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State education staff outline FY26 budget requests including $50M for school safety and $52M for struggling readers
Summary
Department of Education staff presented the draft FY26 budget proposal to the State Board, highlighting proposed investments in school safety, struggling readers, auxiliary teachers, distance learning expansion and career technical education.
State Department of Education staff walked the board through the department’s proposed FY26 budget submission and program requests, highlighting several line items the department will ask the Executive Budget Office to include.
The presentation covered standard foundation program flows and targeted requests. Dr. Payne and other department staff noted that items discussed at the board retreat had been folded into the current draft and that the board can adjust requests before the formal submission deadline.
Why it matters: The foundation program and specific categorical grants determine how much money flows to local school systems. Changes to transportation funding, assistant principal allocations, school safety grants, and interventions for struggling readers can shift district budgets and programming.
Selected program requests and details discussed: - School safety: staff said they have a $50 million grant request in the FY26 package for school safety, security and safety inspector positions; staff and board discussed the likelihood the legislature might fund some or most of this via the supplemental budget so funds would be available sooner. - Struggling readers beyond grade 3: the department requested about $52 million to expand interventions for students above third grade who need additional reading support. - AEDs and other statutory line items: the department is asking for level funding on AEDs and similar requirements. - Assistant principals (AP units): the department described a change to the enrollment thresholds that determine AP units; the legislature reduced the threshold for elementary/middle AP units to 300 earlier this year and the department included a request to return the threshold to 250 in its foundation program calculation. - Auxiliary teacher grant: originally a turnaround‑school program (about $5 million), the legislature expanded the allowable uses and the department now plans a broader competitive grant to place auxiliary teachers by several prioritization factors (EL population, support level, report‑card score) and noted some carryover funding is available. - Distance learning / Access: the request expands access courses and additional sections to meet growing demand; staff said more course development funding will be needed once federal ARP/ESSER funds are exhausted. - Transportation: the department requested “fully funded” transportation (staff referenced the recommended funding level used in the foundation calculation). - Career technical education and Jobs for Alabama Graduates: staff requested increased funding to expand career tech and workforce pathways (specific line increases were discussed; staff noted $10 million proposed for career tech expansion in one line item).
Board members asked for granular notes explaining each line item for internal discussion; staff said the EBO submission is numeric only but the department has preserved explanatory notes for presentations to the budget office and legislature.
Ending: Staff emphasized the FY26 package is a draft and can be revised through October and into the legislative session; they urged board members to prioritize school safety and reading interventions in planning.
