Across the Board May 2025: Key Takeaways from the ALBOE Board Meeting

Recapping important State Board of Education policy decisions for you

Here are our key takeaways from the May 8th State Board of Education meeting – and what they mean for Alabama’s students. All board members were present. Click here to see the agenda for the full meeting and work session.

Top 5 Takeaways

1. Discussion Concerning Administrative Rules for the new Alabama Public Employee Paid Parental Leave Act of 2025

In April, Governor Ivey signed the Alabama Public Employee Paid Parental Leave Act of 2025, sponsored by Sen. Vivian Figures and Rep. Ginny Shaver.. Under the law:

• Female employees will receive eight weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, stillbirth or miscarriage of her child.
• Male employees will receive two weeks of paid parental leave in those same circumstances.
• Adoptive parents of a child aged three or younger will also be eligible for parental leave – eight weeks for one parent and two weeks for the other at the choice of the parents, if both are eligible employees.

This includes eligible state employees, K-12 educators, and Alabama Community College System employees who have been working for 12 months or more. People on parental leave will receive 100% of their typical salary. To read the Act, click here.

During the work session, Dr. Mackey talked to the Board about the rules process for this new law. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2025, so the board will be voting on emergency rules regulating parental leave for districts prior to voting on a permanent administrative rule. During the June meeting, the Board will receive a draft of the administrative rule, and then it will be open for public comment for 35 days. At the July work session, the board will discuss the rule, and they will vote at the August meeting. These rules will clarify for districts how the Parental Leave Act will work in practice, and answer questions about how much leave an employee can take, who qualifies, under what conditions, if approval is required, and other potential scenarios.

2. Alabama’s Legislative Updates

The Renewing Alabama’s Investment in Student Excellence (RAISE) Act was signed into law earlier this week. The RAISE Act creates a new hybrid funding formula to target student needs, and includes weights for special education, poverty, English language learners, gifted students, and charter students. Dr. Mackey outlined the details for the board, highlighting that this was a positive step for Alabama students and that the investment would likely continue to grow in future years. Dr. Mackey shared that the ALSDE expected to release district allocations within the next week. To read more about the RAISE Act, check out our explainer, learn how weights are calculated, and see how much your district will receive in the 2025-2026 school year.

The Freeing our Classrooms of Unnecessary Screens for Safety (FOCUS) Act passed the Alabama Legislature this week and has been sent to Governor Ivey for her signature. The FOCUS Act will prohibit students from using their cell phones or other messaging devices on school property during the school day. Dr. Mackey highlighted the importance of the bill to the Board, and that the specific school-level policies and implementation will be up to individual districts. To read the Act, click here.

In addition to new bills, the FY26 budget package has also been signed by Governor Ivey. Dr. Mackey shared that funding for buses has been removed from the budget. Last year, the ALSDE received $15 million for the purchase of new buses, which are typically replaced every 10 years. Without this funding, districts will need to pay for their buses through local funds. While this is not a major problem this year, Dr. Mackey shared that in the next year or two, many buses across the state will need to be replaced. This will likely be highlighted in the ALSDE’s FY27 budget request.

3. Congratulations to the Alabama 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year and Alternate Teacher of the Year!

During the meeting, the board recognized the 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year and Alternate Teacher of the Year. These awards go to educators for their outstanding commitment to student learning, exemplary service in schools, and the positive difference they have made in the lives of their students. Katie H. Collins was named the 2025-2026 Alabama Teacher of the Year. She is an educator at Bluff Park Elementary School in Hoover. She is now a candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award. Aubrey Bennett, an educator at George Washington Carver High School in Birmingham, was named the Alternate Teacher of the Year. Congratulations!

4. Congratulations to the 2025-2026 District Teachers of the Year!

During the meeting, the board recognized the 2025-2026 District Teachers of the Year. The following teachers were considered for the Alabama Teacher of the Year award:

• Angela Kirby, Gulf Shores Middle School
• Kristen Madsen, Gulf Shores High School
• Amy Garrett, Center for Advanced Academics and Accelerated Learning at Pike County
• Joshua Wine, Auburn Junior High School
• Katie Collins, Bluff Park Elementary School
• Kristin Bundren, Spain Park High School
• Dr. Katherine A. Thomas, Edgewood Elementary School
• Aubrey Bennett, G.W. Carver High School
• Lindsey Norris, Forest Avenue Elementary School
• Roseann Byrd, Citronelle High School
• Andrea Dade Horn, Locust Fork Elementary School
• Heather Oden Pettit, Arab High School
• Deidra Brewer, Highland Park and Webster Elementary School
• Andrew Lee Mills, Florence Middle School
• Catherine Megan Hockey, Rainbow Elementary School
• Amanda J. Gudmundsson, Athens High School

5. Updates on the U.S. Department of Education (USED)

While there was no update on USED or federal changes, Dr. Mackey did mention they would need to revisit a conversation about tariffs and their potential effects on budgets and school buses. If you are interested in staying in the loop with federal changes, click here to read our weekly blog.

The next Board meeting will be on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 10 am in the Gordon Persons Building Auditorium. The work session will follow at 11 am. During the June work session, the Board will review third-grade reading scores. During the July work session, the Board will review state-level assessment data for ELA, Math, and Science, and in August, the Board will review district-level assessment data.

The Alabama State Board of Education usually meets on the second Thursday of each month, with the exception of the July meeting, to discuss important policies, procedures, and changes for Alabama’s K-12 public schools. The Board takes official action during their monthly meeting and then follows up with a Work Session to get updates and discuss future action that will be voted on at the next board meeting. You can watch them live and see old meetings here.

Contact Your Board Member:

Have feedback on any of the above items – or anything else? Contact your state school board member using the resources below:

-To contact your State Board of Education Member, click here.

-To find out which district you live and/or teach in, click here. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter your address in the “Polling Place Search” box. Once entered, it will take you to a page that shows your polling place and the districts you live in.

-To view a map of the state school board districts, click here.