Education

SB 2001 allocates nearly $1.5 billion in state funds to Mississippi's eight public universities (Alcorn State, Delta State, Jackson State, Mississippi State, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State, Ole Miss, and Southern Miss) for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It provides $376 million from the state general fund for core operations, $1.09 billion from federal/student fees, and $1.5 million from the Ayers Endowment for specific university support. The bill also earmarks $145,000 for the Governor's School for Gifted Students (requiring nominations from all high schools) and $349,200 for the Teacher Corps program. Key provisions include requiring 65% of on-campus funding for off-campus centers and prohibiting general funds from replacing federal or special funds.

HB 43 appropriates $4,713,545 from general funds and $9,921,012 from special funds (including $2,118,966 from the Education Enhancement Fund) to cover the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television's (MAET) expenses for fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). The bill specifically restricts $6,550,368 of these funds for "Personal Services" (salaries, wages, benefits, and vacancy funding), limiting MAET to 87 total authorized positions (80 permanent, 7 time-limited) and prohibiting use for public relations or replacing federal funds. It requires MAET to maintain detailed financial records matching its 2025 reporting standards and mandates that any 2027 budget request follow the same format. This is a routine budget appropriation bill, now law after passing the legislature and being signed by the governor on June 2, 2025.