Ivey officially creates Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences in Demopolis

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed House Bill 163 in Demopolis on Tuesday, officially establishing the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is coming to Demopolis," Ivey said. "Establishing this specialty school here in Demopolis is no doubt the most significant investment in West Alabama in decades.

"But it’s much more than that. The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences will help more Alabama students open the door to their futures."

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The school was created to grant educational opportunities to high school students in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine and healthcare science fields. Ivey said that it will "bring more men and women into our healthcare workforce" and "change the trajectory of rural health care" in Alabama.

Also present at the billing signing were Woody Collins, the mayor of Demopolis, Rep. Cynthia Almond, R-Tuscaloosa, who authored the bill, Senate minority leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro and Rep. A.J. McCampbell, D-Demopolis.

This will be the Alabama's fourth specialty school, after the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science, the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, and the Alabama School of Liberal Arts.

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"Let me leave y’all with this challenge today," Ivey said, "Let’s get this school built. Let’s get this school opened in under two years. Let’s get this funded in my final budget as governor."

The school is set to begin operations in 2026.

Victor Hagan is the Alabama Election Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at vhagan@gannett.com or on X @TheVictorHagan. To support his work, subscribe to the Advertiser.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Ivey officially creates Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences