The Senate Education Committee is expected to take up that chamber’s proposal for the MAEP rewrite next Tuesday. The House Appropriations Committee is likely to take up a “dummy” bill that could be amended to include its own version of a new school funding plan. Both are troublesome and need your urgent attention.
It is irresponsible for legislators to vote on such a massive and important change to the way we fund our children’s schools with so little review and discussion of the actual proposal. Read more below.
Please ask your legislators to:
• Vote no on any changes to the school funding formula until the public has had an opportunity to review the legislation, analyze the full impact, and weigh in.
• Vote no on any expansion of vouchers. (Oppose bills that expand the use of public tax dollars to pay tuition at private schools or expand the special needs vouchers to children who do not have special needs.)
• Vote no on changes to the way school board members are selected. (Electing all board members at the time of the presidential election paves the way for out-of-state privatizers to recruit and fund candidates and take over your local school board.)
Find contact information for the legislators who represent your school district.
Share the same message with Lt. Governor Reeves and Speaker Gunn:
Lt. Governor Reeves Capitol: 601.359.3200
Speaker Gunn Capitol: 601.359.3300
EdBuild has validated an Associated Press analysis showing that the EdBuild recommendation would yield $100-million less in state education funding than is currently required by the MAEP law. Furthermore, throughout this rushed process, parents have feared that the Legislature would remove from law the requirement that public schools be funded at a particular level prescribed by an objective formula. We do not know what will be proposed by legislators, which is exactly why the vote should be “no.” More time is needed for public vetting of any proposal of this magnitude.
This is one of the most important issues we have faced as advocates for our children and their public schools. Please spread the word and make those calls!
