Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves issued the following press release:
LT. GOV. REEVES PROPOSES $110 MILLION BOOST TO K-12 EDUCATION FUNDING
JACKSON – Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves today announced his support increasing funding for K-12 public schools by $110 million, which would bring total education funding to top $3.5 billion in Fiscal Year 2016.
His proposal would direct 86 percent of the expected growth in state revenues to schools. Officials expect the state to collect $127 million more in general funds in FY 2016 than in the current budget year, which ends June 30.
“I have made funding schools a priority by directing new revenue growth into outcome-based education programs,” Reeves said. “As Mississippi’s economy strengthens, we are on target to fund education at historic levels.”
Education funding has increased by $250 million in programs that directly impact classrooms over the past three years. The Legislature has increased support for teacher pay raises, reading coaches, prekindergarten, National Board Certified Teachers, teacher supply funds, school safety programs and vocational education.
“Our commitment to education exceeds the stated goal of Initiative 42, which purportedly would increase education spending by only 25 percent a year,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said.
Under Republican leadership, the Legislature has directed significant investment into education at all levels. In the current budget year, 73 percent of new budget growth went to schools. That compares to proponents of Initiative 42, who call for only a 25 percent growth in education funds.
“There’s too much talk about spending money to support the status quo and not enough about supporting students,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said. “I have a proven track record of investing in programs that will help children achieve academic success.”
6 comments:
Tricky Tater is at it again. Initiative 42 doesn't limit increases in education spending to 25 percent for year. The filing says "devoting to public education not less than 25% of future increases in general fund and other tax collections." Only in our esteemed former treasurer's world does "not less than 25 percent" equal "no more than 25 percent."
We need this money. After dumping Common Core there will be a whole new slew of "consultants" that we will need to bring in.
Is this just politics in order to avoid fully funding MAEP? Increasing education funding this year as a bait and switch from having to actually funding it every year?
Or can you historically show that over the past post-Musgrove years we have been consistently paying more and more to education as Tate Reeves is suggesting?
I demand that Lt Gov Reeves immediately release to Mississippi's Public Schools the exact same quality and quantity of Double-Cheeseburgers as that he reserves for himself, his family, his friends and his Legislative staff.
Plus TATER Reeves needs to guarantee that we get extra salt on the Biggie Fries!
Do that, and next time Pete Perry will GUARANTEE 100,000 black Democrats will vote against McDaniel without ANY walking around money!!!!!
Anon at 4:11
The language of the filing has nothing to do with the amendment language. The amendment language does not guarantee that any amount of money go toward education funding. This is also true for the Republican-sponsored alternative.
12:02, Reeves brought up the 25 percent figure to suggest that his election year increase in education funding wouldn't happen if the amendment passed, because the amendment only called for 25 percent. I agree that neither alternative guarantees any amount of money, but Reeves' implication of a 25 percent max is false.
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