Ivey Highlights School Choice Week, CHOOSE Act Families

Governor Kay Ivey marked the start of National School Choice Week on Monday by underscoring Alabama’s expanding options for families seeking educational paths that best fit their children’s needs. At events across the State, she also spotlighted two families benefiting from the State’s CHOOSE Act, a key part of her school choice agenda.

The CHOOSE Act creates education savings accounts (ESAs) funded through refundable income tax credits. These accounts give eligible K-12 students up to $7,000 for tuition and other qualified expenses at participating schools and up to $2,000 for home education costs. The program launched for the 2025–26 school year, with more than 36,000 applications submitted Statewide and more than 23,000 students approved to use funds for tuition, tutoring and therapies.

In her kickoff remarks, Ivey said Alabama students “are the foundation for a better future” and reaffirmed her goal of making the State “the most school choice friendly State in the nation.” She noted that the program’s current application season is underway for 2026–27. Families must apply or renew by March 31, 2026, with award notifications planned for April 15.

The Governor also referenced broader school choice efforts, including an executive order joining a federal education tax credit program and support for extracurricular access laws that aim to keep students involved regardless of the educational path they choose.

In Mobile, Ivey introduced Charlie Perkins and his grandmother Susan Stacy, whose CHOOSE Act ESA helped Charlie attend St. Dominic Catholic School. Ivey said the program “is about putting faith, family and a child’s future first.” Susan described overcoming initial hesitation about the application and called the process “readily available and easy to access,” giving Charlie the school environment he and his family felt was right.

The next day in Dothan, the Governor welcomed the Tran family — parents Michael and Kieu and their daughters McKenzie and Kylee, who attend Northside Methodist Academy. Ivey said the Act “provides Alabama families an opportunity to choose the education that best suits their child.” The Trans emphasized that the personalized, smaller educational setting has helped both girls grow academically and socially, advising other families that “it does not hurt to apply.”

For the coming school year, ESA eligibility is temporarily limited based on adjusted gross income, but income caps are scheduled to lift in future years. Priority is given to students with special needs, siblings of participating students and military dependents.

As School Choice Week continues, Ivey’s focus on individual family stories highlights how the CHOOSE Act is shaping educational options across Alabama, with tens of thousands of students now taking part.

To learn more, families can visit the official site at chooseact.alabama.gov. It includes a Parent Guide, FAQ, and a list of approved education service providers.