The result of a close vote leaves Mississippi public schools underfunded:
BACKGROUND:
The Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) was passed by theMississippi Legislatureand became law in 1997. MAEP requires the state government to fully fund public education based on a formula.According to theMississippi Department of Education, the formula is used to “establish adequate current operation funding levels necessary for the programs of each school district to meet a successful level of student performance as established by the State Board of Education using current statistically relevant state assessment data.”
Since 2009, the state has cumulatively underfunded the formula by about $1.5 billion. Former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D) said there was a $250 million shortfall in MAEP funding in 2013, although lawmakers had allocated $400 million to the state’s rainy day fund. The MAEP funding requirement has only been met twice since the bill passed in 1997.
THE BALLOT:
TheMississippi Public School Support Amendments, Initiative 42 and Alternative 42were on theNovember 3, 2015 ballotasindirect initiated constitutional amendments, where both weredefeated. The two amendments appeared ascompeting measures, after theMississippi Legislatureplaced Alternative 42 on the ballot.
Voters were presented with two questions. The first question asked them to choose between “either measure” or “neither measure” becoming law. . .
Next, voters were presented with the actual measures, which they could have voted for or against, regardless of their answer to the first question.
Voting for Initiative 42 would have required the state government to establish, maintain and support “an adequate and efficient system of free public schools,” enforced by the state’s judicial system.
Voting for Alternative 42 would have required the state legislature to establish, maintain and support “an effective system of free public schools” at the legislature’s own discretion.
Initiative 42 was born out of a petition that gathered nearly 200,000 signatures in early 2014, which cleared the way for it to appear on the ballot. The Legislature then voted to add its own alternative amendment, known as Initiative 42A. . . Critics have said the Legislature only brought forth 42A to split the vote and defeat Initiative 42, not to pass the alternative.
THE RESULTS:
|
Result |
Votes |
Percentage |
|
349677 |
52% |
|
|
Yes |
322419 |
48% |
The “NO” vote by the majority of voters decided the outcome.
|
Initiative 42 or Alternative 42 |
||
|
Result |
Votes |
Percentage |
|
|
313870 |
59% |
|
No |
221096 |
41% |
Yes on the second vote indicates a vote for Initiative 42.
Sources:
Education Policy on Ballotpedia: http://ballotpedia.org/Mississippi_Public_School_Support_Amendments,_Initiative_42_and_Alternative_42_(2015)
Election results via:The Clarion-Ledger: http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2015/11/03/initiative-42-election-results/75036674/