NEW AUGUSTA—For 16 years, Perry County Schools have been underfunded under the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, the state’s previous funding formula.

During that time, the district navigated a cumulative funding loss of $8,747,681. According to The Parents’ Campaign, a group advocating for public school parents and educators, public school funding statewide increased by $239 million. However, districts like Perry County received relatively flat funding due to continued decreases in enrollment.

According to the Mississippi Department of Education, PCSD’s student body dropped 36% from 2006-2007 to the 2023-2024 school year. The largest drop, year over year, was from the 2006-2007 school years to the 2007-2008 school year, where the district had 80 fewer students. The next largest drop is tied between consecutive school years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, where 58 fewer students were enrolled both years.

“The Perry County School District has been grossly underfunded for years,” Superintendent Dr. Titus Hines told The Richton Dispatch in Aug. 2024, though he declined our requests for an interview.

While Hines argues the funding has been inadequate, Sen. Chris Johnson, R-District 45, disputes underfunding claims, calling it misleading.

“Some people would argue that because the Legislature has not fully funded the education formula, schools are underfunded, but those are two separate things,” Johnson said.

Regarding the statewide funding increase, Johnson elaborated: “That may be statewide. Some schools got more money, a few got less, and some were flat. And that was just the state portion of the funding. Property tax likely went up because I don’t believe their portion of the school property tax went down. If we were looking at the total funding, I would imagine it went up. It just may have been level-funded from the state.”

How schools are funded

In response to school funding challenges across the state, Mississippi introduced the Mississippi Funding Formula in 2024 through House Bill 4130. MSFF introduced a weighted student formula, allocating per-student funding based on net enrollment—the ratio of children enrolled compared to school-aged children in the population—and a base student amount, which is a fixed dollar amount per student.

Public schools receive funding from local, state and federal sources, with the majority coming from state and local governments. States distribute funds using formulas that consider district-specific needs and local revenue contributions. MSFF aims to ensure funding reflects student needs rather than relying primarily on local property taxes. By shifting to this weighted approach, the state aims to reduce funding disparities among districts.

Under the new formula, additional funding is provided for students in specific categories, including:

– Low-income students.

– English-language learners.

– Special education students.

– Career and technical education students.

– Students in high-poverty areas.

– Students in sparsely populated districts.

However, lawmakers acknowledge that gaps remain.

“School districts have different needs based on where they are, the type of students they have, how many students they have, and whether their areas are growing or not,” said Johnson.

To ease concerns about potential funding losses, Dr. Felicia Gavin, chief of operations for Mississippi Department of Education, explains a hold harmless provision ensures districts will be shielded from funding reductions for three years.

“If, when we ran the calculation for FY26, their funding came out to be less than what they currently receive, we could not give them less than the previous year,” Gavin said. “And that provision is for three years, so until FY28.”

Gavin further clarifies how districts can allocate MSFF funding.

“They can use their funding for whatever needs they have in the school district. Most use it for instruction, but they also use it for salaries and overhead expenses,” she said.

Local tax contribution

In Perry County, school funding from local taxes is challenged by a limited amount of taxable property.

“Perry County is in a tough position with the amount of improved property in the county,” Johnson said. “The amount of land that people can buy and pay property taxes on is limited. If the government owns it, there’s no property tax being paid.”

Johnson explains that a large portion of Perry County is owned by the federal government, as well as Desoto National Forest and Camp Shelby.

While the school district is pushing for more funding, county leaders are also managing their own budget adjustments.

According to the county’s tax notice: “For the next fiscal year, Perry County plans to increase your ad valorem tax millage rate by 9.27 mills from 103.71 mills to 112.98 mills. Of the 9.27 mill increase, 7.89 mills are attributable to Perry County School District.”

This means taxpayers will pay more on homes, automobile tags, utilities, business equipment, and rental properties. However, residents in the Richton School District will see a smaller impact, as Richton’s required local contribution decreased by about $15,000 under the new formula.

Last fall, Superintendent Hines provided county supervisors with a written explanation of how the additional funds would be used. According to The Richton Dispatch, he emphasized key funding areas, including:

– Curriculum: Purchasing textbooks, digital learning platforms, advanced courses, and expanding STEAM programs.

– Staffing: Hiring and retaining qualified teachers to maintain a proper student-to-teacher ratio.

– Facilities: Addressing rising maintenance costs and renovating schools.

– Transportation: Upgrading the district’s aging bus fleet.

“This increase is crucial to address several critical areas that directly impact the quality of education and safety in our district,” Hines told The Richton Dispatch.

At the time, he urged the community to view the funding increase as an investment in the district’s future.

“We are looking everywhere,” he said, noting the district secured a $500,000 grant over three years to fund bus communication radios, fleet tracking devices, security cameras, upgraded campus communication systems and door replacements.

Impact on teachers

Limited funding often leads teachers to look for alternative fundraising solutions. Perry County art teacher Jacob Havard is currently raising funds to install a vent system for the ceramic kiln in his classroom.

“I understand the constraints, and I know art isn’t state-tested,” Havard said. “A lot of resources are used for state-tested subjects, but I think art can really help kids see how creative careers can take them far.”

Havard, who previously taught at George County Middle School, successfully raised funds through DonorsChoose.org for his students. He hopes to do the same for Perry County High School but is still short by about $1,000.

“The possibilities are endless once we have (the pottery kiln) going,” he said. “Just opening up that medium for them so they can explore.”

In low-income communities like Perry County, students have limited exposure to art and creative career opportunities. Havard believes with increased school funding, teachers would rely less on outside fundraising.

“We’re going to raise money to get all the materials because, of course, it falls back on the teacher,” he said. “It can get expensive.”

Perry County School District consists of five schools, with a minority enrollment of 34% and over 50% of students classified as economically disadvantaged. The district lacks full-time school counselors and spends $12,703 per student annually while generating $13,843 per student in revenue. Its annual budget allocates:

– $6.9 million for instruction

– $4.4 million for support services

– $0.5 million for other expenses

Despite funding challenges, the district improved its accountability rating from C to B in 2024. The graduation rate rose to 86.4%, with a participation rate exceeding 95%.

Research shows when school spending increases by 10% across a student’s K-12 education, graduation rates rise by 7%, and future wages increase by 7%. Low-income students experience even greater benefits, including a 10% higher graduation rate, 13% higher wages by age 40 and a 6% lower chance of living in poverty.