Gov. Haley Barbour (R) • Jan. 21
Education remains Mississippi’s top priority, but programs won’t see increases this year as steep as in years past, Gov. Barbour told lawmakers. Spending for K-12 schools has increased an average of more than $130 million a year for the past four years, he said, but the state doesn’t have the resources to provide that much of a boost this year. Still, he said he plans to fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which calls for at least a $2.5 million increase in spending, bringing it to $2.2 billion, a less than 1 percent increase. And he plans to make room for a program, authorized last year, allowing veteran teachers to receive an extra $1,000 annually in exchange for mentoring beginning teachers.