Special Report
Education

Mississippi

January 04, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

State financing for education in Mississippi is based on a foundation formula. Under the formula, a base student cost ($3,957 for fiscal 2005) is multiplied by each district’s average daily attendance. An additional 5 percent of the base cost is then added for every student participating in the free-lunch program. The state then subtracts the required local mill levy from the amount it provides. To receive state aid, districts must levy at least a 28-mill property tax or 27 percent of the district’s foundation amount, whichever is less. Even the wealthiest districts must contribute no more to the foundation formula than 27 percent of the foundation amount. Mississippi also provides money to schools through categorical programs. The state has five such programs that support transportation, and vocational, alternative, special, and gifted-and-talented education. School districts raise money primarily through the property tax. At the state level, a portion of the sales tax is dedicated to education. Mississippi is one of just five states that have never had lawsuits challenging their school finance systems.

In March 2024, Education Week announced the end of the Quality Counts report after 25 years of serving as a comprehensive K-12 education scorecard. In response to new challenges and a shifting landscape, we are refocusing our efforts on research and analysis to better serve the K-12 community. For more information, please go here for the full context or learn more about the EdWeek Research Center.

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: March 13, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read