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 grants have been terminated. It is unclear exactly how these moves will play out, but some potential effects are:
- changes to the $1.85-billion in federal education funds Mississippi receives
- diminished oversight of special education protections and programs
- interruption or elimination of important research into effective education strategies and of national assessments that have allowed Mississippi to demonstrate our students’ enormous progress in achievement
- responsibilities shifted from the U.S. Department of Education to the Mississippi Department of Education
On Friday, the Mississippi House tabled the motion to reconsider on HB 1, an income tax elimination bill, sending it on to Gov. Reeves for his signature, despite knowing it contained typos that changed significantly the impact of the bill. The Senate included in its version of the measure growth triggers intended to ensure that Mississippi was seeing economic prosperity sufficient to cover the majority of the cost of eliminating the income tax. But a typo meant that what was intended to require growth of 85% of the tax cut cost instead requires only .85% growth – almost none.
Another bill remains alive that the Senate has proposed using to correct the error. Speaker White has been quoted as saying that the House will consider using that bill for further negotiations, but that the House will expect additional concessions from the Senate in return. Those calling for elimination of the income tax have assured us that Mississippi is well positioned to provide for all of the state’s obligations – including our public schools – without the $2-billion in income tax revenue. We will hold them to that promise.
We will be reporting to you about both of these issues as additional information is available.
