K-12 Funding Bill Adopted by House and Senate

3/31/13
 
The conference report for HB 1648 was adopted by the House and Senate on Easter Sunday, 3/31/13. This is the final K-12 budget for the 2013-2014 school year and includes the following items:
  • Level funding of MAEP - same next year as this year; MAEP will be underfunded by $292-million
  • $27-million - increased retirement costs 
  • Full funding - Chickasaw Cession
  • Full funding - National Board Certification program
  • $10-million - teacher supply fund (an increase of $2-million over current year)
  • $9.5-million - literacy initiative
  • $3-million - pre-k matching grant program
  • $3-million - Mississippi Building Blocks (pre-k) 
  • $1.5-million - merit pay pilot program in four districts (Clarksdale, Gulfport, Lamar County, Rankin County)
  • $1.5-million - teacher scholarship program
  • $6-million - Teach for America
  • $5.5-million - Mississippi Community Oriented Policing Services in Schools program
  • $2-million - digital learning pilot program in two districts (Booneville and Hattiesburg)