JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Mississippi lawmakers settled two of the most contentious issues of the entire Congress on Saturday, April 27th.
An entirely new public education funding formula is about to make its way to the desk of Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Mississippi).
If signed into law, the Mississippi Student Funding Formula will replace the long-standing Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP). It is estimated that an additional $220 million will flow into Mississippi's public schools.
The first version of the MAEP rewrite, known as the INSPIRE Act, passed the House overwhelmingly, but was largely rejected in the Senate.
The compromise has left lawmakers hopeful about the future of school funding.
“The last four months have been really intense in terms of getting us to a situation where the House and Senate feel like we are doing the right thing for education. It was a great compromise. All the superintendents I saw and heard from were really excited about the possibility of a place where our superintendents could actually know what they were getting each year. I mean, I haven't met many people who really know how to explain it, in the sense that MAEP was a great product for the time it was around. That's explainable,” said Rep. Rob Roberson (R-43rd District).
The new funding formula uses an objective mechanism to determine funding and provides more funding to special needs school districts, poor students, and non-English speaking students.
The Mississippi Legislature also reached an agreement regarding the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS).
The bill, which is awaiting Reeves' signature, would strip authority from the PERS board and require it to increase funding in the form of recommendations to Congress. Current membership benefits will not be affected, according to the bill.
“Since the beginning of this Congress, the House has remained resolute in its commitment to prioritizing education funding, PERS, and access to quality health care for Mississippians. We have made meaningful progress on two of our priorities. It was a great honor to see that, and I look forward to finding a compromise on the third one in the coming days,” said House Speaker Jason White (R-48th District).
