The Mississippi House has introduced yet another private school funding bill – this one to send more state funding to private schools via Children’s Promise Act tax credits. You might remember the Children’s Promise Act from last year – our network helped to defeat repeated attempts to increase Children’s Promise Act private school funding in 2025.
This year’s version, HB 1944, increases state funding going to private schools to $20-million annually, with no accountability, oversight, or reporting required.
Here are key provisions of the bill:
More than doubles funding for private schools. Allocates $16-million statewide for private schools in 2026, $18-million in 2027 (double the current $9-million), and $20-million in 2028 and annually thereafter.
Allots up to $500,000 in state funding annually to each participating private school, regardless of school size.
Exempts participating private schools from the accountability measures and oversight to which public schools are held, though both public and private receive state funds; includes no restrictions for private schools on expenditure of funds, no reporting requirements, and no state audit to verify the number of qualifying children enrolled.
Participating private schools are not required to adjust their admissions or academic standards, or admit any new students in this program; private schools can take state funds and continue operations as usual with no obligation to accept new students.
$20-million allocated annually to private schools in HB 1944 is equal to the amount it would cost the state to provide every assistant teacher a $2,000 annual salary increase; a $2,000 pay raise for assistant teachers would increase their minimum salary from $17,000 to $19,000.
Similar efforts to increase CPA tax credits for private schools were defeated in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Past attempts to amend the CPA law to direct all of the program’s tax credits to foster care service organizations were rejected by the bill’s sponsors, revealing that their priority is the diversion of public funds to private schools, not the needs of Mississippi’s most vulnerable children.
Get more information about HB 1944 here. The bill has been referred to the House Ways & Means Committee. You can find contact information for that committee here.
Please go ahead and reach out to representatives of your school district about this bill.
Ask them to VOTE NO on HB 1944 or ANY BILL that increases funding to private schools via the CHILDREN’S PROMISE ACT
Find contact information for legislators
House Speaker Jason White: 601.359.3300
Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770
Please also check this reminder about the other bills we are continuing to watch – many good, but a couple really bad.
You’ve proven what wonderful things you can accomplish when you partner with legislators who support our public schools. What a blessing you – and they – are to our children! Remember to thank the legislators who stand with us, and ask them for their help once again. Because together, we’ve got this!
