Alabama board approves English textbooks for grades 4–12; K–3 recommendation left unresolved

At the Alabama State Board of Education's February meeting, members voted to adopt the state textbook committee's recommended English language arts textbook list for grades 4 through 12, while leaving the K'3 recommendation unresolved.

State Superintendent Dr. Mackey told the board the vote was split into two parts because board members were uncomfortable leaving only a single K'3 option available statewide. "For 4 through 12, the whole suite of those recommended by the textbook committee is now considered approved and local districts can purchase those using state funds," he said. "For K'3, what the board has voted to do is to not reject the one that made it, which means that if it's rejected, there are some implications in what local school boards can and can't do. So it's not rejected, but it's also not approved."

Why it matters: the decision determines which state-funded textbook options local districts can buy this school year and preserves local choice for early grades while the department and legislature address statutory limitations. Dr. Mackey said the board referenced an existing textbook law and a literacy task force memo in framing the option set and noted the state senate had recently moved forward a bill that could change the procurement process.

Board direction and next steps: Dr. Mackey described three paths for K'3 materials: local districts may (1) use a local selection process with department support and purchase from one of two vendors recommended by the literacy task force; (2) use local or federal funds to buy different materials; or (3) wait for a rebid of the state adoption if and when the legislature's pending bill becomes law and allows reprocurement. "It's laid out in law, how they can do that," he said, and emphasized rebidding would take time.

The board recorded at least one abstention during the broader textbook votes earlier in the meeting; the record shows the board approved the 4'12 recommendations and left K'3 unresolved rather than formally rejecting the single recommended K'3 option.

Background: Board members previously discussed concerns that the K'3 process produced only a single option after scoring. The literacy task force and the state textbook committee were repeatedly referenced during discussion as documents and processes guiding local and state choices. The superintendent said a legislative change under consideration could address some statutory constraints on rebidding.

The board did not specify a timetable for resolving the K'3 procurement; local districts were directed to proceed under the department's guidance if they choose to procure materials before any rebid.