Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB303

Introduced

4/8/25

Refer

4/8/25

Report Pass

4/9/25

Refer

4/10/25

Report Pass

4/22/25

Enrolled

4/29/25

Passed

5/6/25

Passed

5/6/25

Caption

School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act, amending definitions

Impact

If enacted, SB303 will impact state laws by altering eligibility criteria for financial support mechanisms aimed at enhancing leadership in schools characterized as high-poverty. The updated definition not only recognizes the economic challenges faced by students but also positions educational leadership as a key factor in addressing those challenges. This move is expected to align the support mechanisms more closely with the realities of schools serving economically disadvantaged communities, thereby fostering an environment for improved student performance.

Summary

SB303 seeks to amend the definition of a High Poverty School under the School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act in Alabama. This bill revises specific definitions to ensure that principals and assistant principals at high-poverty schools can qualify for annual stipends based on a higher threshold for percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunches. The intent is to provide more resources and incentivize effective leadership in schools that serve a significant number of low-income students. By ensuring adequate financial incentives for school leaders, the bill aims to promote better educational outcomes.

Contention

Notable points of contention surrounding SB303 include discussions about the adequacy of the revised thresholds for what constitutes a high-poverty school. Critics may argue that the new definitions do not sufficiently address the needs of schools with varying levels of economic hardship or may overlook other critical factors that contribute to educational inequity. Additionally, there are concerns about the potential for disparities in funding and resources among different districts, which could exacerbate existing inequalities rather than alleviate them.

Latest AL SB303 Activity

View All Events: AL 2025 Regular Session SB303

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

AL SB33

Public K-12 education, employment of assistant superintendents, assistant chief school finance officers, and assistant principals by contract provided for local boards of education

AL SB75

Appropriations from Education Trust Fund for the support, maintenance, and development of public education for fiscal year ending September 30, 2025.

AL HB145

Appropriations from Education Trust Fund for the support, maintenance, and development of public education for fiscal year ending September 30, 2025.

AL HB22

Public k-12 assistant principals, role further provided for

AL HR153

Principal Perry Updike, commended

AL HB439

Public K-12 education, employment, qualifications, and training of technology directors

AL SB157

Public education employees; exclusion of students from classroom, provided for; principal authorized to suspend, expel, or recommend for alternative school certain students excluded from classroom; civil and criminal immunity provided to education employees; local boards of education authorized to reimburse or compensate employees for certain legal fees; rebuttable presumption, created; Board of Education, required to adopt rules

AL SB224

Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing, created within the Department of Labor; oversight provided to professional or occupational licensing boards.

AL HB441

Growing Alabama Act, Innovating Alabama Act, Alabama Jobs Act, Innovate Alabama, allow existing communities to qualify for incentives

AL HB88

True School Choice for Alabama Act, established to provide education savings accounts (ESAs) for parents of children to use in providing education services for those children.

Similar Bills

CA AB1509

Pupil instruction: State Board of Education: exam and course programs.

AL SB300

To create the School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act and the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System for public K-12 education; to provide for the creation and implementation of a mentoring program for new principals and a continuing professional learning program for principals and assistant principals; and to provide annual stipends for each principal and assistant principal who satisfactorily completes the program.