Mississippi

Mississippi is moving toward educational freedom

Published

1 month ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi is moving toward educational freedom

Colleen Hroncich
| Special to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger

The Mississippi House has passed HB2, the Mississippi Education Freedom Act, which would create education savings accounts.
These Magnolia Student Accounts would allow families to use state funds for private school, tutoring, and other educational expenses.
The program would initially be capped at 12,500 accounts, with priority given to lower-income households if applications exceed availability.
Opponents, including teachers unions, argue the program will harm public schools, while supporters say it provides necessary choice.

Will Mississippi be the first state to expand educational freedom in 2026? It’s too early to know, but it’s notable that the state House recently passed HB2, the Mississippi Education Freedom Act, a step in that direction. The centerpiece of the massive bill is an education savings account program called Magnolia Student Accounts, or MSA for short.

By creating these Magnolia Student Accounts, Mississippi would join a growing number of states that recognize parents know their kids better than bureaucrats do, and education funding should follow students to the learning environments where they’ll thrive.

This isn’t a radical concept. We don’t mandate where families shop for groceries or what doctor they visit. Education is too important to be the one service where choice doesn’t matter.

The mechanics of MSAs are straightforward. Instead of locking all education dollars into assigned district schools, the state would deposit funds into accounts that families control. Those funds could pay for private school tuition, tutoring, educational technology, curriculum materials, specialized courses and more.

If HB2 is passed, every student would be eligible to apply for an MSA, but the number of available accounts would be limited. In the first year, there would be a maximum of 12,500 accounts for private school tuition, with half of those reserved for students transferring out of public schools. The cap would automatically increase by 2,500 each year for the first four years. After that, it would automatically increase by 2,500 whenever all accounts are claimed the previous year. If applications exceed available funds, students from lower-income households would receive priority and a lottery would be conducted if needed.

For students using the accounts at participating schools, funding would be based on the state’s base student funding for the applicable school year, currently around $6,800. Students at non-participating schools would receive $2,000 with a family maximum of $4,000. Up to 5,000 homeschoolers could receive $1,000 per family. The program also allows families to carry over unused funds for future educational expenses, which discourages wasteful spending.

As currently drafted, the program respects participating schools’ autonomy. Schools aren’t forced to participate, and those that do aren’t subjected to state curriculum mandates. They can still set their own admissions standards, hire teachers who share their mission and maintain the distinctive programs that make them effective. Religious schools can maintain their faith-based instruction. These protections are critical in encouraging diverse educational options rather than cookie-cutter schools that all look alike.

While adopting MSAs would be a significant step toward more educational freedom for Mississippi families, there are areas for improvement in the proposal. The participation caps mean only around 3% of Mississippi students would be able to participate in the beginning, and the cap increases at a very slow pace. Providing lower funding amounts based on what type of education children receive limits families’ flexibility and complicates program administration, as well.

As is often the case, the teachers union, superintendents’ association and other opponents of school choice are campaigning against the Education Freedom Act, claiming that MSAs will harm public schools. Yet public school funding would only be affected if parents choose other options — which, critically, would not happen if the school is meeting their needs. Keeping kids trapped in schools that aren’t working for them helps no one.

Mississippi’s public schools may be a great fit for many students, but they can’t work for every child. Some students need more personalized environments, different instructional approaches or specialized support that their assigned school can’t provide. When we pretend one-size-fits-all in education, the students who suffer are typically those with the fewest alternatives.

The education landscape is changing. Enrollment in Mississippi district schools has fallen. Many families want options that better fit their children’s needs. Magnolia Student Accounts acknowledge this reality and enable education funding to reflect family choices.

No education system is perfect, and choice programs require careful drafting and implementation. But the old way of doing things — a system where kids are limited by their addresses, struggling students can’t escape schools that aren’t meeting their needs, and innovative approaches can’t get funding — is no longer good enough.

Education works best when families have options and schools have the freedom to meet students where they are. Mississippi is moving decisively in that direction.

— Colleen Hroncich is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom.

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Mississippi

Renowned New York dance instructor visits Mississippi to recruit for summer program

Published

9 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Renowned New York dance instructor visits Mississippi to recruit for summer program

LAUREL, Miss. (WDAM) – A world-renowned dance instructor from New York visited Laurel Thursday to conduct a special class and do some recruiting for a prestigious summer dance program in the Big Apple.

Melanie Person, who is co-director of the Ailey School in New York, taught a master ballet class Thursday morning at Laurel Middle School.

It’s part of a three-day residency in the Magnolia State, organized by the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience in Meridian.

She’ll teach two other classes Friday in Meridian before hosting an audition Saturday for a prestigious summer dance program at the Ailey School.

“I typically tour in about six to eight cities in the U.S., and I recruit dancers to come to our summer intensive, so part of this weekend, in one of the classes, I will be accepting students to come to New York for our five-week summer intensive,” Person said.

“We accept the dancers we like, and we see if they are able to come. The decision to come to New York for the summer is a big undertaking for families, so we just hope that they can do it.”

Registration is required for that audition, which will be held at the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience.

To do that, click HERE.

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No. 12 Mississippi State’s Balance Shows Again in Road Win at Georgia Tech

Published

21 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

No. 12 Mississippi State’s Balance Shows Again in Road Win at Georgia Tech

Mississippi State has won plenty of different ways during this 15-1 start, but Wednesday night in Atlanta felt like one of those games where the Bulldogs reminded everyone why they’ve looked so steady all month.

It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t stress‑free, but the 8-3 win over Georgia Tech was the kind of road win that shows a team knows exactly who it is and what buttons to push when things get a little weird.

Alyssa Faircloth set the tone again, even on a night when she didn’t have her cleanest beginning. She gave up a game‑tying homer in the second, shrugged, and then basically disappeared Georgia Tech’s lineup for the next three innings.

Eight strikeouts in nine batters the second time through the order, back‑to‑back innings striking out the side. The only real hiccup came on another leadoff homer in the sixth, and by then she’d already done the heavy lifting.

And while Faircloth was settling in, the lineup did what it’s been doing all year: spreading the damage around.

Des Rivera wasted no time, jumping on the first pitch of the second inning and sending it out. When Georgia Tech tied it, Nadia Barbary answered immediately with a solo shot of her own. It wasn’t loud or flashy, but it was the kind of response good teams make without thinking.

The middle innings were more about pressure than power. Barbary worked a walk, Kiarra Sells split the gap for an RBI double, and Anna Carder did her job with a sac fly. Suddenly it was 4-1, and Mississippi State had the game exactly where it wanted it with Faircloth cruising, the lineup stacking quality at‑bats, and the defense staying clean.

The seventh inning, though, is where the Bulldogs turned a solid win into a comfortable one. Sells homered again, and then Rivera and Tatum Silva kept the inning alive long enough for Morgan Bernardini to drop the hammer. Her three‑run shot to center didn’t just put the game away; it capped off the kind of night she’s been stringing together for a week now. She’s 7‑for‑11 during her four‑game hitting streak and looks like a hitter who’s seeing everything in slow motion.

Peja Goold handled the final outs, picking up her second save and slamming the door on a Georgia Tech team that kept trying to make things interesting late.

What stands out most about this win isn’t the four homers or the 11 strikeouts or even the 15-1 record. It’s how routine it all felt.

Mississippi State went on the road, took a couple of punches, and never looked rattled. Rivera homered. Barbary homered. Sells homered. Bernardini homered. Faircloth dominated. Goold closed. It was the same formula, just in a different ballpark.

Now the Bulldogs head to Clemson for a weekend that should tell us even more about who they are. But if Wednesday night is any indication, they’re traveling with a lineup that can hurt you anywhere and a pitching staff that doesn’t mind carrying the load when needed.

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Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Feb. 25, 2026

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Feb. 25, 2026

The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 25, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

02-06-09-16-17

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

Midday: 4-6-6, FB: 6

Evening: 4-3-5, FB: 9

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

Midday: 0-7-2-8, FB: 6

Evening: 6-3-6-1, FB: 9

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Feb. 25 drawing

Midday: 10

Evening: 12

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Story continues below gallery.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.

Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:

Mississippi Lottery Corporation

P.O. Box 321462

Flowood, MS

39232

If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.

Mississippi Lottery Headquarters

1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100

Flowood, MS

39232

Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.

When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?

Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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