Mississippi’s public school districts will be fully funded for the 2024-2025 school year – the first time in 16 years that public schools will receive what state law requires! See your district’s funding.
Notably, the new Mississippi Student Funding Formula (MSFF) calls for funding each district based on net enrollment rather than average daily attendance, something educators and advocates have long urged. This change increases the number of students funded per district when compared to the MAEP (which based funding on attendance), though the base student cost provided for each of those students decreased in the new law. The MSFF improves need-driven funding for school districts, which is based on the percentage of students in each district who are economically disadvantaged or require special education services, among other considerations. These changes mean that some school districts will see large increases in funding for the coming year and some will see relatively little difference in their budgets. Every district will have the increased cost of PERS and health insurance covered.
Please be sure to thank your legislators for the good things they accomplished for public schools this session:
- full funding of public schools – an increase of $239-million invested in public school children and teachers statewide
- addressing the teacher shortage by allowing retirees to teach full-time and draw a salary while also receiving PERS benefits and by expanding the Winter-Reed Teacher Loan Repayment Program
- increased funding for pre-k
- tightening up the ESA voucher statute to provide some accountability for taxpayers
- defeating efforts to divert additional state revenue to private schools (with no accountability and no oversight) via tax credits that deplete the state funding available to public schools
And kudos to you for building fruitful relationships with your legislators, for lifting your voices on behalf of our children, and for standing firm in support of strong public schools! Your tireless efforts will reap benefits for all Mississippians by way of a well-educated citizenry, broad-based economic development, and vibrant local communities. Together, we are building a better Mississippi.
