New funding formula should increase revenue for school district by nearly $390K

NATCHEZ — A new funding formula that Mississippi legislators have put in place for kindergarten through 12th-grade public education will increase funds to Natchez Adams School District by approximately $390,000.

Starting July 1, a new funding formula went into effect for Mississippi’s K-12 public education system as a result of HB 1823 which replaced the former Mississippi Adequate Education Program, or MAEP.

MAEP has only been fully funded for two years since it was enacted in 1997.

The idea for the new funding structure called the Mississippi Student Funding Formula, was to ensure that the school districts in most need received additional monies.

Extra money is calculated for students who live in poverty, those with special needs, those in gifted programs, those with dyslexia or those who are learning English as a second language.

Total increased funding statewide comes to just under $240 million.

Governor Tate Reeves signed the bill into law on May 8.

Based on information from the Mississippi Department of Education, Natchez-Adams School District will receive increases to educational funding as well as increases to teacher pay, health insurance and state retirement contributions in PERS.

Natchez-Adams School District is slated to receive $18,024,203.63 from MSFF in Fiscal Year 2025 as well as a PERS increase of $61,040 and a health insurance increase of $90633 for a total of $18,175,876, which is an increase of $389,944 over the $17,785,932 received in Fiscal Year 2024.

The Natchez Democrat has reached out to NASD Superintendent Zandra McDonald-Green for comment on this story.

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