House approves school attendance change
The Mississippi Adequate Education Program formula, used to set state spending for school districts, is based largely on average daily attendance. In 2013, after State Auditor Stacey Pickering had reported attendance in public schools was not being closely monitored and some districts appeared to be gaming the system, the Legislature changed law to define ADA as counting only students who attend 63 percent or more of a school day.
Some districts have complained that this method of counting unfairly cuts their state funding.
House Bill 471, passed Wednesday by a vote of 79-39, would base MAEP funding on enrollment, not average daily attendance, but with a caveat. If a school’s average daily attendance drops below 95 percent, it would have to use ADA instead of enrollment. Rep. Charles Busby, R-Pascagoula, said this is an “attendance trigger.”
“We need some incentives to keep kids in seats,” Busby said.
The Senate has a similar measure, and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has listed it among his top legislative priorities.
Clarion Ledger
2/11/15
Magnolia Tribune
