Financing a better future: Mississippi must equitably fund its public schools
Walk into most public schools in the rural Mississippi Delta and compare them to schools in more affluent districts, and you鈥檒l see the gross disparity in the state鈥檚 public school funding. You鈥檒l also notice that the state鈥檚 inadequately funded schools are mostly populated by Black students, who suffer the most from the state鈥檚 inequitable, local tax-funding formula.
Kids in districts with high poverty rates often have old or no textbooks, sit in unsafe buildings that flood or leak sewage, have long-term substitute teachers, and lack computers and internet service at home. Meanwhile, kids in more affluent districts have safe buildings, the latest educational resources and extras like drama club and band. They also have home computers and high-speed internet.
This disparity is nothing new.
Mississippi ranks 47th in the nation for per-pupil funding at $9,284. That鈥檚 $4,000 less than the national average. The state has underfunded its schools since the Civil War ended. It was a means of keeping a strong labor force of Black people for low-paying jobs in manual labor and similar positions. The underfunding has been so bad that even white kids couldn鈥檛 get into the state鈥檚 flagship schools.
In late February, I testified before the Mississippi Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, where I explained my plan for the state to stop relying on local tax revenue from towns, cities and counties for school funding.
The current funding formula benefits wealthier families, who own more valuable properties and live in communities with higher tax revenue. Instead, I urged the state to use its highest per capita student expenditure as the benchmark for providing a flat, equitable, grant-like amount to school districts. My plan would limit the local contribution for public schools and use state and federal funds to make up the difference.
The funding disparities I spoke about that day are highlighted in a new Southern Poverty Law Center report, Learning Gap: Mississippi鈥檚 Education Funding Disparities Deny Opportunities for Students of Color, released this week. My colleagues and I hope that the findings we outline in the report will convince legislators and policymakers to take a more progressive approach with funding.
It鈥檚 also deeply personal work as someone who was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta and still lives in the state. I have dedicated myself to anti-poverty work and also served as an attorney for the Mississippi Department of Education鈥檚 special education office. My work at the 人兽性交 focuses on ensuring that the state鈥檚 kids receive the quality education the federal government and certain state laws require.
I also have taught and mentored Mississippi college and law students of color in education law and policy and social justice. I have worked with more than 100 students on legal and public policy issues, including school funding.
They recognize that without equitable funding, more children from humble backgrounds, particularly students of color, will continue to perform below average in school and on standardized tests. Poor school performance can determine a child鈥檚 future, limiting their earning potential and success as community members. Studies show that disinterest in school can lead to dropping out and becoming ensnared in the criminal legal system.
Mississippi also needs to fund schools to mitigate the severe, lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately hurt kids who lacked the technology for virtual learning. They also need to transition kids into high-paying trade jobs as adults. And they need to pay teachers more to retain and hire good educators. All of this takes a lot of funding.
But I鈥檓 cautiously optimistic.
I see a generation passionate about building upon this work and creating a more equitable future in my home state.
Julian Miller is a senior supervising attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center鈥檚 Democracy: Education and Youth litigation team.
Image at top: Illustration by the 人兽性交.
