Local homeschoolers, private schools continue to see effects from CHOOSE Act

Yahoo

2 days ago

Jun. 5—Nearly half of students awarded an education credit from the CHOOSE Act in Morgan, Limestone and Lawrence counties will use it for homeschooling expenses.
According to the Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR), of the 817 students approved in the area, 386, or 47%, are homeschooled. The concentration of CHOOSE Act credits for homeschool in this area is higher than the statewide amount. Of the total students approved in the entire state, 30% are homeschooled, based on ADOR data.
Meanwhile, local private schools are already at near capacity and looking to the future, as families submit proof of enrollment to receive a financial credit on July 1.
An additional 390 CHOOSE Act recipients living in Morgan, Limestone and Lawrence Counties have plans to attend a private school in the fall, according to ADOR. Decatur Heritage Christian Academy and Lindsay Lane Christian Academy in Athens have multiple grades that are full. Both have opened additional kindergarten or pre-K units to address the need.
"I'm very curious to know, in subsequent years, will we see even greater involvement because people are coming to know what this is about, and they're starting to understand it, and they're starting to figure it out?" said Steve Hall, head of schools for Decatur Heritage. "Or have we in one year gotten ourselves to a place where people get it, and the people who want it are doing it?"
The Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students' Education (CHOOSE) Act is an education voucher program for lower-income families, which will award financial credits for the first time with the 2025-2026 school year. ADOR spokesperson Frank Miles said 23,465 applicants statewide were approved to receive this credit.
Eligible families can receive $7,000 per student enrolled in a private school. Homeschooling families can receive $2,000 per student, or a maximum of $4,000. Families have until June 30 to provide proof of enrollment at a participating school to receive this credit, Miles said.
The consensus from private school leaders is that the CHOOSE Act has brought some growth within its first year but not an unexpected or overwhelming amount.
"We have been growing steadily since the COVID shutdown in 2020," said Limestone Christian Academy Academic Administrator Corey Patton. "The upcoming school year's growth is mostly in line with what we have experienced year over year the last three years. I wouldn't say the CHOOSE Act has affected our enrollment in a huge way, though it certainly has played a small role."
Private schools saw some increased traffic around the application due date. Hall believes the school will continue to receive calls from both CHOOSE Act recipients — as the deadline to submit proof of enrollment approaches — and other prospective families through June and July.
Hall is interested to see if the CHOOSE Act has a larger impact in coming years. He doesn't think knowledge of the voucher program was widespread, particularly in Morgan County, within its first year, he said.
Although its student population has increased in the last five years, Hall said Decatur Heritage continues to be intentional with its growth.
"Suddenly education was thrown in the laps of parents (during COVID-19), like, 'I can't get away from it. I can't just turn my kid over to a school; I'm overseeing it,'" Hall said. "They couldn't help but be intricately invested in it. ... It's been different. This has been a very impactful moment in history as it relates to education in America."
Decatur Heritage broke ground on an expansion project in 2024. Original estimates gave a completion date in January of 2026.
As of Wednesday, Decatur Heritage had about 380 confirmed students for the 2025-26 school year, plus an additional 25 that listed it on their CHOOSE Act but haven't contacted the school yet. Hall said the school could serve a maximum of 425 — 450 within its current space.
Decatur Heritage would have space for an additional 80 — 100 students with this expansion, Hall said; however, he emphasized that the project's purpose was not to grow quickly, but rather to expand programming the school offers.
Lindsay Lane Head of Schools Robby Parker said his district is also examining growth. He has started to discuss what this growth could mean for the future with the school board.
"At this point, we're at the initial stages of seeing where we're at as we grow and as we fill," Parker said. "As the Lord blesses us, we've got to continue to look at where we're going."
The school recently hired Brie Hollander as a director of admissions because it needed a dedicated contact for prospective families.
With private schooling and homeschooling on the rise, Morgan County Schools Superintendent Tracie Turrentine said their student population hasn't declined.
"In Morgan County Schools, our enrollment fluctuates slightly from year to year, but these changes are minimal and have not led to significant shifts," Turrentine said. "We have not seen any downward trajectory in enrollment, and as a result, maintaining and even adding teachers continues to be a priority."
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