would allow the state to invest heavily in education. 

 “As Alabama continues to make remarkable strides in public education, it’s vital that lawmakers in Montgomery remain committed to equipping our school systems with the necessary resources to help students thrive,” Ledbetter said. “This year’s ETF is significant for several reasons. It funds paid parental leave for teachers, expands summer and afterschool programs, and increases funding for the Alabama numeracy act, which has been a catalyst for our state’s nation-leading gains in 4th grade math. We’re making another strong investment in the CHOOSE Act, Alabama’s school choice program that is proving to be in high demand. Finally, we are creating the RAISE Program, a student-weighted funding model that funds schools based on their specific needs rather than headcount.”