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MAEP Formula Explained he Mississippi Adequate Education Program is the state’s formula to “establish adequate current operation funding levels” in each school district under the Mississippi Department of Education’s jurisdiction to meet a “successful level of student performance.” MAEP funding (theoretically) covers teacher and district employee salaries, retirement and insurance, instruction materials, operational costs, transportation, and special, vocational, gifted and alternative education. MAEP accounts for the majority of the Department of Education’s budget, funded by the Legislature and Mississippians’ state tax dollars. Mississippians will vote on Nov. 3 on Initiative 42, designed to force the state Legilsature to fully fund MAEP.
Doing the Math CH LUN E E FR AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE BASE STUDENT COST
AT-RISK COMPONENT
CH LUN D UCE RED
LOCAL CONTRIBUTION
8%
GUARANTEE (if needed)
MAEP ALLOCATION FOR THAT DISTRICT
vocational educaton
MAEP ALLOCATION FOR THAT DISTRICT
Add-On Programs
Total MAEP Budget for that District special education SOURCE: MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MAEP FORMULA
KEY TERMS: Attendance:* Calculated in the second and third month of preceding year for school districts of all students K-12 (excludes selfcontained special education, and accounts for consistent growth of district over 3 years). Base Student Cost**: Calculated by averaging components of “successful and efficient” schools and districts. The components
averaged are Instruction (teachers per 1,000 students), Administration (admin/staff ratio), Maintenance and Operations (spending per 100,000 square feet, maintenance staff per 100,000 square feet) and Ancillary (librarians and counselors per 1,000 students). The base student cost is re-calculated every four years, and an inflation adjustment is made in off-years. At-Risk Component*: The at-risk component number is 5% of the base student cost multiplied by
the district’s number of freelunch participants on Oct. 31 of the preceding year. Local Contribution*: Using the second preceding year’s data, property value taxes and yield from mills based on local tax base is collected and capped at 27% of the program costs. 8% Guarantee*: This is the catch-all if after the above components are calculated, a district still doesn’t receive at least 8 percent more funding than they did 13 years ago (in 2002),
they will get at least that much funding. Add-On Programs*: These funds go toward Transportation, Special Education, Gifted Education, Vocational Education, Alternative Education Transportation: Amount of funding for transportation in each school district is based on the Average Daily Attendance of students who take school district transportation—there is a set cost per student set by the State Board of Education rate
table. The rate table divides the students who use district transport by the total square miles in the district. Special and Gifted Education: A teacher unit is added for each approved program in district—funding is based on certification and experience of approved teacher, and approved through calculation in four specific MDE offices. Vocational Education: Half of a teacher unit is added for each approved program in district—fund-
ing is based on certification and experience of approved teacher, and approved through calculation in four specific MDE offices. Alternative School Programs: .75% of the district’s Average Daily Attendance or 12 students, whichever is greater, is multiplied by the state average per pupil expenditure in public funds for the preceding school year. *value dependent on school district size, numbers or Average Daily Attendance **value stays the same across all school districts
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