Alabama lawmakers are expected to consider the state’s education trust fund budget this week. The historic $9.9 billion proposal includes $6.7 billion for the state’s K-12 public school students, raising the average amount per student from this year’s $8,700 to $9,200 next year.
But that average obscures the far larger investment Alabama makes in three small, specialty public schools.
The Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA), the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science (ASMS), and the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) rely solely on state funding and contributions. They do not charge tuition and accept students from across Alabama. Each school offers a residential option, focuses on a specific academic mission and operates as its own state agency with a separate board of trustees.
Unlike traditional public schools, these specialty schools aren’t funded through Alabama’s enrollment-based Foundation Program. Instead, they receive line-item appropriations in the education trust fund budget. Their leaders were recently in Montgomery, discussing with lawmakers how they could grow.
Closer look at the numbers
For the current school year, fiscal year 2025, those appropriations are:
- ASCTE: $13 million for 370 students,
- ASFA: $12.6 million for 350 students,
- ASMS: $11.5 million for 275 students
That breaks down to:
- ASCTE: $35,500 per student
- ASFA: $35,900 per student
- ASMS: $42,200 per student
By comparison, the Foundation Program, which funds teachers, principals and basic needs of a school, provided $4.6 billion, or $6,400 per student.
Even when factoring in the state’s entire $6.4 billion K-12 allocation in the Education Trust Fund budget — which includes Foundation Program funding and all other earmarks for K-12 students — the average comes to about $8,700 per student.
Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, chairs both the Senate education budget committee and ASCTE’s board of trustees. He acknowledged the disparity, and called the specialty schools “a gifted program on steroids.”
Realizing potential
Students at the three schools are given a unique opportunity to develop their gifts, he said.
“I want them to understand, and feel, almost, the significant investment we’re making in their education for them to reach their fullest potential.”
“If they’ve got gifts, we need to develop those gifts — be they health care, be they arts, be they math or science or cyber world engineering — we need to develop those as fully as we can.”
While enrollment at the schools comes with no service requirement, Orr said he hopes graduates choose to stay in Alabama.
“We want you, we need you to come back and contribute back to the state that’s contributing to you in a special way to help you realize your particular potential.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Trisha Powell Crain and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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