Mississippi Senate agrees to a new school funding formula, sending plan to the governor

In Mississippi, there’s a plan to replace the old school funding formula with a new one called the Mississippi Student Funding Formula. The old formula, MAEP, hasn’t been fully funded since it became law in 1997.

The new plan aims to provide more funding for students who require additional support, like those in poverty, with special needs, dyslexia, English language learners, or in gifted or technical education programs.

The state Senate and House have passed the bill for the new formula, and it’s now heading to Governor Tate Reeves. This new formula could increase school funding by around $217 million compared to the current budget for MAEP.

However, there are concerns about whether the new formula will be fully funded, as the old formula has often been underfunded by the Legislature. Democratic Senator Hob Bryan is advocating for a comparison between the funding amounts under both formulas to ensure transparency and adequate funding for school districts.