Any Way you Slice It, Education in Mississippi Has Been Cut

August 2nd, 2011

The recent state budget crisis has meant real cuts for state education. Sometimes state budget numbers are hard to navigate with the different funding sources (general funds, special funds, and federal funds) and different budget categories. However, for education funding in Mississippi over the last four years, the conclusion is simple. Any way you look at it, whether state general funds or total appropriations, whether just Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) or total K-12 education, education appropriations have decreased.

The figure below shows education funding and the total budget in general funds and total appropriations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 and FY 2012.

Click to enlarge

Mississippi Education Funding Comparison, FY 2008 and FY 2012

Appropriations for MAEP, which funds our K-12 schools, have decreased in total by about 8 percent from FY 2008 to FY 2012.

Total public education funding includes MAEP, the Mississippi Department of Education, the Educational Television Authority, and the Library Commission. Considering other funding sources (federal funds and other special funds), total appropriations has decreased over $80 million, or 3 percent.

General fund appropriations for MAEP and total Public Education have also been reduced by about 10 percent. This is a higher percentage cut than the total general fund budget over the same time period.

These cuts have come at a time when a quality education system is even more vital to our state’s economy as the state struggles to recover from the recent recession. New revenue is necessary to restore the state’s gains in education and prepare the state’s future workforce for a new economy.

Source:

FY 2008 State of Mississippi Budget, Budget Summary 2011 Legislative Session