Mississippi
Mississippi to change school funding. Here’s why it’s such a big deal
- MCPP’s Douglas Carswell says last week’s education funding reform win shows that when reformers in Mississippi work together, they win.
Imagine if all the restaurants in your neighbourhood were guaranteed the same revenue even if they managed to serve fewer customers?
That’s pretty much how Mississippi has been funding public education for the past thirty years, under the so-called Mississippi Adequate Education Funding Formula Program, or MAEP system.
Under MAEP, taxpayer dollars are allocated in a way that suited education administrators and local bureaucrats. Under the so-called ‘hold harmless’ provisions of the MAEP, they did not need to worry about loss of revenue, even if they lost students and underperformed.
Last week, the Mississippi legislature finally voted to replace the antiquated MAEP system, with the new Mississippi Student Funding Formula. HB 4130 passed unanimously in the House, and before sailing through the Senate on a 49-3 vote.
Under the new Student Funding Formula, Mississippi will fund actual students, not a self-serving system. What does this mean in practice?
Every student will now be allocated a base amount of $6,695. On top of that base amount, a weighted system will be used to allocate additional funds to each student depending on their individual circumstances.
MAEP treated every child as if they were an identical accounting unit on a bureaucratic spreadsheet. As every parent knows, each child is different and has different needs. The new Student Funding Formula recognizes this fact. Children with special needs, or particularly gifted students, get more, as do those from lower income neighborhoods.
The new formula has a specific weighting for career and technical education, too, which could be important for future workforce development.
Also important is the fact that those crony ‘hold harmless’ deals, which reward mediocrity, will be terminated in 2027.
Early on in this session, Speaker Jason White made it clear that he was 100 percent committed to getting this new funding formula passed. Both he, and the Chairman of the House Education Committee, Rob Roberson, who authored the bill, deserve enormous credit for getting it though the legislature. Kudos, too, to Jansen Owen and Kent McCarty.
Frankly, this bill would not have passed without a strong lead from the Governor, Tate Reeves, as well. He made it clear that he was 100 percent behind this reform, and repeatedly talked about the need to fund students, not a system.
HB 4130 is really important for the future of education reform. Perhaps, though, there is an even greater significance in its passage through the legislature.
What happened last week shows that Mississippi has leaders that are willing to spend political capital achieving the kind of change our state needs. Do-nothing intransigence is not so powerful after all.
When reformers in our state work together, they win.
FAYETTEVILLE, AR — Mississippi State football found itself in a familiar position.
The Bulldogs were in another tight game in the fourth quarter, like three of their previous four SEC games. All of those ended in losses, with MSU seemingly finding different ways to lose each time.
But this time, Mississippi State came out on top. The Bulldogs overcame a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Arkansas 38-35 on Nov. 1 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The MSU (5-4, 1-4 SEC) win was thrilling, with quarterback Blake Shapen throwing the game-winning touchdown to Anthony Evans III with 48 seconds remaining on a fourth down. Players were yelling and screaming in celebration as they entered the locker room afterward.
The win was more than an achievement on its own. It also snapped Mississippi State’s 16-game SEC losing streak that dated back to 2023 and was approaching the program record of 19. It was also second-year coach Jeff Lebby’s first SEC win.
The Bulldogs are one win away from their first bowl game since 2022 and can clinch it with one win in the next three games starting with No. 5 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) at Davis Wade Stadium on Nov. 8 (11 a.m., ESPN).
“It feels good to get a win,” Lebby said. “It absolutely does. I’ve continued to focus on this football team, this season and who we are in the moment. Not comparing ourselves to any teams in the past. Who are we today and what gives us the best opportunity to win every single Saturday. That’s been our focus. I guess the streak will not be talked about anymore, which I do love because we have a happy locker room and the guys played their butt off to go win.”
Kamario Taylor gets an assist after Blake Shapen injury
The Mississippi State offense struggled in the first half and the Bulldogs trailed 13-7 at halftime. Then on the first play of the second half, Shapen was removed from the game after taking a hard hit that drew a roughing the passer penalty. He was evaluated for a concussion.
In came freshman Kamario Taylor, who made numerous big plays that lit a spark for MSU. Four plays after Shapen’s injury, Taylor threw a 45-yard touchdown to Evans for a 14-13 lead. Taylor also scored a 20-yard rushing touchdown that cut Arkansas’ lead to 28-21 with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter.
Despite Taylor scoring touchdowns on two of his three drives, Lebby put Shapen back in the game once he was cleared in the third quarter.
“I just wanted to know what was going on with Blake and making sure he was OK,” Lebby said. “In that situation, I wanted to have the opportunity to have Blake, who’s done it and lived it and been around. I thought that was very important.
“What Kamario did was huge. It was big for us. We needed it in a big way, but I wanted to get back to Blake and it was able to work out.”
Shapen’s first play when he returned was an interception that deflected off the hands of his receiver. Arkansas (2-7, 0-5) turned that possession into a touchdown for a 35-21 lead with 13:43 remaining. However, the Razorbacks committed 15 penalties for 158 yards in the second half and that kept Mississippi State in the game.
Mississippi State scored 17 points on its next three drives led by Shapen — a Davon Booth rushing touchdown, a Kyle Ferrie field goal and Evans’ game-winner — to complete the comeback. Shapen also threw a 32-yard pass to a sliding Brennen Thompson on fourth down during the game-winning drive.
“It means everything because of the way the guy plays the game …” Lebby said of Shapen. “He puts it on the line every time he steps in between the white lines. That’s what leaders are made of. I just talked about it, tough people win. Blake’s a winner. He’s going to win in life because he has great toughness. He puts it on the line.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Mississippi Pork Producers Association demonstrated several different ways to grill pork on the grill! Local Farmer Sean Boe also shared different facts about our state’s pork industry and how much it helps the economy and to feed people.
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JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The state’s top lawmakers and business leaders mingled at the Mississippi Coliseum on Thursday morning – tradition for the annual Hobnob event.
The Mississippi Economic Council played host for the 24th and final time.
If you’re involved with politics or business, you’ve heard of these three organizations and the work they’ve been doing.
The Mississippi Economic Council, the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, and the Business and Industry Political Education Committee.
“Mississippi needed a single authoritative and common voice for business,” explained MEC Chair John Hairston. “Policy makers were asking for clarity when it comes to legislative priorities. Business owners were asking for alignment of our policies, and our members were asking to become more impactful.”
So, these three groups will become one.
“Will represent every sector of Mississippi’s economy under one banner: the Mississippi Business Alliance,” said Scott Waller, MEC President and CEO.
The new rebranding was unveiled in front of the Hobnob crowd.
However, things officially began with the merged efforts on Jan. 1.
“Previously, you had legislators and policymakers trying to look for advice or input and they had three different organizations that were similar and overlapped,” described John McKay, current head of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association.
McKay will lead the Mississippi Business Alliance.
The joint organization will build on the already existing work of the three groups – everything from policy to workforce development and vetting of business-friendly candidates.
According to policymakers, there will be a value in having a singular group for business interests.
“These three organizations are merging not just to consolidate, but to elevate,” Gov. Tate Reeves emphasized.
“To have a unified voice is very helpful to those of us who are supposed to implement public policy,” Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said.
And they’re looking at this as more than a simple merger.
“It’s really a transformation of how we operate and sponsor the business community moving forward,” Hairston continued. “It’s the uniting of our collective strengths into one clear and very decisive force for progress into the future, for the benefit of our grandchildren and those that come after them.”
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