MONTGOMERY – Calling the Education Trust Fund a “historic investment,” Gov. Kay Ivey signed the state’s budgets Thursday, including the General Fund and the supplemental and the Education Trust Fund and its supplemental.

“I am proud to officially put my signature on yet another historic investment in our students, teachers and schools,” she said after signing the education budget. “Alabama is serious about changing the trajectory of student outcomes, and our steady progress in the classroom and this record-setting education budget prove that to be the Gospel Truth.

“We are expanding our award-winning pre-K program into some of our highest poverty areas. We are supporting the implementation of the critical Literacy and Numeracy Acts. We are, once again, increasing teacher pay, giving us even more of a competitive edge to recruit and retain the educators of today and tomorrow.”

Ivey said the General Fund budget is “generational money.”

“As I said in my State of State address, we can be proud of that fact that during my time as governor, we have not once used the word proration, nor have we spent beyond our means,” she said. “Alabama’s record-setting $3 billion General Fund is generational money which makes possible greater investments in vital public services while also significantly paying down debt to reduce the impact of future economic downturns.

“This landmark budget is historic for Alabama.”