Mississippi Senate Education Chairman Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville, declined on Monday to advance a proposal that would have made it easier for students to transfer between public schools and said he doesn’t think such a proposal can currently pass the upper chamber.
The statement portends an uncertain future for a policy cited before the session as a key education priority by the Republican leaders of both chambers, House Speaker Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann. Even as DeBar let the Senate bill die, he said his committee would take up a similar House bill later in the session if support for the policy grows.
“I don’t think the support is there,” DeBar told Mississippi Today. “And the House has a bill that we can address if things change.”
Current law allows students to transfer between public schools, a practice known as open enrollment or portability. But both the sending and receiving school boards must approve the request. Some school districts oppose changing that process, citing potential negative effects on “school culture” and local property values.
Legislative proposals this year would aim to prevent schools from stopping students from transferring if another public school has enough room for them. The House bill that is still alive, sponsored by Rep. Jansen Owen, R-Poplarville, would remove the requirement for home districts to approve a student for release. It would also create a special fund that would pay the local portion of the total funding formula base-student cost for the transferring student.
In a statement following Monday’s Senate meeting, House Education Chair Rob Roberson said he expected Owen’s open enrollment bill to pass the House and potentially win support in the Senate.
“We work well together and I suspect they will take the House Bill,” Roberon said in a text message. “Assuming we get it out and work to make sure we pass it giving parents some tangible help moving their children to a better fit.”
Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, has previously said he supports allowing students in low-performing school districts to transfer to other public schools. He also said he supports fully funding students and “making up on the state side the amount of taxes that are paid by the local citizen.”
“It’s usually about a 70/30 split, with 70 percent coming from the state,” Hosemann said at a January meeting.
Owen’s bill was approved by the House Education Committee and awaits a vote in the full chamber.
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