CHOOSE Act in Blount County: Oneonta and Blountsville Options

Two verified local options

The Alabama Department of Revenue's participating-school list, dated October 9, 2026, identifies both institutions on page 6. Participation establishes a program connection; admission, available places and the family's award still require separate confirmation.

The amounts describe different charges. Neither is presented as the complete annual cost of attending the school, and neither is a quotation for 2027–28.

How much the program provides

The Department of Revenue's program overview describes education savings accounts of $7,000 per participating student enrolled in a participating school, or $2,000 per participating home-education student, subject to a $4,000 family cap for home education.

For 2026–27, the official parent guide, updated July 27, 2026, requires Alabama residency and household income no higher than 300% of the 2025 federal poverty guideline. Its four-person-household threshold is $96,450. Students must meet the program's grade and other requirements; a kindergartener must have turned five by September 1, 2026.

The guide also requires participating public-school students to provide proof of out-of-district tuition. A public school's appearance on the state list does not create a $7,000 entitlement for every resident student already attending it.

Oneonta City Schools: admission comes first

Oneonta City Schools' March 5, 2026 notice to out-of-district families says nonresidents apply when entering the system and reapply before grades 3, 6 and 9. For 2026–27, that notice set April 28, 2026 as the reapplication deadline and July 13, 2026 as the due date for the $500 fee. Those dates have passed.

The notice describes principal review followed by superintendent and board consideration. Ask the district about your child's grade, admission status and the documentation of any qualifying tuition obligation. Its admissions page links the nonresident policy and application; the district phone is 205-543-1515.

Oneonta City Schools is a separate school system from Blount County Schools. Address questions about Oneonta's nonresident process to the city district. Do not apply a neighboring system's requirements to a Oneonta application.

Mt. Pleasant: check the entire school invoice

Mt. Pleasant Christian School's 2026–27 tuition information list $4,000 base tuition for K5–12. They separately list curriculum fees of $225 for K5 and $425 for grades 1–12, with other enrollment, technology, materials and applicable charges. A headline tuition figure therefore needs an itemized quote for the child's grade.

The same document says admission depends on application information, an interview, prior grades and placement-test results. After acceptance, families meet with the office manager about payment options. Contact the school at 205-466-7997 and use its enrollment page for the current forms.

The school also offers preschool. The state's K5–12 eligibility rules should not be assumed to cover a younger child's preschool or child-care bill. Ask the school to separate those services when discussing costs for siblings.

Expenses and payments need their own check

The parent guide requires ESA payments through ClassWallet and states that families are not reimbursed. Its expense list excludes food, uniforms, transportation and before- or after-school child care, among other charges. Parents remain responsible for costs beyond the account balance and for expenses the program does not approve.

Before paying, ask which items can appear on an eligible invoice and which need another payment method. Keep the school's admission approval, the program's award notice and the itemized invoice together: each answers a different question about the enrollment decision.

The 2026–27 deadline has passed; prepare for 2027–28

The official 2026–27 timeline, updated July 1, 2026, set March 31, 2026 as the family application deadline. It gives July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 as the period for using that year's ESA funds; unused funds return to the program.

The governor's September 4, 2026 announcement says the 2027–28 application process begins in January 2027 and removes the household-income eligibility limit. Award priorities still apply. An exact opening day and closing deadline were not verified in the sources reviewed for this guide.

Use the official CHOOSE Act entry page for the next application instructions. Meanwhile, ask each school for its 2027–28 admission calendar, current openings and written charges. School registration and a state ESA application are separate steps; completing one does not complete the other.

Continue with the national school-choice and education savings account network to compare state programs and their official sources.