Supervisors ask school district to justify FY27 request after figures appear to exceed 7% statutory cap

Rankin County supervisors spent substantial time Aug. 3 reviewing a request from the Rankin County School District for local funding in fiscal 2027. Staff presented the district's aggregate receipts request of $118,323,043 — about $10.6 million higher than the local portion reported for FY26 — and warned supervisors that Mississippi law limits annual increases in aggregate receipts to 7% unless a statutory process (including public notice and possibly a referendum) is followed.

The staff member explained the legal constraints and said the board's role is ministerial in setting millage but that the district cannot unilaterally increase its request above the 7% threshold without following required procedures: "They cannot increase their aggregate receipts request ... by more than 7% annually," the staff member said, adding that if exclusions (new growth, debt levies, other allowed items) are removed from the calculation, the figure could fall beneath the limit. Staff asked the school district to meet with county officials to explain the numbers and identify any exclusions before the board takes ministerial action to set millage.

The board did not act immediately; instead it directed staff to seek clarification from the school district, asked that any referendum be scheduled with existing election dates if needed to avoid extra costs, and requested detailed breakdowns so supervisors can determine conformity with Mississippi Code. The staff member said that if the district cannot show compliance with the 7% limitation, the district must either reduce its request or pursue the statutory referendum process.