A New Way To Potentially Fund Schools In The State

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI)-We start with the debate over how the state should fund public education.

On Monday, in its 80 page findings report, EdBuild presented to state lawmakers a new educational formula that’ll give a new way to fund schools in the state.

The findings recommend basing the funding increase on student enrollment and not student attendance, and funding increases based on student needs like English language learners, special education, and low-income students.

There are nearly 480,000 thousand students grades K through 12 in the state. During the presentation, EdBuild CEO Rebecca Sibilia said the group recommends students be funded between $4,300 to $5,000 each.

“Right now what we’re saying is we want to make sure certain students within the formula are prioritized at the correct level,” said EdBuild CEO Rebecca Sibilia.

“Now it’s time for the heavy lifting on our part, and we need to look at it line by line, and see what we can put together in a bill,” said District 60 State Representative John Moore.

In Ebuild’s report, it shows that some students would get more money. Low income students would be funded 20% more money. 20% for English language learners, and more money for high school and special needs students.

EdBuild also suggested removing the current 27% rule.

“We’re not saying the state should eliminate a guarantee in terms of what is being provided or what is being raised locally,” Sibilia explained.  “We have not made a recommendation for instance to eliminate that local communities should raise 28 mills which is what the minimum local requirement is in law. What we are saying is the we are recommending that the state not guarantee more money from the state than what those 28 mills would produce and that would be eliminating the 73% guarantee.”

District 7 Senator Hob Bryan is one of the original authors of the current Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP).

He gave his thoughts on EDBuild’s recommendations.

“It’s all so vague you can’t tell for sure but it appears that she has in mind for the state of Mississippi to put less money into public education than current law provides and to force local school districts to raise ad velourum taxes and raise taxes on cars and homes and businesses,” said Senator Bryan.

Now, these are strictly just recommendations. If any changes were to happen, they’d have to be passed as law by the legislature.

 

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