Cover
MAEP Formula Explained
MAEP funding (theoretically) covers teacher and district employee salaries, retirement and insurance, instruction materials, operational costs, transportation, and special, vocational, gifted and alternative education.
Cover
Debating Initiative 42
Rep. Greg Snowden, R-Meridian, and Jim Keith, a Republican lawyer and Initiative 42 proponent, discussed Initiative 42 and the legislative alternative 42A on Oct. 19 at the Capital Club.
Education
Cristen Hemmins: Education, Equal Pay and Taking On Tollison
Jackson native Cristen Hemmins decided to run for the District 9 Senate seat (which includes Oxford and most of Lafayette County) when her opponent, Gray Tollison, introduced Initiative 42A to …
JFP Interviews
Oswalt: Hinds Jail ‘Correctable and Fixable’
Charlette Oswalt recently met with the Jackson Free Press about why she should be Hinds County's first woman sheriff.
Cover
MAEP: The Formula and How Politics Got in the Way
The state Legislature established the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, or MAEP, in 1997 to avoid equity lawsuits being filed across the country.
Justice
‘Pay or Stay’: City’s ‘Debtor’s Jail’ Under Fire
Michael Davis had two choices: Write a check to the City of Jackson for $19,403.81 for fines and court costs or spend 335 days at the Raymond Detention Center.
City & County
Fondren Project May Help Creek Flooding
A new Fondren development project promises to renovate an empty McRae's space on Meadowbrook Road and address the longstanding problem with flooding, overflow and drainage from Eubanks Creek within a …
City & County
Educating the Next Generation’s Workforce
Houston Sherrod spoke to students Oct. 14 at the Jackson Public Schools Career and Development Center about his work as a senior service technician at Atmos Energy during Careers in …
State
Steven Willis Released From Hinds Jail
Thanks in part to attorneys and a small group of activists, a judge has released Steven Willis from the Raymond Detention Center and loved ones hope he can get the …
Business
Yarber Downtown 'Resort' Plan Draws Council Scrutiny
Some members of the Jackson City Council are gently pushing back on a proposal from Mayor Tony Yarber's administration to designate part of downtown as a "qualified resort area and …
Biz Roundup
Panera Bread, Small-Business Mentors, Teen Wellness and Paralegals at Tulane
Panera Bread will open its first location in the Jackson metro area Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 a.m.
Person of the Day
Genese Lavalais
Last week, Jackson State University named Genese Lavalais the associate athletic director for academics and the senior woman administrator.
Person of the Day
Bill Wilson
Bill Wilson was studying to go into ministry at Belhaven College, now Belhaven University, when he realized that art was his life's calling.
Education
Rep. Lester 'Bubba' Carpenter: 'Deeply Sorry' for Racial Comments
State Rep. Lester "Bubba" Carpenter, a Burnsville Republican, this morning walked back racially charged statements made public over the weekend about the Initiative 42 schools-funding referendum.
Education
Midtown Public Charter School Principal Resigns; Interim Found
Midtown Public Charter School is looking for a permanent principal, after the original head of school resigned in October.
Education
Under Pressure: Some Mississippi Educators Silenced on School-Funding Battle
Advocates of Initiative 42 complain that warnings to educators are designed to divide higher education and K-12 education communities, while also silencing them on an issue close to many of …
Person of the Day
Dak Prescott
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott was a serious candidate to win the Heisman Trophy at this time last year. These days, that's not the case.
State
Prisoner Says Hinds County Jailers Ignoring His Medical Needs
A man incarcerated at the Raymond Detention Center for seven months says jailers are denying him medical treatment for injuries related to a gunshot wound.
Person of the Day
Sean Payton
A report that surfaced this past Sunday said that after this season, teams such as the Miami Dolphins, who have already fired their head coach, and possibly the Indianapolis Colts …
