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State Board hears Decatur’s request to waive state report‑card requirements for new career‑tech high school
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Mackey told the State Board that the Decatur City Board of Education submitted a resolution asking to use Alabama Accountability Act flexibility to waive certain state reporting (A–F report card) for a newly created career‑technical comprehensive high school; Dr. Mackey said testing and federal reporting remain required and the item was presented for the record without state‑board action.
At the Nov. 14, 2024 meeting of the Alabama State Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Mackey presented an informational report that Decatur City Board of Education sent a resolution requesting flexibility under the Alabama Accountability Act for a newly established comprehensive career‑technical high school.
Dr. Mackey said the Decatur plan mirrors an approach previously approved locally by Baldwin County: Decatur converted the old Austin High School into a separate, career‑technical comprehensive high school and is asking the state to waive certain state reporting requirements — notably the A–F state report‑card requirement — for a number of years during the program’s early operation. He emphasized that the requested waivers apply to state laws only and not to federal requirements: "I remind everybody that they are only asking for and will only receive waiver of state laws, not federal laws." He also said required testing will still be administered and reported in the usual way.
According to Dr. Mackey, these local requests require that the local board pass a resolution and present it to the State Board; the state board typically receives the report for the record and does not take independent action on the request at the meeting. Dr. Mackey described staff engagement with Decatur and Baldwin County and said the new Decatur school is now in operation.
The transcript does not record any formal vote or state‑board approval on the Decatur waiver at this meeting. Dr. Mackey invited questions; none are recorded in the provided segments.
