Mississippi lawmakers clash over school choice and teacher pay bills

Mississippi House leaders maintain that a recent teacher pay raise bill does not aim to revive school choice policies, despite language in the legislation that could facilitate such efforts, according to House Education Committee Chairman Rob Roberson.

The bill, which the House approved Friday, would cost the state an estimated $292 million annually. It consolidates multiple education topics, including changes to the Public Employees’ Retirement System, addressing absenteeism, providing pay raises to various school employees, incentivizing retirees to return, and increasing per-student funding.

The comprehensive bill also amends numerous state laws, meaning the Senate could choose to kill it outright or amend parts of it. If the Senate rejects the bill, it would effectively eliminate the final vehicle for a teacher pay raise this session. However, the bill’s language could reopen the door to school choice expansion if the bill is amended or passed later.

Advocates expressed concern last week that the language could be used as a backdoor to promote school choice. Roberson emphasized that including such language was meant for thoroughness, not to serve as a Trojan horse for school choice. He stated, “School choice is not what we’re focused on,” and emphasized that the bill does not contain school choice policies.

The ongoing dispute has strained relationships between the Republican-led chambers. House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann have publicly criticized each other over education policy, with Hosemann blaming the House for stalled negotiations.

The teacher pay raise bill has been sent to the Senate, which has until March 26 to act. The chamber can approve, negotiate, or kill the legislation, with little room for compromise remaining.

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