BLOUNT COUNTY, ALABAMA · RELIGION & SCHOOLS
Blount County, Alabama
Alabama Issues Ten Commandments Display Guidance Ahead of January School Deadline
The law is already effective, but its school-display requirement begins January 1, 2027 and depends on donated funds or displays. New state guidance supplies the approved image.
Sources reviewed
An October memo supplies the approved school poster
Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey issued an October 8 memorandum to city and county superintendents explaining implementation of Act 2026-428. It attaches the approved Ten Commandments poster and says printed copies will be made available to schools at no charge, with distribution details to follow.
The guidance gives Blount County and Oneonta readers a dated state document to consult as schools prepare for January. It does not identify individual local schools that have received or installed a display, and this report has not verified a county or city installation count.
October’s effective date and January’s display date differ
The enrolled law’s Section 3 sets October 1, 2026 as its effective date. Section 2 starts the display requirement on January 1, 2027, subject to the availability of donated money or displays as determined by the state superintendent. Those are two different milestones.
The law says local boards are not required to spend their own funds to purchase the displays and may accept donated funds or donated displays. That provision should not be described as an unconditional October installation deadline or a blanket ban on every use of public resources.
Which classrooms and common areas are covered?
The state memo identifies grades five through twelve classrooms where United States history is routinely taught under Alabama’s Course of Study. It also identifies school entryways or other common areas, such as cafeterias and libraries.
For the school-level exception, the memo specifies schools serving kindergarten through fourth grade exclusively. That is the department’s implementation guidance; readers dealing with a particular campus should use its grade configuration and the district’s instructions. Read the superintendent’s coverage instructions.
The requirement uses a specified design
Section 2 of the law requires a poster or framed document at least 11 by 14 inches, with layout and design approved by the state superintendent. The October memo identifies its attachment as the only approved image for compliance.
The prescribed content combines the Ten Commandments with historical and constitutional material. It also acknowledges that choices about faith belong to students and families. These are features of the mandated text, not evidence that students have been directed to adopt a belief or take part in a religious exercise.
Local implementation remains a separate reporting question
The memo directs implementation questions to school-board attorneys. Families seeking their school’s timetable, display location or donation process can first contact their own district: Blount County Schools and Oneonta City Schools are separate systems.
A useful local follow-up would establish which schools received posters, when they were installed and what written instructions each district issued. Until those records are obtained, the state requirement should not be presented as a newly documented Blount County board vote. Religious released-time instruction is a different policy, covered in our report on Alabama’s 2026 amendment.
Sources and reporting
We reviewed the enrolled law and the education department’s October 8 memo, including the attached approved poster. The law’s effective date, donation condition and display date are reported separately. The K–4-only exception is attributed to the department’s guidance. We did not interview school officials, inspect campuses or verify local donations, installations or a new board resolution. This report describes published implementation instructions, not the outcome of a constitutional challenge.
- Alabama Department of Education: FY27-1001 Ten Commandments DisplaysOctober 8, 2026 memo and approved poster; visually reviewed October 19, 2026
- Alabama Legislature: enrolled SB99, Act 2026-428Law effective October 1, 2026; display provision begins January 1, 2027; reviewed October 19, 2026
- Blount County Schools: board informationReviewed October 19, 2026
- Oneonta City Schools: district informationReviewed October 19, 2026