JACKSON, Miss. — Education advocates and school superintendents packed the Mississippi House Education Committee Room on Tuesday as lawmakers advanced a set of “school choice” bills, including one that would allow public education funds to go to private schools.
House Bill 1433, or the Flexible and Rightful Education Enrollment Act, would allow students in poorly performing public schools to use their allotment of public education funds to go to higher-rated public schools or private schools.
Several House Education Committee members left the meeting in disbelief after House Education Committee Chairman Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, advanced the bill on a voice vote and refused requests for a roll call vote.
“We’re not going to do a roll call today. I’m sorry. I’m just not going to recognize it. You’ll have an opportunity later to possibly do that,” he said, reiterating several times that he wanted the bill to survive so the conversation about “school choice” would continue.
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“I don’t want it to die today,” the Republican told the committee. “I want us to be able to continue having the conversation. Look, we may get a federal block grant sent down to us that deals directly with some of this and while we’re in session if we have that opportunity, I’d like for us to have a meeting to do that.”
Last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Education to prioritize school-choice programs through its discretionary grant programs, including ordering guidance on how states receiving block grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can use them to support private and religious schools.
The Mississippi “Free Act” that the House committee advances Tuesday would allow students enrolled in a district rated D or F within the past five years to use state per-pupil funding at a higher-rated public school or to attend an accredited private school. Students must have been enrolled in a public school for the prior year to be eligible.
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