Mississippi public education has been underfunded 15 out of the last 17 years. While some say that money won't fix the deeply rooted problems in the state's education system, the things listed here would and they cost money. Fully funding MAEP to the tune of an extra $250 million—which is roughly what the state has shorted it per year—would not cover the cost of all of these things, but it would help.
More Advanced Placement Offerings
$44,200,000
Advanced Placement (AP) classes would require more teachers or higher trained teachers than many districts have now. The Parents' Campaign believes funding should be provided for a minimum of eight AP courses in every district.
Updated Textbooks
$34,300,000
Many school districts do not currently have enough up-to-date textbooks for every student, preventing students from taking books home for homework and studying.
Safer Buses, Shorter Routes
$7,770,000
Funding cuts have forced school districts to use old buses and stretch bus routes creating lengthier travel times. New buses would provide safer and more efficient transportation for students.
Building Repairs and Maintenance
$20,000,000
Expanded Foreign Language Offerings
$5,000,000
Funding for foreign-language classes would provide the second, third or fourth years of language that some colleges require for entry to particular majors.
Smaller Class Size, More Individual Attention for Students
$50,000,000
Funding For Literacy Programs
$140,113,000
Funding for the Literacy-Based Promotion Act would allow the program to operate on par with the successful program in Florida, which helps catches reading problems early and works to address them.
Tutorial and Intervention Programs for Struggling Students
$200,000,000
Funding for intervention programs would provide one tutor per 30 students for the lowest scoring 25 percent of Mississippi children.
More Focused, In-Depth Professional Development for Teachers
$3,300,000
Field Trips and Enrichment Activities
$2,450,000
Extended Day, Extended Year
$145,517,000
Source: The Parents' Campaign
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