The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, a tuition-free public high school, is set to open in Demopolis in fall 2026.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey approved the creation of the school May 2 after its legislation cleared the House in April and Senate in May. In February, the governor said the legislation was among her top priorities and noted the state-funded healthcare high school — a concept she introduced in 2023 — is an important part of the state's workforce development programming, particularly for rural Alabama.
"There is simply no denying it, and we need more people to fill just about every kind of healthcare job out there — doctors, nurses, techs, you name it," Ms. Ivey said in her 2024 State of the State Address.
Alabama Senate minority leader Bobby Singleton told The Montgomery Advertiser that he expects at least 200 students enrolled.
Legislation for the school outlines its board of directors, which will consist of the CEOs (or their representatives) from Whitfield Regional Hospital in Demopolis, the Alabama Hospital Association, and the presidents of various state universities, such as Auburn University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Additionally, the governor will appoint other board members, with a mandate that five of them possess expertise in healthcare, public health, or healthcare administration.