Update: Fate of State School Board in the Hands of Alabama Voters

Alabama voters will decide next year whether they want to abolish the elected state school board and replace it with an appointed commission.

The House of Representatives voted 78-21 today for the proposed constitutional amendment that will go before voters next year. Alabamians will vote on the proposal on March 3, 2020.

The new nine-member education commission would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alabama Senate.

Gov. Kay Ivey and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh championed the effort.

Ivey says the state needs a bold change because the current system is not working.

Opposed lawmakers questioned how a new board would improve test scores.

Republican Rep. Andrew Sorrell said if state voters elect the governor, “certainly they are qualified to elect their own school board.”

(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)