This year state lawmakers approved $2.26 billion dollars for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program.
As MPB’s Mark Rigsby reports, one school district will be millions of dollars in the hole.
Some school districts in Mississippi will receive more money for 2017, some will get less, according to numbers provided by the non-profit education group Parents’ Campaign.
Jackson Public Schools will get $126 million – that’s $4 million less than the previous year – the biggest drop among all school districts.
“At this immediate moment, we’re reviewing plans to make sure that we make the adjustments,” says Superintendent Cedric Gray.
The Columbus School District will also get considerably less – about $1 million.
Harrison County is one of 5 school districts that will each bring in more than $1 million additional next year.
Roy Gill is the superintendent.
“So it looks great on paper, that man we’re getting 1.7 more million dollars, but when you look at the overall big picture we’re still underfunded greatly,” says Gill.
The goal of MAEP is to ensure fairness for school districts and boost low student achievement, but it’s been fully funded only twice since passed by the legislature in 1997.
The program’s funding formula includes total enrollment, daily student attendance, and local contributions.
