Code of Alabama - Title 16: Education - Chapter 1 - General Provisions

• Section 16-1-1 Definitions
  For purposes of this title, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section: (1) SCHOLASTIC DAY. Shall...
• Section 16-1-2 Inspection of buildings during and after construction; acceptance of completed construction; forms for construction contracts
  In order to eliminate the causes of school fires and other conditions which jeopardize the health and safety of school children: (1) The county or...
• Section 16-1-2.1 New school construction to include approved safe space or hallway
  (a) Commencing on July 1, 2010, any new contract awarded for the construction of a new public school, unless the school has an Alabama Building...
• Section 16-1-2.2 New construction at public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education to include approved safe space or hallway
  (a) Commencing on August 1, 2012, any new contract awarded for the construction of a new building, containing classrooms or dorm rooms, on the grounds...
• Section 16-1-2.3 Requirements for restroom facilities at public or private high school sports stadiums
  (a) This section applies to all of the following: (1) Any existing public or private high school sports stadium for which otherwise applicable state or...
• Section 16-1-3 Photographing or microphotographing records - Authorized; force and effect
  The State Superintendent of Education and each of the several city and county superintendents of education may cause any records, documents, books, papers or writing...
• Section 16-1-4 Photographing or microphotographing records - Destruction of records photographed, etc.; retention of photographs
  The State Superintendent of Education and each of the several city and county superintendents of education may destroy or cause to be disposed of any...
• Section 16-1-5 Photographing or microphotographing records - Intent
  It is the intent of Sections 16-1-3 and 16-1-4 to permit the State Superintendent of Education and each of the several city and county superintendents...
• Section 16-1-6 Association of school board members
  The Alabama Association of School Board Members is hereby recognized as the organization and representative agency of the members of the school boards of Alabama....
• Section 16-1-7 Eye protective devices for pupils and teachers participating in certain courses
  (a) Every pupil and every teacher in the public schools shall wear industrial quality eye protective devices while participating in the following courses: (1) Vocational...
• Section 16-1-8.1 Classroom instructional support
  (a) For purposes of this section, classroom instructional support means all elements of classroom instructional support as provided in the Foundation Program, with the exception...
• Section 16-1-10 Selling, etc., alcoholic beverages to school children; keeping on school premises
  Any person, firm, corporation or association that knowingly sells, gives or dispenses any alcoholic beverage to any school student under the age of 18 years,...
• Section 16-1-11 Private schools to register and report;
  All private schools or institutions of any kind having a school in connection therewith, except church schools as defined in Section 16-28-1, shall register annually...
• Section 16-1-11.1 Autonomy of nonpublic schools - Legislative findings
  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) That a parent or guardian in Alabama has a constitutional right to choose the type...
• Section 16-1-11.2 Autonomy of nonpublic schools - Education selection by parents; exemption from licensure or regulation
  (a) A parent or guardian shall have the right to select the type school or method of his or her choice for the K-12 education...
• Section 16-1-11.3 Autonomy of nonpublic schools - Applicability of statutory requirements
  Each nonpublic school, including private, church, parochial, and religious schools, offering educational instruction in grades K-12, as well as home-schooling entities, shall comply with the...
• Section 16-1-11.4 Admission of nonpublic school students by public institutions of higher education
  Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, no public two-year or four-year institution of higher education in the state may deny admission to or...
• Section 16-1-11.5 Teacher certification
  Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the State Department of Education's requirements for teacher certification and recertification shall be the same for any...
• Section 16-1-11.6 Membership of nonpublic schools in Alabama High School Athletic Association
  All nonpublic schools which choose to become members of the Alabama High School Athletic Association shall be in compliance with the constitution and bylaws established...
• Section 16-1-13 Teaching pupils of disparate ability, background and achievement
  Whenever any city, county or other local school board determines it to be in the best interest of the public school pupils of the local...
• Section 16-1-14 Removal, isolation, or separation of pupils creating disciplinary problems; state approval necessary for rules implementing such measures; deprivation of right to equal and adequate education may not result
  Any city, county, or other local public school board shall, consistent with Section 16-28-12, prescribe rules and regulations with respect to behavior and discipline of...
• Section 16-1-15 Classification and grouping of pupils upon consideration of social attitudes, etc
  For the purpose of preventing or minimizing disciplinary problems, the local school board may classify and group pupils upon consideration of their social attitudes, their...
• Section 16-1-16 Special courses, tutoring, counseling, etc., for special groups of pupils
  A local board of education may in its discretion prescribe special courses in citizenship, health, morals or any other subject it may consider necessary to...
• Section 16-1-16.1 Alabama Council on Family and Children
  (a) The Legislature finds that there is at present a need in Alabama to coordinate, at the state and local level, the efforts of existing...
• Section 16-1-17 Contest of certain elections
  Any and all elections held for the purpose of determining whether a tax shall be levied in the county or in a school district of...
• Section 16-1-18.1 Accumulation of sick leave
  (a) Definitions. When used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings, respectively: (1) EMPLOYEE. Any person employed full time as provided...
• Section 16-1-18.2 Payment for unused sick leave upon death of employee
  (a) Payment to beneficiary or estate for unused sick leave. Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, when an active and contributing member of...
• Section 16-1-19 Students at colleges, universities, etc., deemed residents of state if parent or guardian registered to vote in state and employed by congressman or in executive branch of federal government on appointment by President
  Any law or any rule or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, for the purposes of paying tuition or fees at any college, university or other...
• Section 16-1-20 Period of silence for meditation at beginning of first class in public schools
  At the commencement of the first class each day in the first through the sixth grades in all public schools, the teacher in charge of...
• Section 16-1-20.1 Period of silence for meditation
  Repealed by Act 98-381, p. 715, § 2, effective April 27, 1998.
• Section 16-1-20.2 School prayer
  From henceforth, any teacher or professor in any public educational institution within the State of Alabama, recognizing that the Lord God is one, at the...
• Section 16-1-20.3 Student-initiated voluntary prayer
  (a) The legislative intent and purpose for this section is to protect the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States...
• Section 16-1-20.4 Period of quiet reflection
  (a) The Legislature of Alabama finds that in the hectic society of today all too few citizens are able to experience even a moment of...
• Section 16-1-20.5 Protection of student religious liberties
  (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Alabama Student Religious Liberties Act of 2015." (b) A public local board of...
• Section 16-1-20.6 Released time for student participation in religious instruction
  (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Alabama Released Time Credit Act. (b) The Legislature finds and declares all of...
• Section 16-1-21 Payments by boards of education for fund-saving suggestions; section permissive only
  (a) All local boards of education, throughout the state, now existing or hereinafter established, are hereby authorized to pay employees for suggestions which result in...
• Section 16-1-22 Audit of certain institutions
  The Department of Examiners of Public Accounts is hereby authorized and empowered to audit the records of the Marion Military Institute, the Lyman Ward Military...
• Section 16-1-23 Hazing prohibited; penalty
  (a) Hazing is defined as follows: (1) Any willful action taken or situation created, whether on or off any school, college, university, or other educational...
• Section 16-1-24 Reporting of property damage and physical assaults on students and school personnel; legislative intent; penalties
  (a) For purposes of this section, the following words and phrases shall have the following respective meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (1) INCIDENT....
• Section 16-1-24.1 Safe school and drug-free school policy; treatment of policy violators; promulgation and distribution of discipline policy; liability limited for discipline actions; local boards may adopt more stringent guidelines
  (a) The Legislature finds a compelling public interest in ensuring that schools are made safe and drug-free for all students and school employees. The Legislature...
• Section 16-1-24.2 Department of Education to develop statewide violence prevention program
  (a) For purposes of this section, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings: (1) GUIDANCE COUNSELING PROCEDURES. Procedures providing planned, sequential activities...
• Section 16-1-24.3 Local boards of education to implement policies requiring expulsion of students who possess firearms in school areas
  (a) All city and county boards of education shall develop and implement local policies and procedures requiring the expulsion of students, for a period of...
• Section 16-1-25 Access to students and campus facilities by military recruiters of U.S. Armed Forces and Department of Homeland Security
  All city and county public school systems and all public institutions of higher education as defined by Section 16-5-1 and all divisions of public institutions...
• Section 16-1-25.1 Access by professional educators' associations
  (a) A public school district or any employee of a public school district shall grant all professional educators' associations the same level of access to...
• Section 16-1-26 Compensation of school board members
  (a) Members of city and county school boards are authorized to receive reasonable compensation for their services, not to exceed six hundred dollars ($600) per...
• Section 16-1-27 Use of electronic communication devices on school property
  (a) A local board of education may permit any pupil to carry a pocket pager, cellular telephone, or other electronic communication device while on school...
• Section 16-1-28 No public funds or public facilities to be used to promote lifestyle or activities prohibited by sodomy and sexual misconduct laws
  (a) No public funds or public facilities shall be used by any college or university to, directly or indirectly, sanction, recognize, or support the activities...
• Section 16-1-30 Written educational policies, rules and regulations of local boards of education
  (a) Definitions. When used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings: (1) LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION or BOARD OF EDUCATION. Any...
• Section 16-1-31 Elective course credit for participation in YMCA Youth and Government programs
  (a) Each public local board of education may provide that a high school student who participates in YMCA Youth and Government programs may earn elective...
• Section 16-1-32 Debit cards; authorized uses; transaction fees
  (a) The board of trustees or any other governing body of a public institution of higher education as defined in Section 16-5-1 may establish a...
• Section 16-1-33 Written reduction-in-force policy
  (a) When used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings: (1) BOARD. All public city and county boards of education, the...
• Section 16-1-34 Donation by two-year college president of surplus property to local public school system
  A two-year college president under the jurisdiction of the Department of Postsecondary Education and the State Board of Education and the State Board of Medical...
• Section 16-1-35 Governor's Academic Achievement Program
  (a) The "Governor's Academic Achievement Program" is created to encourage and reward academic improvement in the public schools of this state. (b) Pursuant to the...
• Section 16-1-36 Tutoring programs for students accessed below average SAT scores
  (a) Beginning in the 2000-2001 school year, any public school student in this state who is required by statute or regulation of the State Department...
• Section 16-1-37 Issuance of high school diplomas to certain honorably discharged veterans
  The State Superintendent of Education may award a standard high school diploma to any honorably discharged veteran who served in the United States Armed Forces...
• Section 16-1-38 Financial and education law training for newly elected superintendents of education
  (a)(1) Each person newly elected or appointed as a city or county superintendent of education shall, prior to assuming office, attend and satisfactorily complete a...
• Section 16-1-38.1 Professional development program for county and city superintendents of education
  (a) The School Superintendents of Alabama, a professional organization, shall establish and administer a professional development program for all county and city superintendents of education....
• Section 16-1-39 Self-administration of medications by student
  (a) Commencing with the 2007-2008 scholastic year, each local board of education and the governing body of each nonpublic school in the state shall permit...
• Section 16-1-40 Education Trust Fund proration relief
  (a) During fiscal year 2009 and any fiscal year in which proration is declared by the Governor in an amount equal to or greater than...
• Section 16-1-41 Orientation and training for members of local board of education
  Each local public board of education shall adopt a policy for the orientation and ongoing training of members of its local board of education.
• Section 16-1-41.1 School board governance improvement
  (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the School Board Governance Improvement Act of 2012. (b) The Legislature finds and declares...
• Section 16-1-42 High school fast track to college program
  (a) The State Superintendent of Education, the Chancellor of the Department of Postsecondary Education, and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education shall develop a plan...
• Section 16-1-43 Waiver of undergraduate tuition and fees for Purple Heart recipients
  (a) For purposes of this section, a public institution of higher education includes public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education and postsecondary technical colleges,...
• Section 16-1-44 School emergency operation plans
  (a)(1) Each local board of education shall develop and adopt a comprehensive school emergency operations plan for each school under the authority of the board....
• Section 16-1-44.1 School security personnel and school resource officers
  (a) As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. A person who was a law enforcement...
• Section 16-1-44.2 Electronic notification system
  (a) The Department of Education shall implement an electronic notification system designed to allow local schools and local school systems to input specific information relating...
• Section 16-1-45 Automated external defibrillator requirements
  (a) For purposes of this section, the term automated external defibrillator is given the same definition as provided in subsection (c) of Section 6-5-332.3. (b)...
• Section 16-1-46 Farm-to-school procurement processes and procedures
  (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Farm-To-School Procurement Act. (b) For the purposes of this section, unprocessed agricultural products...
• Section 16-1-47 Information on meningococcal meningitis disease and its vaccine to be provided to parents and guardians of students
  (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Jessica Elkins Act. (b) If a local board of education provides information on...
• Section 16-1-48 Anaphylaxis preparedness program
  (a) The State Department of Education shall develop an anaphylaxis preparedness program to be adopted by each local board of education and implemented in each...
• Section 16-1-49 Information on influenza and it vaccine to be provided to parents and guardians of students
  (a) If a local board of education provides information on immunizations, infectious diseases, medications, or other school health issues to parents and guardians of students...
• Section 16-1-50 Possession and use of over-the-counter sunscreen by students
  (a) Any student in a public school under the jurisdiction of a local board of education or in a nonpublic school may possess and apply...
• Section 16-1-51 Grants to public schools for advanced educational and specialized programs for gifted and talented children
  (a) The Legislature finds and declares the following: (1) It is vital that Alabama's public schools challenge and encourage students who are capable of completing...
• Section 16-1-51.1 Comprehensive model policy for supervision and monitoring of juvenile sex offender students; educational placement of juvenile sex offenders
  (a)(1) On or before January 1, 2019, the State Board of Education shall develop a comprehensive model policy for the supervision and monitoring of juvenile...

Last modified: May 3, 2021