Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann prepares to gavel Mississippi's state senate into the first day of 2024's legislative session. (Photo by Jeremy Pittari)
- The proposed Senate education reforms are not as bold as their House counterparts.
Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R) outlined his Mississippi Senate legislative priorities Monday at the Stennis Capitol Press Forum, with education bills top of mind.
Hosemann expects legislation to allow opportunities for students to transfer from underperforming public districts to higher rated public districts to be a priority for senators this session.
The Senate measure would not allow funds to follow students to private schools, even if the parent deemed that option as the best opportunity for their child.
“If it is from a B-rated school to a B-rated district, we will have to see, but if someone wants to move from an F-rated school to a B-rated district, we need to be able to make that happen,” Hosemann said.
While Mississippi has seen its elementary reading and math scores reach new highs, there’s still much to be done, he added.
One area the Lt. Governor said the Senate will focus on is increasing eighth-grade test scores. The Mississippi Department of Education’s data shows that fewer than half of eighth graders are proficient in reading, and only 55 percent are proficient in math.
The ability to transfer to higher-performing schools and compete is key to increasing test scores, Hosemann said.
“We don’t need to fall back,” he said, noting the state needs to follow through with its initial reforms.
For several months, Hosemann has been speaking about the problem of chronic absenteeism in Mississippi public schools. The solution, he said, is to increase the pay rate of truancy officers. The average salary is currently around $24,000 annually.
“I intend to have a school resource officer in every single district, not just some,” Hosemann said.
He also spoke of establishing “special purpose schools,” even for students with learning disabilities.
“The federal government requires that every student be educated to their capacity,” Hosemann said. “We are not always doing that.”
Hosemann would like to see retired teachers come back to the profession, especially at the high school level, and for lawmakers to increase teacher pay.
The Senate reforms are not as bold as their House counterparts, which Speaker Jason White (R) outlined an hour after Hosemann’s presentation at the Capitol Press luncheon. The cornerstone of the House reforms, which could be fully unveiled this week, would allow state funds to follow the student to the school of their choice.
The Lt. Governor also briefly spoke about the importance of tourism to the state and the need to continue attracting visitors.
“We need a Department of Tourism that focuses on tourism,” he said, adding that tourism is the state’s fourth-largest revenue source.
A measure to set up the standalone department was passed during the 2025 session but it was vetoed by Governor Tate Reeves (R) for lack of an accompanying appropriations bill to fund the agency.
