MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Community College System will request a nearly $700 million budget from lawmakers in the next session, more than $100 million over their current allocation.
The $694.1 million request for fiscal year 2026, approved by the system’s Board of Trustees on Wednesday, would be an 18% increase over the current budget. The Alabama Legislature will have the final say on how much money the community college system receives.
ACCS Chancellor Jimmy Baker said Wednesday that he would be meeting with community college presidents to discuss the budget.
Baker said they would be seeking a significant amount of funding for personnel raises to address issues with staffing, particularly for math and science.
“We are simply trying to move forward to make the employment of the community college system more attractive,” he said.
Since 2021, K-12 math and science teachers in Alabama have received additional pay under the Teacher Excellence and Accountability for Mathematics and Science (TEAMS) program.
Baker said after the meeting the total for the raises will be $40 million, but they are not expecting all of it in one year.
Baker said that increasing workforce training is another important part for the budget. The budget includes a $312,000 request for Automotive Manufacturing Workforce Development Program and over $500,000 for workforce training under the Alabama Technology Network among other line items.
The ACCS will also request over $50.68 million for dual enrollment programs, a $10 million (roughly 25%) increase over this year. ACCS will also seek $11 million for industry certification initiatives, a $1.5 million (roughly 16%) increase over the current budget.
Baker said that he hoped the programs would help address the state’s low workforce participation rates and help companies seeking employees.
“We need to train those people as fast as we possibly can,” he said.
The Alabama Legislature will begin its 2025 regular session in February. The 2026 budget goes into effect on Oct. 1 of next year.
This article originally appeared in the Alabama Reflector, an independent, nonprofit news outlet. It appears on FOX54.com under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
