| Magee Courier-Simpson County News

A House of Representative member reads over a list of bills on the agenda in House chambers, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 at the State Capitol in Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

House passes bill that would change how public schools are funded

Fri, 03/08/2024 - 04:11 PM

For the first time since 1953, Mississippi would not rely on an objective funding formula to determine the amount of money local schools needed under legislation that overwhelmingly passed the House by an 95-13 margin on Wednesday.

Under the “Investing in the Needs of Students to Prioritize, Impact and Reform Education” (INSPIRE) Act, a group of eight local superintendents and employees of the state Department of Education would make a recommendation to the Legislature every four years on how much state money should go to local school districts.

A view of the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today

House leaders tweak school funding plan after feedback from education groups

brandonsup

Fri, 03/08/2024 - 02:11 PM

House leaders said they have tried to address concerns of educators in their latest attempt to rewrite the longstanding formula that determines the amount of state funds provided to local school districts for their basic operation.

Jim Hill student Jakiyah Honer, 17, participates in the 2024 High School Welding Competition held at Delta Technical College in Ridgeland, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

High school welders compete for scholarship prizes

brandonsup

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 04:41 PM

Students from across the state competed in the 2024 High School Welding Competition held at Delta Technical College in Ridgeland. Every competition participant will receive a $500 Delta Tech scholarship plus an opportunity to enroll in one of the college’s welding programs.

“All of you are being offered an opportunity to have a career, not a job,” the students were told during orientation. “You have a job doing fast food. This can be a career for where you make over $100,000 a year.”

Rep. Rob Roberson listens as arguments are made concerning Hester Jackson-McCray's House of Representatives seat Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020, at the State Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America

House advances bill that would establish close study of universal school vouchers

brandonsup

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 04:11 PM

Two House committees passed a bill that would establish a committee to study the feasibility of creating an expansive program to provide public funds for students to attend private schools.

Universities closure bill expected to die, but will proposed ‘efficiency’ task force keep issue on the table?

brandonsup

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 03:21 PM

A bill to close three public universities in Mississippi will die as expected after inspiring a weeklong ruckus that some lawmakers blamed on misleading news articles.

But another bill that advanced in the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee on Monday has raised questions abouts its potential to yield similar results. The sponsor said that isn’t the intention.

The fate of the House school funding plan could come down to one question: Who wrote it?

brandonsup

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 03:01 PM

House leaders say they’ve been working independently of any other group for more than a year to develop their sweeping new public education funding plan, which they say would send additional money to poorer school districts than the current funding formula does.

But three advocacy groups that have often butted heads with powerful pro-public education groups also have been working on a new funding formula. It consists of many of the same characteristics found in the House leadership’s plan.

Crace and Meador named STAR Student and Teacher for SCA

sfairchild

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 01:21 PM

Cole Crace has been named STAR Student for the 2023-2024 school year by the Mississippi Economic Council (MEC) Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program. The program will be held April 4, 2024, at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl, MS. The theme for the event is “Pathways to Success.” This year will mark the 59th Anniversary of the STAR program. Established by the Mississippi Economic Council in 1965, the purpose of the STAR program is to recognize outstanding students and teachers in Mississippi through its Education Celebration.

Shelia Copeland Awarded SBA Certificate from the Southeastern Association of School Business Officials

sfairchild

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 12:26 PM

Shelia Copeland, Director of Finance of the Simpson County School District, Mendenhall, MS has been awarded the School Business Administrator (SBA) Certificate from the Southeastern Association of School Business Officials (SASBO).

Lawmaker behind bill to close three universities says its has ‘slim’ chance to pass

brandonsup

Fri, 03/01/2024 - 07:01 PM

A lawmaker behind a controversial bill to close three public universities in Mississippi says its chances of becoming law this session are “slim.”

Sen. John Polk, R-Hattiesburg, told Mississippi Today that he just wanted to start a conversation when he filed Senate Bill 2726, which would require the governing board of Mississippi’s eight public universities to shutter three by 2028.

“It’s pretty out there,” Polk said.

Senate Proposes Its Own Change to MAEP

brandonsup

Fri, 03/01/2024 - 01:31 PM

After the House proposed INSPIRE to replace the K-12 education funding formula, Senate leaders have put forward a bill to tweak MAEP.

Last week, House Education Committee Chairman Rob Roberson (R) unveiled his bill that would change how the state’s K-12 education system is funded, replacing the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, or MAEP, with the Investing in the Needs of Students to Prioritize, Impact and Reform Education (INSPIRE) Act.

Prominent Business Leaders Call on Mississippi Legislature to Pass Universal School Choice Bill

brandonsup

Thu, 02/29/2024 - 05:31 PM

Sixty business leaders have called on the Mississippi Legislature to pass universal school choice.

House Education Committee Chairman Rob Roberson filed HB 1449, the Mississippi Student Freedom Act. The bill, as written, would phase in a universal school choice program that would allow every child in Mississippi the option of attending the school of their choice within five years of passage.

SCS Beta Club Members Compete in State Convention

sfairchild

Wed, 02/28/2024 - 03:17 PM

The Simpson Central School (SCS) Beta Club recently attended the 32nd Annual Elementary/Junior Beta Convention, held in Biloxi, Feb. 21-23. Gathering among Beta Club members from across the state, SCS students competed in a variety of academic competitions, in addition to talent, visual arts and club competitions.

SCS students worked extremely hard and received several awards in the following competitive events:

Can Mississippi Continue to Support Eight Public Universities?

brandonsup

Wed, 02/28/2024 - 02:41 PM

State Sen. John Polk, citing declining K-12 and university enrollment as driving factors, says the Magnolia State has too many universities trying to educate too few people.

A new bill introduced in the Mississippi Senate may force the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning to pick three institutions under its umbrella for closure should SB 2726 become law.

We Care at Home Care, a sitting services agency, is owned by Samantha Waldrop, right. With her is Jenifer Spark, office manager. The office is located at 1577 Simpson Highway 149 Suite B, Mendenhall and the phone number is 601-942-0599.

WeCare offers help at home

sfairchild

Wed, 02/28/2024 - 09:02 AM

Business In Review

State works to overcome teacher shortage

sfairchild

Wed, 02/28/2024 - 08:56 AM

Results from the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) 2023-24 Educator Shortage survey show there are 5,012 vacancies among teachers, administrators and school support staff across the state, an increase of 24 compared to the 2022-23 school year.
The survey was conducted by MDE’s Office of Teaching and Leading from Aug. 4 – Nov. 15, 2023 and had 100 percent voluntary participation from school districts. There were 5,503 vacancies reported in 2021-22, and 4,988 in 2022-23.

Keep Mendenhall Beautiful President Latasha Millis accepted the National Innovation Award from Keep America Beautiful during their national conference in San Diego.

Keep M’hall Beautiful gets award

sfairchild

Wed, 02/28/2024 - 08:55 AM

Keep Mendenhall Beautiful President Latasha Millis recently attended a national conference in San Diego California where she accepted the national Innovation Award from Keep America Beautiful.
Keep Mendenhall Beautiful was one of two organizations from Mississippi to receive national honors. The Innovation Award was received for thinking outside of the box and planning creative clean up events.

Simpson County School Board members were presented Certificates of Appreciation and a proclamation from the governor for National School Board Appreciation Week. From left are board members Stacey Herrin, Danny Cowart, Ralph Walker, Lillie Hardy, and Stan Bulger. Photo Credits: Marlan Jones, Copyright 2023 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.

SCSD looking at 52 vacancies for 2024-25

sfairchild

Wed, 02/28/2024 - 08:50 AM

Senate committee passes bill to tweak but preserve MAEP, the public school funding formula

brandonsup

Sat, 02/24/2024 - 06:01 PM

Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, told his fellow Senate Education Committee members Thursday he fears the state’s 145 public school districts would be at the Capitol lobbying for funds, like other state agencies, if the objective funding formula used to determine how much money each school district receives is repealed.

A school bus drops off students in Mayersville, Miss., on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today

Education groups urge lawmakers to keep objective formula in place for school funding

brandonsup

Sat, 02/24/2024 - 05:41 PM

Several high-powered Mississippi public education groups sent a joint letter to lawmakers this week stressing that any rewrite of the formula providing state funds to local schools should be based on objective criteria.

Mississippi State University students walk to class on the Starkville campus. Credit: Molly Minta/Mississippi Today

Mississippi spends less on college grant aid than nearly every Southern state

brandonsup

Sat, 02/24/2024 - 05:11 PM

Mississippi spends less money on college financial aid programs than almost every state in the Southern region.

Please select your theme

April 09, 2026

The Source

Community Polls

Do you agree with the Mississippi State Board of Education's decsion to no longer require the U.S. History State Test?

If you had to listen to only one genre of music for the rest of life, which would you prefer?

Magee, 39111, MS

Current Temp

April 09, 2026

The Source

Community Polls

Do you agree with the Mississippi State Board of Education's decsion to no longer require the U.S. History State Test?

If you had to listen to only one genre of music for the rest of life, which would you prefer?

Current Temp

Contact Information

Follow Us

Our Apps