Mississippi

The funding mechanism for the public schools in the state ofMississippi had been surprisingly stable for a number of years. The funding formulaexisted in its same form for over a half century before it was substantially changed in1994 when the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) legislation was passed. Thisis the first external analysis of the MAEP since its inception. An analysis of thehorizontal equity is undertaken to determine the state of equality between districts inthe state. Vertical equity is examined to determine if disparity exists between unequalcircumstances of school districts. In addition, the federal range ratio is scrutinizedfor appropriate variances between the highest funded school districts and theircounterparts in the state of Mississippi. Although this study shows gains in horizontalequity, it reveals a weakening of vertical equity. In combination, more funding isavailable per student overall, but school districts are not receiving sufficient fundsto equitably educate children with specific needs, such as living in an area withextremely low socioeconomic conditions. Results of this research strongly suggestMississippi will continue to languish in academic achievement until MAEP is fully fundedon a consistent basis