As Mississippi's legislative session approaches, school choice is expected to be a significant topic of discussion. Union Public School District Superintendent Tyler Hansford offered insight into the complexities of this issue, emphasizing its potential impact on public schools, funding, and community dynamics.
Hansford noted that Mississippi's current school choice landscape falls "somewhere in the middle of the spectrum" compared to other states. Under existing regulations, students can transfer between districts if both districts approve. For the Union district, most transfers involve children of employees, with about 40 to 50 such students currently enrolled from neighboring districts, including Newton County, Philadelphia, Neshoba Central, and Collinsville.
While supportive of providing families with options, Hansford voiced strong opposition to public funds being directed toward private schools, especially those that lack the same regulatory oversight and accountability as public institutions. "What I am personally adamantly opposed to—and I think I can speak on behalf of our board and most public school boards, not to overstep—is public dollars going to private schools that don’t follow the same regulations, aren’t subject to the same scrutiny of making sure we do right by public money, and they’re not required to accept every kid who comes to their doorstep," he said. "If out of district students come here, we’re going to enroll them, not just because we have to, but because that’s the right thing to do."
Hansford also highlighted funding challenges tied to student transfers. While the state allocates $6,695 per student annually, the Union district's actual expenditure per pupil is approximately $13,000. Local property taxes cover the difference, but these funds remain in the student's home district even if they transfer elsewhere. "When a student transfers here, really the only funding tied to them we get is what we get from the state," he explained. "So if they’re living in the Philadelphia school district, they transfer here, we get their state money, which the amount on that is $6,695 per student, per student, but the local property tax that their parents or grandparents or whoever it is they live with, that stays in that home district."
"For us, it’s a balancing act of how many can we afford to take and still provide the quality of education that we feel is important," Hansford added. "We’re maxed out on millage, but our people are investing in the education of the students who live in the school district and those who transfer in. So when we take more, that means those dollars that the people who live in the school district have to stretch further because we can’t, unless we were to charge tuition for out-of-district students, make up that difference in what we would get from the state and what it costs us to educate the kids."
The potential for an open enrollment policy raises additional concerns about enrollment stability and infrastructure demands. "Right now, I know to expect our enrollment to be somewhere between 950 students and 1,000, give or take five or 10 a year. With open enrollment, so to speak, we could gain 150 students or more, or we could lose that many," Hansford said. "One fear I have is if we were to gain a whole lot, then we’re going to need additional facilities that cost a lot of money. We’re going to need staff that cost a lot of money. So yes, part of their funding would come with them, and we would probably have to start on new facilities, but then there’s nothing that would keep them from going back where they came from or somewhere else in the following year. And then I’ve got a whole bunch of money tied up in new facilities, whole bunch of new staff members hired up, and then the kids that are funding that are gone, and we’re kind of left with it."
Hansford also questioned whether school choice genuinely benefits all families, particularly those without reliable transportation. "If a parent doesn’t have a car, is that really school choice for them? It is not," he said, urging policymakers to consider these realities when crafting legislation.
Private schools, Hansford noted, have largely resisted school choice measures that would bring public funding due to concerns over increased government oversight. "The private school association, MAIS, came out and said, ‘We don’t want any part of that.’ And I think their reasoning is part of the reason that they exist is because they want the freedom from government regulation. And they understand when you accept public money, you will be accepting some level of regulation, some level of accountability," he said. "I’m not saying they’re doing anything wrong, but they don’t want that."
Charter schools, often confused with private schools, operate as public institutions but with corporate oversight. "They enroll students at no cost, but they’re run by corporations or private entities," Hansford explained. "It’s funded the same way public schools are, but there’s less oversight of them."
As the legislative session approaches, Hansford plans to engage with local and state representatives to ensure all facets of the issue are considered. Speaker Jason White has publicly indicated school choice will be a topic of discussion when lawmakers convene in January. "Public education has been on the upswing in Mississippi," he said. "Our taxpayer dollars are better spent ensuring all public schools meet a high standard. This community believes in what we do, and we owe it to every student to deliver on that commitment."
