The Mississippi Legislature is back in session and one item sits as the top issue: How should education in Mississippi be funded?
Lawmakers hired education firm EdBuild in October to research and recommend changes to the antiquated Mississippi Adequate Education Program.
According to a report from The Clarion Ledger, the group’s recommendations are not finished yet, but is hoped to be done by end of the week.
Sibilia stated that she doesn't anticipate EdBuild recommending less money than Mississippi is currently spending, and House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, has said he's looking for more efficiency, not less funding. But any changes would result in losses for some districts and gains for others unless lawmakers find money to increase total spending.
This debate between lawmakers will end up having a massive impact on how schools in Mississippi operate, changing things from how to run buses to how much some courses are taught.
Some legislators like Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves say Mississippi will spend more on K-12 this year than in any previous year, but that does not account for inflation. However, according to The Clarion Ledger, the state has spent more on K-12 every year from 2004 to 2010. The current formula has only been fully funded twice. This year the budget came up $172 million short.
It’s also important to note that voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to require full funding in 2015.
The current formula calculates a cost per student with more money added on for programs the state pays for on a cost basis. EdBuild is expected to eliminate the add-on funding part of the formula and instead create a student cost that is weighted to address district needs.
"The formula that we're trying to achieve is a more student-based. The one we have now is more program-based ... and it always just spits out a number that was unachievable," Gunn told reporters in early December.
The whole goal is to develop a system that can be fully funded every year so that districts have the ability to plan and set their budgets. Currently, most districts don’t know their full budgets until summer, giving them a small window to figure out how to fund their schools.
This problem has to be fixed and fixed fast to help Mississippi have a stable education system.
Joseph Brown is the editor and publisher of The Star-Herald. He can be reached at jbrown@starherald.net.
