New School Funding Formula for Mississippi K-12 Schools

JACKSON, Miss. – Starting July 1, Mississippi’s K-12 public education system began using a new funding formula for schools. This new formula replaces the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP). It aims to ensure that school districts in the most need receive additional funding.

The Mississippi Student Funding Formula increases local district allocations, which range from thousands to more than $18 million. This increase includes educational funding, teacher pay, health insurance, and state retirement contributions. Statewide, total increased funding amounts to just under $240 million.

Purpose and Impact

“The purpose is to help districts that lack a tax base,” explained State Representative Rob Roberson to Magnolia Tribune. “Raising money for areas with a tax base would be wasteful. We need to support areas without a tax base and get them where they need to be.” Roberson, who chairs the Education Committee in the Mississippi House of Representatives, emphasized the focus on underserved districts.

The top five districts receiving the most increases are Jackson Public School District ($18.3 million), Desoto County Schools ($15.8 million), Jones County School District ($8 million), Lamar County School District ($7.9 million), and Picayune School District ($5.8 million). Smaller increases went to districts like Coffeeville School District ($26,120) and West Tallahatchie School District ($32,056).

Challenges and Considerations

“The long-term effect is to ensure we are educating kids properly,” said Rep. Roberson. “We’re increasing funding in places that need it.” He noted that Jackson Public School District received the largest increase due to a significant population decrease. Jackson lost roughly 20,000 residents between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, with another estimated loss of 10,000 residents between 2020 and 2023.

“When you have an area with a depleted tax base, you must fill the gap,” Roberson elaborated. He added that other areas with similar population reductions might face consolidation. He cautioned districts to use the increased funding wisely, emphasizing that the increase does not guarantee future funding.

Forest Thigpen, Senior Advisor with Empower Mississippi, stressed the importance of monitoring spending to ensure it reaches intended demographics. “Effective use of funds is key,” Thigpen said.

New System Features

The new funding formula uses a weighted system focusing on poverty levels, special education needs, sparsity in population, and other factors. For example, low-income students now receive a 30 percent weight, equating to an additional $2,008 on top of the base student cost of $6,695 in the first year. The base student funding will adjust for inflation from 2026 onwards.

Thigpen suggested wise spending for low-income categories could include extra tutoring, teacher training, retention, and recruitment. He emphasized the challenges faced by rural school districts in attracting teachers due to travel distances and additional demands.

The new formula also aims to enhance workforce development through more Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses. “Few districts provide CTE courses, so this weight encourages more CTE training,” Thigpen explained. These courses often require costly equipment and tools.

Hold Harmless Provision

The new formula includes a three-year hold harmless provision, ensuring funding for school districts will not decrease from the 2023-2024 school year. Rep. Roberson clarified that this provision allows school districts to plan and make necessary cuts before the provision expires. Unlike the previous MAEP formula’s lengthy hold harmless period, this provision will last only three years.

Compared to traditional public schools, charter schools saw smaller funding increases. The largest increase went to Clarksdale Collegiate ($681,817), while Instant Impact Global Prep received the smallest increase ($594). Rep. Roberson explained that charter schools received less due to the weighted formula’s design.

Magnolia Tribune first published this article, and it is republished here under a Creative Commons license.