The 74 lowest-performing neighborhood schools in Alabama may see significant changes headed their way. They may also be receiving more media attention, since today they were all identified as “failing” by the Alabama Accountability Act.

For these 74 schools, government assistance is out of the question. But anyone who wants to leave will have the government’s help in doing so.

That’s the central thesis of the Alabama Accountability Act, that failing schools shouldn’t be fixed but evacuated, like a sinking ship. The bill, which was passed in May 2013, will provide anyone who moves from a failing public school to a nearby private school with about $3500 for tuition.

That money comes from the Education Trust Fund, which also helps pay for The University of Alabama’s operating costs.

So should “failing” schools expect a mass exodus in the near future? Probably not. $3,500 is only slightly more than half of the average cost of tuition at an Alabama private school, and that won’t be delivered to qualifying families until months after tuition costs are due.

Since the median rate of poverty in Alabama’s 74 “failing” schools is 94 percent, it seems unlikely that many families within these schools will have the means to switch to a private institution, even with the financial assistance.

As an aside, not one affluent school was on the list of failing institutions.

What all Alabama schools should expect, failing or otherwise, is to feel the financial pinch this bill will impose on state education. Cost estimates for the bill vary wildly, but the Alabama Education Association places it at around $100 million annually.

That’s $100 million that will have to come out of textbooks, subsidized lunches, teacher salaries and, of course, academic scholarships. It will be paid almost directly by those who are enrolled at the University or employed by public schools in Alabama.

Who suffers in this scenario? Just about everyone. Alabama’s public education system will be even further deprecated by the loss of funding, and it’s already one of the worst in the country. You and I will face (further) increased tuition rates to offset the program’s immense costs. The 74 “failing” schools will lose their few wealthy students who are able to pay up front for a private education.

Who benefits? These few students who attend Alabama’s poorest schools but could afford to be going to a private institution. They’ll be receiving an extra $3,500 this April when they do their taxes.

Here’s what makes this entire situation horribly ironic: For $100 million, the Alabama Congress could have actually fixed these 74 failing schools. It’s no coincidence these schools are all poor or that there are no failing rich schools.

But instead, Alabama’s Congress decided to give a handout to private schools.

It’s probably too late to undo the effects of the Alabama Accountability Act, but there’s still something you can do. If you live in Alabama, you can vote to decide who will represent you in Congress.

In 2014, remember this moment.

Nathan James is a junior majoring in public relations.