Healthcare edges out education funding for Alabamians, who say both need more money

Alabama residents continue to view education as a top state priority, but health care edged out education for the first time in more than a decade in a new survey from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama.

The 2026 Alabama Public Opinion Survey, released Wednesday by PARCA’s newly launched Education Research Center, asked a sample of Alabama adults about state budget priorities, education funding, school choice and who should make education policy decisions.