Mississippi’s Democratic lawmakers are reacting to news that legislative leaders are pushing to reform the state’s education funding formula.
For many, news that Republican leaders in the House and Senate were looking to make changes to the Mississippi Adequate Education Program came as a surprise.
The formula has directed lawmakers on how much money the state should put towards education for nearly 20 years.
“I’m not really sure what the changes should be, says Representative Alyce Clarke of Jackson. She was a member of the House Education Committee when the formula was originally drafted. “I’m glad that it will be reviewed so we can see where we are. I don’t think we will know where to go until we know where we are.”
But others are concerned about the GOP’s choice to have a third party make recommend changes to the formula.
“To me, it just reeks that the agenda is to implement charter schools and school choice vouchers to go to private academies here,” says Representative Jay Hughes of Oxford. “This is just a cover for it.”
However, many Democrats agree with their Republican counterparts that more money needs to make its way to the classroom.
