As relief money declines, Alabama school boards balance budgets

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — Some Alabama school programs for children might change.

Alabama State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey is expressing concerns about after-school programs across the state.

This comes after a Chilton County after-school program ended, citing the loss of federal relief dollars. At a work session with the Alabama State Board of Education this week, Mackey said there will be less money for schools to spend over these next three years.

Mackey said the Chilton County after-school program costs $2 million to run. He explained it’s the first of many school districts that will have to make some hard decisions.

“I feel hard for local school boards. When I talk to them in two weeks, it’s going to be one of my main talking points. It’s going to be really hard to make those cuts,” Mackey said. “But the boards that don’t make those cuts three or four years from now are going to be looking at state intervention because they are going to run out of money.”

One lawmaker said the legislature has worried about the day these funds would run out.

“We’ve worried about federal funds running out,” said state Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur). “We have continuously since 2020 truly tried to encourage local and the department to use the funds for one-time spending.”

“These are opportunities for us to have productive partnerships going forward for those programs we know that really move the needle,” said Sally Smith, the executive director of the Alabama Association of School Boards.

According to Mackey, some superintendents said they have already made arrangements.

“He said ‘Three years from now, I’ll have a lot fewer positions unless something changes,” Mackey said. “‘But we’re not going to just kind of pink slip everybody now. What we’re waiting is as people retire, we’re just not filling those positions.’”

Mackey said there are over 3,000 more school employees than there were in 2020, and 20,000 fewer students in state. He said the state’s board is working to help school districts with the transition.