Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Department of Education requests targeted increases for literacy, math, early childhood and SAO expansion amid enrollment losses
Summary
Dr. Lance Evans told appropriators the MDE requests a FY27 budget increase (roughly $33M total request increase statewide) to fund literacy and math initiatives, expand Reach synchronous learning (with MPB), add early‑childhood coaches and grow audit teams, while warning a net loss of 7,224 students reduced MSFF funding by about $9.3M.
Dr. Lance Evans (S14) presented the Mississippi Department of Education’s FY27 priorities to the appropriations committee, citing notable performance gains — including a near‑90% graduation rate and a record 77.3% of third graders passing the third‑grade gate on first attempt — before outlining funding requests tied to classroom initiatives.
Evans described five classroom priorities: an adolescent literacy initiative targeting grades 4–8, a mathematics initiative for grades 2–8, continuation and expansion of the Reach synchronous learning program (a partnership with MPB), teacher‑residency and leadership programs and enhancements to assessment, accreditation and audit review capacity. He said the Reach partnership leverages MPB technology with MDE teachers of record and currently partners with about 10 districts; MDE expects over 500 students enrolled as the model scales.
On early childhood, Evans said a $3.6 million increase would add 33 early‑learning coaches to serve 40 collaboratives and 33 state‑invested pre‑K sites, affecting approximately 440–494 classrooms. He said the department is seeking audit and SAO capacity (about 61 pins requested, many of them for SAO work) to return accreditation and audit review support to districts and to provide technical assistance to those at risk when the 'hold harmless' period ends.
Evans explained the department’s FY27 request totals roughly $3.35 billion for K–12 statewide, an increase he described as about a 1% request over FY26 for the statewide budget but a meaningful increase in several targeted areas. He said the MSFF (state funding formula) declined by about $9.3 million in the proposed request, primarily from a net enrollment drop of 7,224 students and fewer students qualifying for low‑income weightings.
Evans warned that districts facing financial distress require immediate technical assistance and that state emergency funds are limited; he recounted a recent district takeover that required $1.5–2.0 million to stabilize and resulted in a reduction in force of 19 teachers. The department said it will identify districts that face the largest cliffs as 'hold harmless' ends and provide targeted support.
On attendance, Evans noted Mississippi’s statutory or coding threshold differs from other states (the state counts attendance as present if a student attends more than 63% of the academic day, compared with a 50% benchmark elsewhere), which complicates chronic‑absenteeism comparisons. He described efforts to improve coding accuracy and expand auditing support to address data quality and truancy management.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about recalculation timing (BSC recalc scheduled for 2029), potential federal cuts, and operational readiness to address chronic absenteeism. Evans told the committee MDE is preparing but constrained by limited federal guidance and said the department is building contingency plans.
