Alabama's public schools aren't seeing an exodus of students taking advantage of private school tax credits.
State Superintendent of Education Tommy Bice told the state school board Thursday that preliminary survey data shows 51 students have used the new Alabama Accountability Act to transfer from a failing public school to a private school.
He told AL.com that not all school systems have responded to a department survey, but he doesn't expect the figure to increase much because the state's largest systems have responded.
Of the 51 transfers, 33 were in Montgomery County.
One of the 78 public schools rated failing is Samson Middle School in southeast Alabama. Geneva County Superintendent Becky Birdsong told the Dothan Eagle that two students transferred, but it's unclear if both are using the tax credits.