Alabama's CHOOSE Act Sees Record Enrollment

0:00Alabama Governor Kay Ivey just dropped big news on the Chews Act, the state's Education Savings Program. In its second year, it pulled in a record 48,927 students through 29,341. Applications for the 2026 27th school year. Apps closed March 31st, with nearly 19,000 new ones and about 10,500 renewals. Breaking it down, private school hopefuls led the packet over 21,000 students, followed by 13,400 homeschoolers, and around 9,000 from public or charter spots. Home schools saw mostly fresh faces, with over 8,000 new applicants. Governor Ivey says this program's transforming lives for thousands of families, letting them pick schools that fit their kids' needs. The surge shows, Alabama's are all in on school choice, and she's proud to deliver it. It reached across all grades, from kindergarten to seniors, with special needs kids numbering over 5,000 and military families adding more.

1:02Then 1,000. Nearly even split between boys and girls, 24,300 females, and 24,600 males applied. That's a clear sign demand is booming, stay wide. Families should hear on funding by mid-April, then start tapping those funds. Come July for approved expenses. School choice is clearly gaining steam in Alabama. Stay informed with Birmingham News today. A.I. Powered Updates, I'm Corey with The Story.