House Bill Doesn’t Fully Fund MAEP

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – An early budget proposal won’t cover all the money that the Mississippi Department of Education requested for elementary and secondary schools.

That came as little surprise to lawmakers, who’ve been told for months that money will be tight in the year that begins July 1.

The K-12 education budget is in House Bill 1476, which passed the House 117-0 on Thursday. It was held for the possibility of more House debate before it goes to the Senate.

House Education Committee Chairman John Moore says the proposed budget is $265 million short of full funding for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. The formula was put into law in 1997 and is supposed to ensure schools receive enough money to meet midlevel standards. It has been fully funded only twice.