Gov. Kay Ivey points to a Phenix City family as evidence of the education savings account program’s reach, as more than 34,000 students gain approval for over $174 million in CHOOSE Act funding for the 2026-27 school year.
PHENIX CITY, Ala. | Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is putting a family story behind one of the most consequential education policies of her administration, highlighting the Yearby family of Phenix City as beneficiaries of the state's rapidly expanding CHOOSE Act education savings account program.
John and Cecily Yearby have five children, and three of their school-age children — Josiah, Jaci and Jeremiah — received CHOOSE Act support while attending The Rock Academy during the 2025-26 academic year. The family successfully renewed its application and is set to receive funding again for the 2026-27 school year.
The administration is using families such as the Yearbys to make the case that school choice can provide alternatives for students whose academic, social or special-needs requirements may not be adequately served by a single educational model.
Ivey: Families Need Options
Ivey said the Yearbys had previously explored several educational options before finding an environment they believe better serves their children.
“The Yearby family is one of many that has seen a remarkable difference in their children.”
The governor said the CHOOSE Act has given the family an opportunity to select a learning environment tailored to the children's individual needs.
That argument goes to the center of Alabama's school-choice debate: Should state education policy primarily fund public education systems, or should public resources increasingly follow individual students to the educational setting selected by their families?
For the Ivey administration, the CHOOSE Act represents a clear embrace of the latter approach.
Yearbys Point to Academic and Social Progress
The Yearbys said The Rock Academy has provided an environment that more closely reflects their family's priorities while meeting their children's academic and social needs.
Their oldest school-age son, Josiah, 15, receives assistance through the school's special-needs program. His parents say he continues to make progress. Jeremiah, 11, has become enthusiastic about attending school, while Jaci, 13, has expressed appreciation for the opportunity to attend a school she enjoys.
The family had previously tried public school and virtual education before settling on The Rock Academy.
Cecily Yearby encouraged other parents who believe their children need a different educational environment to investigate the program.
“There is nothing to lose from trying something different, so why not apply?”
She said the family's children are progressing more than they had previously and described the CHOOSE Act as a “blessing” for her family.
The Rock Academy Says Aid Is Opening Doors
The Rock Academy Head of School Christy Marchetti said the CHOOSE Act has helped make private education accessible to families that otherwise might not have considered it financially possible.
According to Marchetti, 81% of the school's students receive some form of financial support, while 23% have identified learning differences.
She argued that educational opportunities should not depend solely on household income, ZIP code or a student's learning challenges.
The Yearby family's experience also underscores an important element of the CHOOSE Act beyond traditional private-school tuition. Funds can be used for approved educational expenses including curriculum, textbooks, workbooks, educational software, computers, school supplies and certain tutoring or school fees.
Nearly 49,000 Students Represented in 2026-27 Applications
The scale of the program is becoming increasingly significant in Alabama education policy.
The 2026-27 application period closed March 31 with a reported 29,341 applications representing 48,927 students.
Of those applications:
- 18,832 were new applications, representing 29,986 students.
- 10,509 were renewal applications, representing 18,941 students.
- More than 34,000 students received approval for the 2026-27 academic year.
- More than $174 million in education savings account funding was made available for approved educational expenses beginning July 1.
Those numbers make the CHOOSE Act more than a limited school-choice experiment. It is becoming a significant component of Alabama's K-12 education landscape.
What Does Alabama's CHOOSE Act Pay For?
The law establishes refundable income-tax credits known as education savings accounts, or ESAs, which eligible families can use at approved Education Service Providers.
Eligible expenses can include private-school tuition and fees as well as other qualified educational costs.
For the 2026-27 academic year, new-family eligibility was limited to households with adjusted gross income not exceeding 300% of the federal poverty level for the preceding tax year.
That restriction is scheduled to disappear.
Beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, the program is set to become available to Alabama families regardless of household income, significantly expanding the potential pool of participants.
Priority remains important when available funding is limited. The program prioritizes certain students, including students with special needs, existing participants and their siblings, and qualifying dependents of active-duty military personnel associated with priority schools.
School Choice Debate Likely to Grow With Program
The Yearby family's story is part of a broader campaign by Ivey to highlight individual families using the CHOOSE Act. Her administration has previously featured families from across Alabama as examples of how education savings accounts are being used.
But the program's growth also ensures continued debate over the future of education funding in Alabama.
Supporters argue that parents — rather than government systems — are best positioned to determine which educational environment meets a child's needs and that ESAs can give lower- and middle-income families choices historically available primarily to wealthier households.
Those arguments could become increasingly relevant in Alabama as income restrictions disappear in 2027-28.
For Ivey, however, families such as the Yearbys illustrate the policy's intended outcome: giving parents more control over where and how their children are educated.
The next major expansion arrives in January 2027, when applications are expected to open for the 2027-28 academic year — the first year the program will be available to Alabama families regardless of household income.
Alabama CHOOSE Act official information and Parent Guide
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-- By Farhana Sumi
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