The Alabama Policy Institute has come out in opposition to a proposed rule regarding the eligibility of students under the newly-passed Alabama Accountability Act, reports the AL.com.
The law establishes a tax-credit scholarship program for students zoned for failing schools, and the Alabama Department of Revenue has been charged with creating a set of rules for the implementation of the program.
At hearings last week, the Alabama Policy Institute argued against one of the proposed rules, which would make students who are zoned for failing schools but are currently enrolled in private schools ineligible for the program.
The conservative think tank argued that because the language of the law says that tax credits will be made available to parents or students enrolled in or assigned to attend a failing school, that all students who are zoned for failing schools, even those who are currently enrolled in private schools, should be eligible for the tax credit scholarships.
The department of revenue has until Nov. 6 to make the rules final, and then they will be subject to review by the legislative council, says the article.