Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Budget Msff topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mississippi Board OKs FY27 Budget Request; Superintendent and Staff Explain Student Funding Formula Changes
Summary
The State Board approved the Mississippi Department of Education’s FY27 budget request, including a $2.9 billion MSFF support request and a modest increase in base student cost; board members asked staff to provide district-level worksheets explaining allocations.
The Mississippi State Board of Education approved the agency’s fiscal year 2027 budget request at its July 17 meeting, after staff presented line-item figures and answered questions about allocations under the Mississippi Student Funding Formula (MSFF).
MDE staff member Kim Wiggins presented the FY27 request, saying the agency will submit a total MSFF support request of $2,900,000,000 for appropriation purposes, a roughly $24,600,000 increase over FY26. Wiggins said the FY27 base student cost used in the request is $6,919.89, up from $6,847.33 in FY26; she also presented CTE and Chickasaw School Fund requests and the agency’s operating line items.
Nut graf: Board approval moves the department’s FY27 funding package to the Office of Budget and Legislative Fiscal Review for appropriation; members sought district-level transparency explaining why some districts see apparent decreases compared with prior years.
Board members asked for detailed spreadsheets that break the funding formula down by district and by weight. State Superintendent Dr. Evans said the department had prepared detailed worksheets for each district, showing how enrollment shifts, changes to weighted categories, employer PERS and state health insurance increases, and shifts in local contributions changed final allocations.
The board made the FY27 budget request motion and voted to approve it; Miss Warner moved the motion and Miss Mayo seconded. During the discussion a board member noted a roughly $3 million decrease in the department’s general education operations request between FY26 and FY27 and asked staff to verify the numbers; staff confirmed the decrease was an intentional adjustment to the operations ask.
Ending: MDE staff said they will continue to provide districts and board members with the spreadsheets showing individual-district MSFF calculations so local leaders can reconcile allocations and prepare for the upcoming fiscal year.
