Mississippi Democrats oppose any attempt to give public funds to private schools

Even as the Mississippi Supreme Court is still considering whether private schools can receive public funds for students, Republican leadership in the House of Representatives is pushing legislation to study its viability.

House Education Chairman Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, originally filed House Bill 1449 on Feb. 19, which would establish a funding program through the State Treasury of Mississippi to create financial accounts for parents to pay for non-public education.

However, after conversations with Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and first year House Speaker Jason White, R-West, Roberson told the Clarion Ledger he introduced a substitute bill to lawmakers Thursday afternoon to create a committee to study whether a voucher program would work in Mississippi.

“(The committee would look at) what the cost would be cost be, who it would help, who was in areas that would maybe need this, where would this need be and what information is out there that would be applicable to what this would like if it was implemented,” Roberson said.

Roberson previously said he did not believe any voucher legislation would pass through his committee or the House this year and simply wanted to start a conversation.

The new bill would establish a committee comprised of about six members appointed by Reeves, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and White, which would complete a study about a voucher program in Mississippi.

If passed, the committee would report back to lawmakers at the beginning of the 2025 legislative session.

“I’m all for getting more information (on this), Roberson said. “I think we all could use whatever information to come and see who could be benefited. The bottom line is just that it is always good to have information to see what would happen, and what it would look like and what the cost would be.”

Reeves and White have both publicly endorsed the idea of a voucher program in Mississippi.

White said during an interview with the SuperTalk radio network earlier this month that he would support a limited school voucher program for students in low-rated schools.

“In D and F districts, we want that child to go anywhere they can find, whether public, private, charter, home school, whatever,” White said.

Reeves also addressed “school choice” during his State of the State address Monday night.

“We must be innovative,” Reeves said. “We must be open to new and different models. We should fund students, not systems. We should trust our parents, not bureaucrats, and we should embrace education freedom.”

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Supreme Court still undecided on private school funding

Despite Roberson’s attempt to study a private school voucher system in Mississippi, the legality of public funding for private schools is still being determined by the Mississippi Supreme Court.

In 2022, the Legislature appropriated $10 million to fund education in private schools, but it was halted after a lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Democracy Forward, and the Mississippi Center for Justice on behalf of Parents for Public Schools, a Jackson-based nonprofit, claiming the move was unconstitutional.

According to the state’s constitution, public funds shall not go to any school “not conducted as a free public school.”

The state has countered that claim by stating the appropriation is constitutional because the Legislature appropriated the money to the Department of Finance and Administration, which could disperse it to the private schools.

Earlier this month, the court heard oral arguments from both sides, but the case is not expected to be decided on until after the 2024 legislative session, which ends in early May.

Court’s latest hearing on funding: MS Supreme Court listens to arguments over federal funding in private schools. See details

Democrats oppose voucher program

Even still, the bill already faced opposition from five House Democrats who voted against the bill Thursday, Roberson said.

One of the representatives on the Education Committee, Justis Gibbs, D-Madison County, told the Clarion Ledger he would not support any voucher program in the state.

“Our priorities should be on public education,” Gibbs said.

Jackson legislators Rep. Chris Bell and Sen. David Blount both also voiced concerns about a voucher program.

“At the end of the day, those vouchers are taking away from our public schools, and I’m fully supporting our public schools,” Bell said. “For Individuals to prop up vouchers, it only hurts our public schools, and it hurts our communities.”

“I am opposed to vouchers and using tax money for private schools,” Blount said. “Public money is for public schools.”

Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville, told the Clarion Ledger he has not read Roberson’s original bill, but he believes a private school voucher program would only add financial burden to the state.

“We have approximately 50,000 Kids in private schools, and if you allocate that using our current (school funding) formula of $7,500 per student, you’re looking at roughly $350 to $400 million of new money needed for those students. I don’t believe at this point the state can afford something like that.”

Nancy Loome, executive director of The Parent’s Campaign, an education advocacy group, said in a press release Thursday night the bill is an “affront” to the public school system and those who work to sustain it.

“HB 1449 is an affront to public schools and the hard work of Mississippi teachers,” Loome wrote. “It calls for a study committee to evaluate the feasibility of universal vouchers in Mississippi — vouchers that would be available to all K-12 students in the state, including students already attending private schools. We don’t need a study committee — we can see clearly the disastrous consequences to state budgets, voucher students, and public schools in the states that have allowed universal voucher programs.”

Even though Roberson passed the bill through his committee, it will still need approval from the House Appropriations Committee, which will have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to either send it to the House floor for a vote or let it die in committee.

If it passes that committee, the bill will go to the House floor, where Republicans hold a majority in the 122-member chamber.

Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.