FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
| GOVERNOR BARBOUR SIGNS HISTORIC EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS |
(JACKSON, Mississippi) - Governor Haley Barbour today signed appropriations bills that are part of a package that will provide a total of nearly $3.5 billion for K-12, community colleges, and universities in Mississippi for fiscal year 2008, the highest level of state education funding in history.
“Education is the number one economic development issue and the number one quality of life issue in our state,” Governor Barbour said.“Education is rightly the number one priority of state government, and today we’re putting our money where our mouth is.”
Community colleges will receive a 20.5% increase in state funding while universities get a 14.3% increase. The legislation also fully funds the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) formula. This money is included in the overall K-12 budget increase of $211 million for next year.
“During my Administration, state funding for K-12 will have gone up nearly $530 million in four years,” Governor Barbour said. “That’s the largest increase in any Governor’s four-year term ever in Mississippi. We've also reversed the slide in state support given to community colleges and universities.”
This legislation includes the 3 percent teacher pay raise, bringing the average salary for a public school teacher in Mississippi to nearly $43,000 a year. This school year, teachers are making an average of 30 percent more than they were six years ago, after pay raises totaling more than 20 percent during the Barbour administration.
Other significant measures included in this legislation are the full-funding for high growth school districts, which Governor Barbour proposed. Also, to help address the state’s dropout rate, Governor Barbour proposed funding requested by State Superintendent Hank Bounds to redesign high schools, plus an additional $1 million for enhancement of the Mississippi Virtual School.
The legislation also contains an extra $200,000 for the Jobs for Mississippi graduates program to pilot its successful program in 10 middle schools.
“I am proud that we are able to accomplish all of these goals within a balanced budget,” Governor Barbour said. “We shouldn’t judge on how much a politician is willing to spend on education; we should look at the results in the classroom. I am confident that we’re making strides to better spend taxpayers’ money, and most importantly, brighten our children’s future.”
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