MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama public schools could face closures, larger classes and fewer course offerings as enrollment falls by nearly 12,000 students, even as the state expands a taxpayer-funded program that helps families pay for private schools and homeschooling.
State Superintendent Eric Mackey has warned that the preliminary enrollment decline could eliminate state funding for 750 to 800 positions in the 2027-28 school year. The potential reductions include teachers, assistant principals, counselors and other instructional support personnel.
The warning comes as Alabama’s CHOOSE Act directs public money toward education providers that can retain their religious requirements, admissions policies and control over classroom content. The law prohibits participating providers from discriminating based on race, color or national origin but does not include equivalent prohibitions covering sexual orientation or gender identity…