As a public-school teacher, I see every day what Alabama’s Education Trust Fund was created to support: classrooms filled with students, educators doing more with less, and schools striving to meet rising expectations with limited resources. That is why it is deeply troubling that Southern Preparatory Academy—a private school in Camp Hill, Alabama—continues to receive funding from the Education Trust Fund.
Quite simply, it should not.
The Education Trust Fund exists to support Alabama’s public education system. Private schools, no matter how historic or well-intentioned, are not the responsibility of Alabama taxpayers. At a time when revenues are declining, we cannot afford to divert scarce education dollars away from the students and educators the fund was designed to serve.
The numbers make this clear. In December alone, revenues flowing into the state’s Education Trust Fund dropped by 6.32 percent—nearly $66 million—compared to the prior year. The trend has continued into fiscal year 2026, with revenues down 2.34 percent. These declines are not abstract accounting figures; they represent real pressure on classrooms, schools, and teachers across Alabama.
At the same time, the state faces a $380 million shortfall in the teachers’ health insurance plan. Educators are paying more out of pocket while struggling to keep up with inflation. Alabama also needs to address long-overdue raises for teachers if we hope to recruit and retain qualified professionals in our schools.
Against this backdrop, continuing to fund a private academy through the Education Trust Fund is indefensible.
The money currently allocated to Southern Preparatory Academy should be redirected to meet urgent public needs: stabilizing the teachers’ health insurance plan, increasing educator pay, and strengthening public schools that educate the vast majority of Alabama’s children.
Leadership matters in moments like this. Senate Education Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, has an opportunity to lead by ensuring the Education Trust Fund is used as intended. Eliminating this line item would send a clear message that Alabama is committed to prioritizing public education, especially when resources are tight.
As teachers, we are asked to stretch every dollar in our classrooms. We expect the same discipline from those responsible for writing the state’s education budget. Alabama taxpayers deserve to know their education dollars are being used wisely—and for public education.
Cutting Southern Preparatory Academy from the Education Trust Fund budget is a necessary step toward that goal.
