State Board of Education Report

State Board of Education Report

State Board of Education

On April 12, the Alabama REALTORS® Public Policy team attended the monthly State Board of Education (BOE) meeting in Montgomery to monitor for impacts on the real estate industry and property owners.  The State BOE has a tremendous responsibility in overseeing our schools, and the quality of our school systems affects the real estate industry, economic development and property values in Alabama.

 

Business Meeting 

In the meeting, the BOE members reviewed the Alabama State Department of Education Reorganization Plan proposed by Interim State Superintendent Ed Richardson. The plan eliminates 39 positions in the Department and also includes pay cuts for numerous employees, all in an effort to keep the department under budget.

On April 13, the BOE named four finalists for state superintendent of education:

  • Jefferson County Superintendent Craig Pouncey,
  • Hoover City Schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy,
  • Superintendent Association of Alabama Executive Director Eric Mackey and
  • Former Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott.

The finalists were selected after board members scored and ranked seven semi-finalists.

Board members will interview finalists on April 19 and are scheduled to select a new superintendent on April 20.

 

State Board of Education Background

The BOE was established in 1919 to set policies and regulations for the state's public school system. The board is comprised of nine members. Governor Kay Ivey is president by virtue of her position as Governor, and the remaining eight members are elected to four-year terms in partisan elections from single-member districts of the state with similar populations. A state superintendent of education is appointed by the board to serve as its secretary and executive officer over the State Department of Education.

The AAR Public Policy team will continue to monitor state regulatory agencies for potential impacts on REALTOR® members, the real estate industry and private property owners.