As students begin registering for the next school year (it’s just three months away!), AL.com wanted to help parents wade through the different types of choices they could look for in their child’s public school.
Families across Alabama have options for where they enroll their children, but it’s not always easy to figure them out. About 100,000 students should have received a letter from the school outlining new options under a state law that went into effect this year.
Students attending priority public schools -- schools that earned a ‘D’ or ‘F’ on their school report card -- should have been notified in January of their options (check the list to see how your school is rated). And students in the 40-plus school districts that still have federal desegregation orders have an option called a majority-to-minority transfer.
In many cases, there are windows or time frames within which a school district will accept certain types of transfer requests.
This list is not exhaustive and not all school districts have all of these options. And even where options are available, schools could still turn down a transfer request.
Ask your child’s school or the district central office for more information.
Priority school transfers - 200,000 students eligible statewide
If your child attends one of the state’s 206 priority schools - the list is at this link - you should have received a notice from your child’s school informing you of your options by January 14. The statewide deadline to submit the form was March 1, but schools might still be taking transfer requests.
This type of transfer allows your child to attend a non-priority public school (a school that made an “A,” “B” or “C” on the 2023 report card) within the same school district if space is available. And if the transfer is granted, the school is responsible for transportation.
Many of Alabama’s school districts only have a few schools - elementary, middle and high - and so there may not be any transfer options within your district.
Districts with multiple schools may have trouble finding space, and the districts that are still under federal desegregation orders may be restricted to only allowing students of certain races the opportunity to transfer to another school.
If you have no options within your district, you can ask a neighboring public school district if they will accept your child as a student. Those districts do not have to allow your child to enroll, though. And there likely won’t be a bus for your child to take to school. Some schools may require that your child have no discipline referrals or a certain grade point average in order to enroll.
Some schools require non-resident students to pay a fee to enroll. If your family’s income is below a certain threshold, though, you could get help from one of Alabama’s scholarship organizations - here’s the list - to help pay that fee.
Majority-to-minority transfers
In school districts with federal desegregation orders - about 40 in Alabama are - a different type of transfer is available: A “majority to minority” or M2M transfer.
School districts with M2M transfer options restrict transfers to certain races of students based on the current student enrollment.
Huntsville City, Jefferson County and Hoover City along with other school districts under federal orders, are among the districts who are bound by the federal order that restricts which students can transfer. The federal order can mean that your child is unable to transfer out of a priority school, but contact your district’s central office for details.
Other transfers
Some school districts allow transfers for students whose parents’ workplace is far from the child’s neighborhood school or who teach in the school district. The rules will differ by district, so call the Central Office or the Board of Education office and ask what the transfer rules are.
Alternatives to a zoned traditional public school
If you’re looking for a totally new experience for your child, Alabama has options beyond the transfers mentioned above.
Statewide specialty schools
Alabama has three statewide specialty schools: The Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science in Mobile and the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering in Huntsville. These schools have application requirements, and all offer residential boarding.
The application window typically falls in the spring, so it is likely too late to apply for the coming school year.
Magnet schools
Magnet schools are typically based on a theme, like arts or academics. Just a few public school districts have magnet schools, including Huntsville, Montgomery and Decatur. Some require students to meet certain requirements before being accepted for enrollment, and when more applications are approved than there are spaces available, students are chosen from a lottery.
Federal data listed 38 magnet schools in Alabama, while the Niche website listed 58 magnet schools.
Albertville and Selma are building new magnet schools focused on career tech and the arts, respectively.
International Baccalaureate schools
The IB program is rigorous, with an emphasis on developing students who are, according to the IB website, “thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, reflective.” Alabama has 23 public schools that offer the IB program to various grade levels. They are all located within a public school district, so enrollment will depend on whether the school district accepts your student.
An application will likely be required, and those windows typically close fairly early in the calendar year, though.
Charter schools
Charter schools are public schools and do not charge tuition. There aren’t a lot of them, and enrollment isn’t guaranteed. But there are no admission requirements, as in no discipline or GPA requirements. If there are more applicants than spaces available, a lottery ise held.
Online schools
All Alabama public schools offer an option for students in grades nine through 12 to earn their diploma online. Some districts offer virtual school to all grades, but that differs by district. If your district doesn’t offer an online school for your child’s grade level, there are four statewide online public schools that could admit your child:
Alabama Connections Academy,
Alabama Destinations Career Academy
Alabama Virtual Academy at Eufaula City Schools
Genesis Innovative School
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