Judge temporarily blocks Alabama rule saying voucher students can’t play sports for a year

Montgomery, al. – On Friday, a judge took place on the side of the governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey and blocked a policy that prevented the beneficiaries of good schoolchildren from playing in sports teams this fall.

The Montgomery circuit judge, JR Gaines, made a temporary prohibition prescription unless the Alabama High School Athletic Association of a policy that says that beneficiaries of vouchers are inadmissible to practice sport during their first year in a new school.

Chamber of Chamber Ivey and Alabama, Nathaniel Ledbetter, had asked for the prohibition order after submitting a prosecution contesting the association’s decision concerning the eligibility for students.

“Today’s order is a victory for common sense,” Ivey said in a statement. “Each child deserves a real choice in their education and this includes their right to participate in school athletics.”

More than 20,000 students participate in the new state vouchers program, called the Choose law, which has entered into force this school year. It allows eligible families to draw up to $ 7,000 in state money to help pay a private school or transfer to a public school and up to $ 2,000 for home teaching expenses.

Alabama High School Athletic Association did not immediately respond to an email asking for comments.

The association had judged that the Choose law provides a type of financial assistance. The organization said that it had a long -standing rule according to which any transfer student who receives financial assistance “is not eligible for sports participation for a year”.

“This policy, established by our member schools, promotes competitive equity and dissuades recruitment,” the organization wrote in a statement on Thursday.

Alabama is part of a certain number of states using good, tax credits or parents to help families pay private school or education costs outside of public school.

This school year 23,429 students participate in the Choose Act program. More than half, or 14,587, frequent private schools, according to figures from the Alabama income department. Just over 7,000 are educated at home and 1,442 students are in public schools.

Most families participating in the program were already registered in private schools or were educated at home last year.