Meet Charlie Perkins and Susan Stacy –

MOBILE – Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday continued highlighting School Choice Week by introducing Charlie Perkins and his grandmother Susan Stacy, an Alabama household using the CHOOSE Act, the governor’s training financial savings account (ESA) program. Charlie Perkins is within the 4^th grade at St. Dominic Catholic School in Mobile.

“The CHOOSE Act is for all kinds of Alabama families,” stated Governor Ivey. “Susan and Charlie are exactly what this program is about – putting faith, family and a child’s future first. Every parent or guardian should have the opportunity to choose the education that best supports their child’s God-given potential.”

For Susan, household comes first, and her every day selections are formed by her dedication to offering safety, steerage and alternatives for her grandson Charlie. Susan values an in depth, structured and faith-based setting for studying, one which Charlie has additionally chosen for himself.

To different Alabama dad and mom and guardians, Susan suggested relating to the CHOOSE Act, “At first mention, I can see where the application process might seem overwhelming, I know I did, but don’t let that stop you! I was blown away – it is readily available and easy to access, and it opened the door to choose the education that best fit Charlie and what he wanted.”

Charlie is considerate, quick-witted and type. He enjoys making comedian books and is artistic at coronary heart. While he enjoys science in school, he retains Susan busy along with his massive aspirations and keenness for studying.

Susan added, “When Charlie mentioned that he wanted to go to a new school, I did not know how I was going to do it. With assistance from the CHOOSE Act, I was able to further invest in his education and give him that new environment that he desired.”

Charlie Perkins and Susan Stacy are one in every of tens of 1000’s being supported by the CHOOSE Act. In latest months, the governor featured households from throughout the state, together with the McDades and the Walkers from Montgomery, the Siemenses in Dothan, the Carbonells in Birmingham and the Moseleys in Camden, and she’s going to proceed highlighting actual Alabama households positively impacted by this faculty alternative program.

About the CHOOSE Act:

The CHOOSE Act web site gives Alabama households with the most recent details about the CHOOSE Act, together with eligibility data, an internet software for each renewing and new households, program FAQ, necessary deadlines and mother or father and training service supplier (ESP) guides.

As the 2026-27 faculty yr approaches, the CHOOSE Act purposes are open and proceed to boast success with 1000’s of present CHOOSE Act college students renewing their purposes. Applications for each renewing households and for brand spanking new households should be submitted by the March 31, 2026, software deadline. Award notifications might be despatched to eligible college students on April 15, 2026. Verification of taking part faculty enrollment should be submitted by June 30, 2026, for funding starting on July 1, 2026.

The CHOOSE Act makes refundable revenue tax credit referred to as training financial savings accounts obtainable to help the success of eligible Okay-12 college students in Alabama. An ESA can be utilized to pay for tuition, charges and different certified training bills at authorized Education Service Providers (ESPs).

Since CHOOSE Act purposes opened in January 2025, college students in each county all through the state have utilized, totaling 36,873 college students. Funding for eligible college students contains:

• $7,000 per eligible pupil enrolled in a taking part faculty
• $2,000 per taking part pupil enrolled in a house training program (most of $4,000 per household)

For the 2026-2027 educational yr, this system is open to new households with an adjusted gross revenue (AGI) not exceeding 300 % of the federal poverty stage for the previous tax yr. For the 2027-2028 educational yr and past, this system is open to all households, no matter revenue.

The program will prioritize college students with particular wants, taking part college students and their siblings and college students who’re dependents of active-duty service members enrolled in or assigned to a precedence faculty. Remaining ESAs might be obtainable to college students based mostly on the household’s AGI as a share of the federal poverty stage.

For purposes and extra details about CHOOSE Act Alabama, go to chooseact.alabama.gov.

A photograph of Charlie and Susan is connected.

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