Taxpayer Dollars, Uneven Accountability—The Mississippi School Choice Debate

Across Mississippi, the school choice conversation is heating up once again. As legislators consider expanding access to private school funding, one glaring issue stands out: public schools remain held to high transparency and performance standards—while private schools receiving public dollars are often held to none.

Different Rules for Different Schools

Public schools must undergo rigorous accountability measures, including annual academic reporting, fiscal audits, standardized evaluations, and public oversight. 94% of Mississippi’s public school districts earn a C or better on the state’s accountability model. Yet, notable gaps persist between those letter grades and actual proficiency—especially in reading and math.

Now, legislation may shift taxpayer dollars into private classrooms without the same level of scrutiny. Under proposals like House Bill 1433 and the Children’s Promise Act, private schools could receive state tax credit–backed funding while bypassing the audits, transparency, and equity checks public institutions face.

When Money Flows Without Monitoring

In 2022, lawmakers directed $10 million in pandemic relief funds into infrastructure grants for private schools—money that bypassed public school needs entirely. These grants didn’t require repayment and weren’t available to public schools, which instead got interest-free loans.

Meanwhile, the ESA voucher program for students with disabilities—meant to improve access—revealed serious shortcomings. Evaluations found that many private schools receiving these vouchers lacked special education staff and that the funds were underutilized or mismanaged.

Why Accountability Matters

Taxpayer dollars should go where the public has oversight. It’s not arbitrary; it’s a cornerstone of democratic responsibility. Yet private schools receiving public funds often require no state reporting, have no open board meetings, and face no audit requirements.

Public schools must constantly prove effectiveness. Private schools with the same funding often face no such demands. It begs the question: Is “choice” only a halfway house if accountability doesn’t follow the money?

A Call for Fairness

If Mississippi is truly serious about educational reform, let it be equitable. Here’s what we should demand:

• Private schools receiving public funds must meet the same audit, transparency, and accountability standards as public schools.

• Charter schools and private institutions are required to publish performance data, including proficiency rates, graduation rates, and student demographics.

• Enrollment audits should confirm that public funds support students being served—not unused or rejected by unaccountable pockets of systems.

If we ask more from public schools—and we should—then we must also hold the private sector accountable; otherwise, the playing field tips in ways that undermine both trust and equity.

At the recent House Committee hearing on school choice, one speaker urged lawmakers not to burden private schools with the same regulations placed on public schools, stating, “It’s not about proficiency, it’s about freedom.”

But if that's true—if proficiency isn't the goal—then what, exactly, is the purpose of the mandates forced on public schools? Because from where we stand, those mandates feel less like support and more like punishment.

Public schools want freedom, too. Freedom to teach rather than test. Freedom to meet the needs of students without being buried under red tape. Freedom to innovate without fear of reprisal from a test score spreadsheet.

If freedom is the priority, it should be extended to all schools—not just the ones writing their own rules with public dollars.