The U.S. House is advancing legislation to create a broad tax credit voucher system that would force universal private school vouchers into every state in the country, including Mississippi. The voucher measure, named Qualified Elementary and Secondary Education “Scholarships” (formerly ECCA), would shift millions of […]
ALERT: Need Calls on Vouchers Read More »
Word at the Capitol is that state funding for pre-k programs is at risk. After adjourning the 2025 Regular Legislative Session without adopting a state budget, legislators now are hammering out final appropriations details before Gov. Reeves calls them back to Jackson for a special session, a call that is rumored to be coming later
Pre-k Funding at Risk, Please Call Read More »
Public schools could see devastating losses of federal funds, threatening to close programs that have been critical to Mississippi’s recent progress in student achievement and to cause school districts to default on financial obligations. The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has notified the Mississippi Department of
Billions in Federal Education Dollars for Mississippi Schools at Risk Read More »
The House and Senate have adjourned sine die, ending the 2025 Legislative Session without passing a state budget. Public schools and other state agencies could shut down if no budget agreement is reached before July 1, when the new state budget year begins. To pass a budget, legislators will have to be called into a
House & Senate End Session With No State Budget Read More »
All of the state agency budget bills that were in conference have died, including the PreK – 12 appropriation bill. House conferees declined to sign conference reports over the weekend, causing legislators to miss the deadline for filing those reports. The bills could be revived were the Legislature to extend the legislative session and suspend deadlines,
Education Budget Bill Dies on Deadline Day Read More »
We’re almost there! Saturday is the deadline for conference reports on appropriations and revenue bills to be filed, including the school funding bill and those that now include Children’s Promise Act tax-credit voucher language (HB 1894, SB 3126, SB 3165, SB 3167). We are watching those closely. In the meantime, please continue to ask your legislators to
The next 10 days will be among the most critical of this legislative session, and we will need to be on high alert as close to 200 bills come out of conference. We will be watching for the PreK-12 funding bill, with expectations that the Mississippi Student Funding Formula will again be fully funded. We
We Need To Be On High Alert Read More »
Two major occurrences last week could have significant impacts on public education. Time will tell. On Thursday afternoon, President Trump issued an executive order calling for the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education. Only Congress can abolish a state agency it created, but much of the USDE staff already has been put on leave, and numerous education-related
What Does This Mean For Public Schools? Read More »
A proposed amendment to the MSFF, the new school funding law, would reduce funding to public schools by millions of dollars. When the law was drafted, it changed the student count on which school funding is based from average daily attendance to net enrollment, and the definition for net enrollment included all students enrolled in
Proposed Amendment Would Cost Public Schools Millions Read More »
HB 1, which passed the House Ways and Means Committee late yesterday, would slash over $1-billion in revenue from our state budget. It also would reduce the amount of lottery money going to the Education Enhancement Fund, which has been used to pay for pre-k and teacher supplies. Meanwhile, state revenue is shrinking on its
House Proposes Massive Tax Cut Read More »
