Whitney Miller-Nichols
CLAS Director of Governmental Relations
From Bills to
BUDGETS Countdown to the 2024 Legislative Session
The primary state advocacy focus for CLAS is always the Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget since this budget determines the state allocation for each school system and school. As a school leader, you know that a budget is also a policy document that should reflect the priorities of the governing body. Our advocacy efforts during the legislative session are guided by the legislative priorities approved by the CLAS board at its December meeting. The CLAS advocacy team engages in all steps of the ETF budgeting process so that the ETF may reflect our members’ priorities, too. And your participation in advocacy efforts during the legislative session reinforces the groundwork laid by the CLAS advocacy team during the “off season.”
Setting Financial Priorities State budget season kicked off when ALSDE staff 16
reviewed the agency’s draft FY2025 ETF Budget Appropriation Requests with the State Board of Education (SBOE) at their August retreat. Staff revised their proposed budgets based on SBOE feedback and presented the revisions at the September SBOE work session. The board must always approve the ALSDE ETF appropriations request no later than their October meeting since state law requires all agencies to submit their budgets to the state’s Executive Budget Office (EBO) by November 1 every year. The EBO will then prepare the Governor’s two budget proposals (one for the ETF and one for the General Fund), adjusting each agency’s requests to reflect the Governor’s priorities for the coming fiscal year. You may remember that the Governor’s Recommended FY2024 ETF Budget made significant adjustments to the ALSDE budget requests. Winter Issue 2024
