State Board of Education

On December 14, 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 approved the proposed budget for the 2019 K-12 programs. The budget includes an increase of $185 million in funding from last year’s budget to provide additional funds for school nurses, school transportation and local school districts. The BOE members also approved Mr. Ibrahim Lee’s appointment to the Alabama Charter School Commission, an independent state agency created in 2015 whose mission is to authorize high-quality public charter schools. The BOE members voted unanimously to remove Selma schools from state intervention. The Selma school system has been under control of the State Department of Education since 2014, but since that time has implemented a corrective action plan and made necessary improvements to regain control of the city’s schools. The BOE members also approved resolutions to renew the contract of the Interim State Superintendent, Dr. Ed Richardson, and to hire an executive search firm to assist the BOE in selecting candidates for the position of State Superintendent of Education. The position was vacated in September with the resignation of then-Superintendent Michael Sentance.

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 the state regulatory agencies for potential impacts on REALTOR® members, the real estate industry and private property owners.