School funding in Mississippi still down $623 per student since before recession

October 16th, 2014

A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that Mississippi ranks among the worst in the country in depth of cuts to school funding since the start of the recession. These unnecessary cuts weaken our schools and could make it harder for the next generation of American workers to compete for highly skilled jobs in the global economy.

Mississippi has cut investment in K-12 schools by12.3%percent since 2008, a deeper cut than most other states. States need to invest in their schools, so that children can receive the education they need to succeed in life and compete for highly skilled jobs in tomorrow’s global economy.

State revenue declined sharply during the recession. Yet, even as revenues have begun to recover, Mississippi has only restored a small fraction of the education funding that was cut during the downturn, leaving spending per student $623below pre-recession levels, taking inflation into account.

Mississippi lawmakers are now discussing the possibility of a tax cut for the coming year. A tax cut that reduces revenue available for education would take Mississippi in the wrong direction. According to the report, six of the seven states with the deepest education cuts have recently enacted corporate and/or personal tax cuts.

Reducing investment in schools has long-term economic consequences. Quality elementary, middle, and high school education provides a crucial foundation that allows children to go on to succeed in college and in the workplace.

Read the full report at http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=4213.

Join the conversation about education in Mississippi at the MEPC 2014 Policy Conference: Tackling Persistent Poverty – Why Here? Why Now?