Funding

Today Governor Barbour presented his revised budget recommendation for Fiscal Year 2011, the coming fiscal year.  He is recommending that the Legislature reduce significantly the funding levels for K-12 education, asking that the House and Senate strip over $160-million from the level of funding that they adopted for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) just before adjourning …

Governor Barbour Announces Revised Budget Recommendation for FY11 Read More »

Governor Barbour has frequently referred to budget cuts as “belt-tightening” for state agencies and school districts. That sounds pretty harmless – until you know what “belt tightening” really looks like in Mississippi schools. 75 – 85% of any school district’s budget is made up of personnel costs: salaries, retirement, and insurance benefits. Teachers are employed …

What Belt-Tightening Looks Like in Schools Read More »

The following is one school district’s explanation of how it has been affected by budget cuts. Based on the current budget cut of 8.2% our district will be reducing our budget in the following areas: We have not filled the following positions that have become open due to illness, retirement, death, etc.:  middle school math …

Belt Tightening in One School District Read More »

Governor Barbour, in his annual State of the State address, reiterated his desire for the Legislature to grant him additional authority to make cuts to the current-year budget.  He is requesting authority to make cuts, at his discretion, up to 10% of state agencies’ budgets.  Current law allows him discretion in making cuts up to 5% of …

Governor Barbour Seeks Additional Cuts Authority Read More »

Mississippi law requires that the State of Mississippi operate within a balanced budget, and it expressly prohibits the state from running a budget deficit. State statute further requires that, when revenue comes in 2% or more below projections, the governor take actions to bring the budget into balance. This law provides the governor, as the State Fiscal …

Budget Cuts – Governor’s Authority Read More »

Governor Barbour’s Executive Budget Recommendation for FY2011 included a 68% cut to K-12 Add-ons, state funding for Special Education, Vocational Education, Gifted Education, and Transportation. According to House Education Chairman Cecil Brown, a CPA and former director of the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration, these cuts would jeopardize as much as $176-million in federal …

68% Cut in Add-ons would Jeopardize $176-million in Federal Funds and Devastate Gifted and Transportation Programs Read More »

Governor Barbour’s FY11 budget recommendation calls for funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) at a level that is $237-million, or 10.9%, below the FY10 (current year) appropriation.  The Mississippi Department of Education has estimated that the cost to adequately fund schools in the coming year, according to the MAEP formula, will be approximately $61-million …

Response to Governor Barbour’s Executive Budget Recommendation for FY2011 Read More »

Governor Barbour announced $54-million in additional cuts to the current-year state budget.  Though MAEP was spared in this round of cuts, the Educable Child program was cut $593,000 and Vocational & Technical Education took at $1.5-million hit for a total cut to K-12 education of $2.1-million.  Agencies included in this round of cuts had their …

Governor Makes Additional Cuts to FY10 Budget Read More »

On Monday, November 16th, Governor Barbour presented his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11), the coming fiscal year.  As expected, the governor’s budget assumes a very bleak revenue picture for the coming year and includes deep cuts to state services. The governor’s FY11 budget does not spare K-12 education.  It calls for funding the …

Governor Proposes Budget for Fiscal Year 2011 Read More »