Some top lawmakers in Mississippi’s Republican-controlled Legislature are prepared to make it easier for students to transfer between public schools but remain skeptical of sending more public money to private schools.
During the second week of Mississippi’s legislative session, key lawmakers were still assessing the appetite in their caucuses for what some call “school choice” bills. The term can refer to several different policies, including using taxpayer funds to pay for the private school tuition of students transferring from public schools.
Proponents argue parents should have greater autonomy over their children’s education, but some lawmakers still have unanswered questions about whether the policies would serve their intended purpose. Opponents say that taking money from public schools would add financial strain to a system that they argue has already been underfunded for decades.
House Education Chair Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, said children in some rural areas don’t live near any private schools, and that funding private school tuition with taxpayer money could undermine public schools attended by the most needy students.
“In certain parts of our state, we can talk about choice all day long,” Roberson said. “But there are no other choices for a lot of these kids, and it’s really not fair to the public schools in regards to this, because public schools are given a mandate to educate all kids. Private schools are not given that mandate.”
In a pre-session interview, Republican House Speaker Jason White said he hoped to see a “true choice” bill for students in the worst performing school districts in the state who can “find acceptance” at any other school, public or private.
Lawmakers with sway over education policy said they had not yet seen such a proposal drafted. Allowing for open enrollment, or portability between public schools, has prompted questions from some lawmakers about what mechanism the state would use to force school districts to cooperate.
Current law allows students to transfer between public schools, but both the sending and receiving school boards must approve the request. Some school districts oppose changing that process, stirring backlash on racial and economic grounds.
In early January, the Madison County School District, a high-performing district in an affluent majority-white area, distributed a 2025 legislative agenda that included opposition against open enrollment. The policy would have negative effects on “school culture” and decrease property values, the district claimed. It also warned that local county taxes would fund students whose parents pay no taxes in Madison County.
In a social media post, Rep. Jansen Owen, R-Poplarville, who sits on the House Education Committee, said the subtext behind the district’s statement was clear.
“I’m just going to say it: ‘negative effects on school culture’ sounds a lot like ‘we don’t want Black or poor kids coming to Madison County Schools’. Also, it’s important to note that thousands of children whose parents don’t pay property taxes are educated in MS public schools every single day,” Owen wrote. “Do we treat the kids who live in rentals, apartments, government housing, etc. differently? I vote no, but the (Madison County School District) has a different opinion. Shame on them.”
Opponents have argued, however, that much of the school choice movement is code for re-segregating schools either by race or economic class.
State Auditor Shad White said he would demand the district reveal how much in taxpayer funds it spent printing the agenda. A call requesting comment from the Madison County School District was not immediately returned.
The ferocity of the local debate takes place as advocates of school choice feel emboldened by the election of President-elect Donald Trump, who has floated a tax credit for programs that fund private school tuition.
Douglas Carswell, president and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, applauded the school choice proposals supported by White and Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann this session. But he vowed to keep pressuring Republicans to approve vouchers funding private school tuition.
“Organizations like ours have played too nicey nicey with some conservatives or pretend conservatives and there’s been a symbiotic relationship with conservative think tanks and politicians where we pretend that the mediocre reforms they passed 10-15 years ago were of great consequence,” Carswell said.
Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, said he supports allowing students in F-rated school districts to transfer to other public schools.
There are three institutions in the state with that rating: East Tallahatchie Consolidated School District, West Bolivar Consolidated School District and the Midtown Public Charter School in Jackson.
“To do that we’re going to have to fully fund the students and make up on the state side the amount of taxes that are paid by the local citizen,” Hosemann said. “It’s usually about a 70/30 split, with 70 percent coming from the state.”
Hosemann said he and Senate Education Chair Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville, would like any open enrollment bill to include a capacity requirement, a provision designed to ensure schools have enough space in the requested grade level to accept new students.
The Senate is not considering passing a bill that funds private schools with public money, said Hannah Milliet, Hosemann’s spokesperson.
Both chambers are looking into updating the state’s Education Savings Account program for children with disabilities, which helps cover the cost of private school tuition for those students. The changes could include pumping more money into the program and removing a cap on the number of students that can apply for the program
Roberson also said there are too many school districts in Mississippi and he hopes to pass a bill to consolidate some of them. He did not rule out the possibility of legislation passing this session to send public money to private schools and expects a fierce debate to ensue regardless.
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