Mississippi

Mississippi to change school funding. Here’s why it’s such a big deal

Published

2 years ago

April 30, 2024

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.

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Mississippi

Mississippi House of Representatives passes bill to make NIL earnings non-taxable

Published

6 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi House of Representatives passes bill to make NIL earnings non-taxable

NIL money comes with a price. More specifically, a tax bill.

The Mississippi legislature is trying to reduce that burden for college athletes who play there.

Via Bea Anhuci of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, the Mississippi House of Representatives has passed a bill that would exempt NIL earnings from state income tax.

It’s a recruiting tool for Ole Miss and Mississippi State, one that would put the Mississippi schools on equal footing with other states that host SEC universities. Florida, Tennessee, and Texas have no state income tax, and Arkansas carved out NIL earnings from the state’s income tax burden in 2025.

Mississippi currently charges a four-percent tax on anyone making more than $10,000 per year.

NIL earnings remain subject to federal income tax.

The bill will have to also pass the Mississippi Senate, and the governor would then be required to sign it into law.

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Mississippi

Why Rebels are keeping pace for Mississippi State CB commit Brandon Allen Jr

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Why Rebels are keeping pace for Mississippi State CB commit Brandon Allen Jr

Ole Miss is working to eventually flip Mississippi State cornerback commit Brandon Allen Jr. (Atlanta, Ga.). Ahead of a packed spring travel schedule, visiting multiple programs, Allen speaks on his current recruitment with Rebels247.com.

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Mississippi

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests $5M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Staff
| Mississippi Clarion Ledger

A Mississippi wood products manufacturer is investing nearly $5 million in an expansion.
Carpenter Pole and Piling’s project is expected to create 10 new jobs in Wiggins.
The expansion includes a new treatment plant and an additional 20 acres for storage.
Construction is anticipated to be completed by September 2026.

A wood products manufacturer is set to create new jobs as part of a major expansion.

Carpenter Pole and Piling is investing nearly $5 million into its Wiggins, Mississippi, operation.

The expansion will add 10 new positions and support long-term growth in the region.

“Carpenter Pole and Piling is a true Mississippi success story, and we’re proud to see the company continue investing right here at home,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said.

“This expansion in Stone County is creating new opportunities for hardworking Mississippians while strengthening a company that has long contributed to our state’s economy,” Reeves said. “When Mississippi businesses grow, our communities grow with them, and we remain committed to fostering a business environment where companies can thrive.”

Carpenter Pole and Piling produces utility poles and pilings for marine and foundation use.

The project includes construction of a new treatment plant, investment in a 2,600-cubic-foot autoclave and an alternative treatment option to improve production capacity.

The company is also clearing and preparing an additional 20 acres for a new pole storage yard.

Stone County is also contributing to the project.

The company expects to complete construction by September 2026.

The new roles are expected to be filled by January 2027.

Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in the production of utility poles. It also manufactures foundation and marine pilings.

The new autoclave will increase production and add an alternative treatment option.

This story was created by business and development writer Ross Reily, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.

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