AL SB44

Increases the minimum population requirement for incorporated municipalities to establish a city board of education from 5,000 to 25,000 inhabitants.

Requires the State Department of Education to determine whether a city is financially capable of sustaining a school system before establishment, based on detailed financial information submitted by the city's governing body.

The department must verify that students in the proposed city system receive at least the same per pupil local expenditures as the county system and that county system per pupil expenditures will not be adversely affected.

Exempts cities that met the previous 5,000-inhabitant requirement and executed a formal separation agreement with the county board of education before this act's effective date.

Requires financially capable city school systems to acquire or build their own school facilities, with permission to purchase existing county facilities for a mutually agreed-upon price.