Governor Ivey Introduces a CHOOSE Act Family: Meet the Dotys -

RAINSVILLE – Governor Kay Ivey on Friday introduced the Dotys, an Alabama family utilizing the CHOOSE Act, the governor’s education savings account (ESA) program. Parents Daniel and Hannah Doty have three children: Harmony who is in 5^th grade; Isaac in 2^nd grade; and Judah in Pre-K. The two oldest, Harmony and Isaac, are supported by the CHOOSE Act. All three children are enrolled at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Rainsville, Alabama.

“The Dotys are a strong Christian family, full of life and have a heart for serving others – a reminder of the kind of families that make Alabama strong,” said Governor Ivey. “Thanks to the CHOOSE Act, Daniel and Hannah can provide a good education that meets their children’s needs and also nurtures their faith.”

Daniel and Hannah value a faith-based, quality education. Daniel works as a student pastor and Hannah works part-time at the school and church their family attends. Long-term, they were concerned they would not be able to afford private school education for all three children. With support from the CHOOSE Act, Daniel and Hannah can continue providing their children with the private, Christian education they value at Cornerstone. In addition to the tuition, the Doty family uses their CHOOSE Act funds to support reading tutoring to assist Harmony. Thanks to this added support, Harmony’s mom Hannah became emotional discussing the success Harmony now has with reading.

To other Alabama parents, Daniel and Hannah advised regarding the CHOOSE Act, “We get a lot of questions about the CHOOSE Act because it benefitted our family so much, so we highly recommend and encourage anyone to apply. Programs like this give your family the ability to choose an education that best fits your children. For families like ours, that means faith and education go hand-and-hand.”

Hannah describes their family as the “perfect chaos” with a home full of life, laughter and a shared desire to make a difference in their community and school. Harmony, Isaac and Judah each bring their own personality and energy to the mix. Harmony is a social butterfly – she loves spending time with her friends and enjoys dance. Isaac loves learning, especially when it comes to reading, writing and science – he is either in the classroom or on the basketball court. Judah brings plenty of energy and personality. Like many boys his age, he might say his favorite subject is lunchtime or P.E., but he also looks forward to movie time and especially enjoys library day.

Hannah Doty added, “Because of this program, we feel seen and supported by our state’s leadership, like Governor Ivey and Speaker Ledbetter. Having the ability to choose the education that’s right for our children is so important, and this opportunity has truly been a blessing for our family – it’s been life changing.”

The CHOOSE Act can help families with instructional materials and supplies, covering items like curriculum, textbooks, workbooks, educational software, computers, school supplies and even fees charged by tutors or schools.

The Doty family is one of tens of thousands being supported by the CHOOSE Act. In recent months, the governor featured families from across the state, and she will continue highlighting real Alabama families positively impacted by this school choice program:

About the CHOOSE Act:

The CHOOSE Act website provides Alabama families with the latest information about the CHOOSE Act, including eligibility information, an online application for both renewing and new families, program FAQ, important deadlines and parent and education service provider (ESP) guides.

As the 2026-27 school year approaches, the CHOOSE Act applications are open and continue to boast success with thousands of existing CHOOSE Act students renewing their applications. Applications for both renewing families and for new families must be submitted by the March 31, 2026, application deadline. Award notifications will be sent to eligible students on April 15, 2026. Verification of participating school enrollment must be submitted by June 30, 2026, for funding beginning on July 1, 2026.

The CHOOSE Act makes refundable income tax credits called education savings accounts available to support the success of eligible K-12 students in Alabama. An ESA can be used to pay for tuition, fees and other qualified education expenses at approved Education Service Providers (ESPs).

For the 2026-2027 academic year, the program is open to new families with an adjusted gross income (AGI) not exceeding 300 percent of the federal poverty level for the preceding tax year. For the 2027-2028 academic year and beyond, the program is open to all families, regardless of income.

The program will prioritize students with special needs, participating students and their siblings and students who are dependents of active-duty service members enrolled in or assigned to a priority school. Remaining ESAs will be available to students based on the family’s AGI as a percentage of the federal poverty level.

For applications and more information about CHOOSE Act Alabama, visit chooseact.alabama.gov.

A photo of the Doty family is attached.

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