Alabama’s CHOOSE Act puts parents in the driver’s seat

Last year, Alabama became the 11th state in the nation to pass a universal school choice bill. We established the CHOOSE Act to give more Alabama families the ability to choose the education that best suits their own child, plain and simple. More than 23,000 students across our state have received CHOOSE Act funds for the upcoming school year. These results certainly prove we are accomplishing our goal of giving more Alabama families a choice when it comes to their child’s education. No matter how the media or special interest groups spin it, these are remarkable results, especially for the program’s first year.

In year one of the CHOOSE Act, the household income cannot exceed 300% of the federal poverty level, so to put it simply, these education savings accounts (ESAs) are unlocking opportunity for families who may not have had that before.

Of the awardees this year, we have families who have determined that their child’s specific needs are not being met at the public school they attend, and the CHOOSE Act provides these parents the financial resources to choose a school that they feel better meets those needs.

We have families already enrolled in private school. That might be a family who sacrifices everything to send their child to a Catholic school, and now, with the CHOOSE Act, they can continue sending that child to receive a religious education with financial relief made possible by their own tax dollars.

We have a family who received custody of additional children coming out of an abusive situation in another state, and the family wanted a private school setting for these children.

We have families where grandparents have become the guardians of children, and the CHOOSE Act is helping them afford a private school education.

We have families where parents of children with special needs now have resources that can be devoted to specific therapies and technological aids that help those students better learn in a controlled environment.

We have a family who adopted children from outside of the country and believe a homeschool setting is what would work best for them to get adjusted. The CHOOSE Act is helping to make the option possible for them.

We have military families benefitting from the program and so many more Alabama families trying to do what they believe is best for their children.

To sum it up, the CHOOSE Act is putting Alabama parents in the driver’s seat of their child’s education.

I believe it will be one of the most successful school choice programs in the country. I am proud we established it, and I am proud to continue offering my strong support for it going forward, all while championing our public schools.

Truly, from day one, I have made it a top priority to ensure every child in every zip code in Alabama can receive a quality education. No doubt, the CHOOSE Act is a big part of that mission.

Kay Ivey is governor of Alabama.