Bobby Harrison: ‘School choice' supporters in MS want public money without accountability

Yahoo

09-03-2025

It is becoming crystal clear that proponents of school choice — sending public funds to private schools — want the money but do not want the accountability.
Two of those leading proponents — House Ways and Means Chair Trey Lamar and state Auditor Shad White — have made it clear in recent days through their words or actions that they eschew accountability for private schools receiving public funds.
The latest example of avoidance of accountability for private schools receiving public funds is legislation authored by Lamar, a Republican from Senatobia, that has passed the House and is pending in the Senate Finance Committee.
The legislation over time could more than double the public dollar amount that private schools could receive from a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit on the amount donated to the schools.
Lamar, whose hometown private school Magnolia Heights received $386,500 through the program last year, tried unsuccessfully in 2024 to pass similar legislation. The legislation died in the Senate after the agency that oversees the program revealed it did not know the number of children served by the private schools through the multi-million dollar program.
Last year the Department of Revenue in response to questions said, 'This information (number of eligible students enrolled) is provided to DOR at the time of application … but is not updated annually. DOR does not maintain this information other than with the original request.'
In the original application, 'DOR reviews the information provided and issues a letter ruling advising whether they qualify or not. The original request is covered under confidentiality statutes.'
In 2019, legislation called the Children's Promise Act was passed to provide a tax credit for institutions providing services to foster children. But sneaked into the legislation and barely mentioned at the time was language to provide tax credits for private schools that enrolled low-income students and students with a chronic illness, or a physical, intellectual, developmental or emotional disability.
Nancy Loome, executive director of the pro-public education group The Parents' Campaign, pointed out that theoretically the school could enroll one student with a food allergy or with an attention deficit disorder and be eligible to receive up to $405,000 annually under current law in tax credit funds.
The legislation does not place any guidelines on the number of students who must be enrolled to be eligible for the tax credit benefits.
Supporters argued that the tax credits are not public funds. That is a disingenuous argument. Under the law, a person can receive a dollar-for-dollar credit for up to 50% of his or her property tax liability, and a business can receive the same 50% reduction in the amount of income tax owed by making a donation equaling 50% of the tax liability. No matter how you strike it, that's money coming out of the state coffers.
Currently $9 million annually in tax credits can be doled out to the entities and individuals making donations to private schools. Lamar's legislation could more than double the amount over time.
In 2024, when asked the number of students who made the schools eligible for the tax credits were being taught, Lamar admitted he did not know but would find out. One year later, it appears that information still is not available.
White, the state auditor, on numerous occasions has been critical of public school funding even though under state and federal law, public schools face what some argue are burdensome accountability standards. While White demands accountability of public schools, he said recently during a Mississippi State Stennis Institute of Government/Capitol Press Corps luncheon that no government oversight of private schools receiving public funds is needed.
'They are held accountable by the parents who choose to send their kids there,' White said.
White went on to bolster his argument claiming that the government does not provide oversight of the private colleges and universities that enroll students who are aided with their tuition costs by federal PELL grant funds.
When pointed out to White that the federal government does monitor or provide oversight of those schools to ensure that the federal funds are being properly spent, he replied, 'Great. Again the standards are going to be different for a lot of these programs.'
He then said Dollar General is not being monitored for the federal food stamps it receives.
In reality, though, both the stores that take food stamps and the people who receive the food stamps are monitored. Both can face consequences for the improper use of those food stamps.
So, in White's analogy, Dollar General would be subject to more governmental oversight than private schools receiving public funds would — if Lamar and White get their way, of course.
This column was produced by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization that covers state government, public policy, politics and culture. Bobby Harrison is the editor of Mississippi Today Ideas.