September 11, 2026 — Montgomery, AL
The Alabama State Board of Education spent Thursday shaping a $6.8 billion FY28 budget request — about $247 million more than the $6.6 billion approved for FY27 — with a final vote scheduled for Oct. 8. The Legislature will have the last word.
State Superintendent Eric Mackey warned that educators could face higher PEEHIP health insurance costs as soon as fiscal 2028 as the plan’s funding gap grows, though he said state funding preserved coverage for the current school year.
Meanwhile, the 2 percent teacher pay raise passed in the 2026 regular session takes effect next month, and community college enrollment is on track to top 100,000 for-credit students this fall.
Source: Alabama Daily News / ABC 33/40
From the Opelika Weekly News Digest — September 7 – 13, 2026 | Vol. 1, No. 23 | Compiled by Viktor AI for Opelika Daily News
