Written by by Director of Marketing and Communications with Mississippi Center for Public Policy
In a report from the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, the state of Mississippi continues to see an increase in spending per student.
Last year, Mississippi, including state, local, and federal sources, spent $10,421 per student, according to the Mississippi Department of Education. This total is based on average daily attendance, which was 432,198. The year prior, Mississippi spent $10,034 per student, the first time the state eclipsed $10,000 per student.
Spending per student has continued to increase in Mississippi. In 2012, the state was spending $8,920 per student. It increased to $9,209 in 2013, $9,394 in 2014, $9,704 in 2015, and $9,781 in 2016.
Simultaneous to the increase in per-student-expenditures, the average daily attendance has also decreased each year. While that number was slightly above 432,000 this year, it was 461,000 in 2012. This represents a drop of more than 6 percent. Enrollment numbers decreased again for the 2019-2020 school year, and, presuming education funding is not reduced, the per- student-average will only continue to increase.
