SB212 Summary

• Creates the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering in Huntsville as an independent, residential school for academically gifted Alabama students, with operation beginning fall semester 2020.

• Establishes a 20-member board of trustees including university presidents, state education officials, legislative committee chairs, foundation leadership, and 8 Governor-appointed members (5 with business backgrounds, one from each congressional district plus one at-large Madison County resident).

• School operates independently from the State Board of Education and local boards, with authority to award certificates and diplomas in addition to regular high school diplomas, and establish its own curriculum subject to state board approval.

• Requires the board to ensure at least one qualified applicant from each city and county public school system is eligible for admission annually, and to assist educators statewide in replicating cyber and engineering best practices through classroom observations, workshops, and communities of practice.

• School may offer summer programs, short courses, workshops, seminars, weekend programs, and extension courses on other campuses; funded by state appropriations plus grants and private donations from corporations, individuals, and foundations.