AN ACT TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 37-151-201, 37-151-203, 37-151-205, 37-151-207, 37-151-209, 37-151-211, 37-151-213, 37-151-215 AND 37-57-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH ESTABLISH THE MISSISSIPPI STUDENT FUNDING FORMULA; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
House Bill 1679 brings forward Mississippi’s student funding formula statutes and keeps in place the framework used to calculate annual operating aid for public school districts and charter schools. The bill defines key terms used in the formula, including base student amount, net enrollment, weighted enrollment, low-income student, English language learner, special education tiers, gifted student, CTE student, sparsely populated district, local contribution, and state share. It also preserves the formula structure that multiplies a per-student base amount by a district’s final weighted enrollment to determine total funding.
The bill maintains the current base student amount for fiscal year 2025 at $6,695.34 and continues the inflation-based adjustment process for fiscal years 2026 through 2028, with a recalculation by the State Board of Education in 2029 and every fourth year thereafter. It keeps the weighting system for low-income students, ELL students, special education students in three tiers, gifted students, CTE students, and additional low-income concentration weights, while also preserving the sparsity adjustment for low-density districts and charter schools. The bill also continues the rules for counting enrollment, including dual enrollment students, charter school projections, reporting requirements, and the authority to withhold funds for inaccurate reporting.
HB 1679 also preserves the local funding and tax-effort provisions that require counties and municipalities to levy the minimum local ad valorem effort, generally set at the lesser of 28 mills or 27 percent of total formula cost, subject to a 55-mill cap. It retains the provisions governing how local contribution is calculated for districts with charter schools, how state share is determined after subtracting local contribution, and how disaster-related school closures may avoid a reduction in state aid. The bill further keeps the student-teacher ratio requirement for districts, waiver authority, and the rule that charter schools are exempt from that ratio section.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is neutral and administrative rather than controversial: the measure appears to be a continuation or reauthorization of an existing funding framework rather than a major policy overhaul. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. The bill’s structure suggests an effort to preserve continuity in school funding law and avoid disruption to district and charter school budgets.
The main points of potential contention are the mechanics of the funding formula itself, especially the weighting of student categories, the local tax-effort requirement, the treatment of charter schools, and the annual inflation adjustment versus legislative discretion in years of flat state revenue. Other likely areas of interest include the 27 percent local contribution cap, the 55-mill limit, the use of projected charter enrollment, and the enforcement tools for inaccurate enrollment reporting. These issues affect school districts, charter schools, county tax assessors, local levying authorities, and the State Department of Education.
HB 1679 would continue and update Mississippi’s statutory student funding formula without replacing it, preserving the legal framework that determines state aid to school districts and charter schools. It maintains the existing definitions, enrollment-counting rules, weighted student categories, local contribution calculations, and state-share formulas in Sections 37-151-201 through 37-151-215, and it also preserves the related school-tax levy provisions in Section 37-57-1. The bill continues to govern how state and local education funding is calculated, reported, adjusted for inflation, and reconciled, while keeping current requirements for local millage, charter school treatment, and enforcement for inaccurate reporting.
The available materials suggest a generally routine and technical bill with no recorded committee debate or vote history to indicate organized opposition or strong controversy. The measure appears aimed at maintaining continuity in Mississippi’s school funding system and extending the current formula into future fiscal years. In the absence of transcripts or votes, the overall sentiment can best be characterized as neutral and procedural, with the bill functioning as a carry-forward of existing law rather than a new policy direction.
Likely areas of contention involve how the formula distributes money among districts and charter schools, particularly the weights for low-income, special education, ELL, gifted, CTE, and sparsity factors. The local tax-effort requirement, including the 28-mill/27-percent standard and the 55-mill ceiling, may also be debated by districts and local taxing authorities because it affects required local revenue contributions. Charter school enrollment projections, reconciliation of actual versus projected enrollment, and the authority to withhold funds for inaccurate reporting are additional pressure points that could draw concern from school administrators and local officials.