The House passed a bill that would completely overhaul how Mississippi's public schools are funded. House Bill 1453, also known as the INSPIRE Act, stands for Investing in the Needs of Students to Prioritize, Influence, and Transform Education. It passed 92-13 at home Wednesday. “We want to have a system that really focuses on children, and the House's view is that this will do that,” said Rob Roberson, the bill's author and Education Committee chairman. ” he said. Roberson said the Inspire formula is calculated by enrollment, not attendance, and is funded on a per-student basis. Base funding for the upcoming school year will be $6,650 per student. Although this is just a baseline, additional weighted funding may be provided for: Low-income students Students learning English (as a second language) Students in special education Gifted students Students enrolled in career/technical education programs Students from high-poverty districts Students from low-population districts We’re trying to get it,” Roberson said. Rep. Christopher Bell of Hinds County was present when the bill was introduced, but chose not to participate in the vote due to concerns that some school districts would be excluded. “That’s good, but also keep in mind that these are the 15 schools that will see their funding cut,” Bell said. Roberson said the Inspire formula would not benefit many of the state's wealthier school districts the way the current MAEP formula does. But Roberson noted the importance of supporting school districts that are struggling to “level the playing field.” “Remember, there are school districts that can cover their entire school budget with current millage rates,” he said. The bill received a response from the Mississippi Educators Association. “We support efforts to establish reliable, effective, and fair funding formulas that enable each school to reach its full potential. Erica Jones, MAE, is standing by to provide insights and concerns to members of the Board of Education, Board of Education, and Members of the Board of Education as both chambers consider the components of the proposal to achieve the ultimate goal. The Chairman said. Another hot topic that Congressman Roberson pointed out is that the base funding is to be determined annually by Congress. The issue is likely to come up for a vote in the Senate. Weighted to the base amount per student, HB 1453 would provide last year's education funding plus 1 It is estimated that an increase of $50 million would be required.
The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would overhaul the way Mississippi's public schools are funded.
House Bill 1453, also known as the Inspire Act, stands for Investing in the Needs of Students to Prioritize, Influence, and Transform Education. It passed 92-13 at home Wednesday.
“We want to have a system that really focuses on children, and the House's view is that this will do that,” said Rob Roberson, the bill's author and Education Committee chairman. ” he said.
Roberson said the Inspire formula is calculated by enrollment, not attendance, and is funded on a per-student basis. Base funding for the upcoming school year will be $6,650 per student. This is just a baseline, but additional weighted funds can be provided if:
- low income students
- Students learning English (as a second language)
- students receiving special education
- talented student
- Students enrolled in career/professional education programs
- Students from high-poverty districts
- Students in less populated school districts
“The poverty factor is important, and we're working to make sure that children who live in poor areas have the resources they need,” Roberson said.
Rep. Christopher Bell of Hinds County was present when the bill was introduced, but chose not to participate in the vote due to concerns that some school districts would be excluded.
“It says it’s going to be beneficial for JPS and Hinds County schools, so that’s a good thing, but the other thing to note is it’s these 15 schools that will see their funding cut,” Bell said. he said.
Roberson said the Inspire formula would not benefit many of the state's wealthier school districts the way the current MAEP formula does. But he noted the importance of supporting school districts that are struggling to “level the playing field.”
“Remember, there are districts that can pay for their entire school budget with current millage rates,” Roberson said.
The bill received a response from the Mississippi Educators Association.
“We support efforts to establish reliable, effective, and fair funding formulas that enable each school to reach its full potential. “We are standing by to provide insight and concerns to members of the Board of Education, Board of Education members, and members of the Board of Education. We will work together as both chambers consider the components of the proposal to achieve our ultimate goals.” MAE President Erica Jones said.
Another hotly debated topic noted by Roberson is that base funding is determined annually by Congress. However, the bill does not provide a methodology for how this should be set up. The issue could come up for a vote in the Senate.
Weighted to the base amount per student, HB 1453 is estimated to require an increase of $150 million on top of last year's education funding.