In the heart of the Deep South, Mississippi struggles with persistent educational disparities, a challenge that is deeply rooted and passed down from generation to generation.
The pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing funding inequities for high-need and underfunded school districts, a long-standing challenge for the Magnolia State. Proof of this continuing struggle is the distressing fact that 32 school districts remain under federal desegregation orders.
To dig deeper into how chronically underfunded schools have fared during the pandemic, the Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ) spent more than a year conducting focus groups with parents and examining educational testing data in 12 predominantly black, economically disadvantaged communities in the rural Delta, the northwest part of the state , one of the poorest regions in the United States.
Unfortunately, what we discovered was not surprising. Mississippi’s past, marked by a legacy of racial segregation and educational inequality, continues to cast a shadow over its present and future.
Our extensive work at MCJ has resulted in a report which highlighted a troubling reality: affordability and availability are formidable barriers to internet access, while reading and math proficiency rates are significantly below state averages in grades 3- the 8th grade. Additionally, special education programs and staff remain woefully underfunded, while access to mental health professionals and support is often limited, or in some cases, completely nonexistent. Excuses made by the State to avoid addressing these disparities are no longer acceptable.
It’s long past time for lawmakers to make education in Mississippi a priority for all students.
These issues and others are further widening the divide between the haves and have-nots in Mississippi and creating a new generation of students failed by the system. The evidence of this gap is stark according to the School Funding Indicators database.
Spending in Mississippi’s poorest districts is 55 percent below the estimated “adequate” level and 18 percent below the adequate level in the state’s wealthiest districts, according to the database.
A significant challenge for Delta communities is the ever-increasing digital divide. During the pandemic, students in better-resourced school districts have had better access to high-speed internet connections for a relatively smooth transition to remote learning, while students across the Delta have had difficulty accessing the internet, contributing to significant learning loss.
While most students across the state received devices for virtual learning, many could not use them due to poor, limited or no internet access. Our report found that this put them at a serious disadvantage.
Mississippi has one of the largest populations of K-12 students who lack access to broadband; its sparsely populated rural communities are often marginalized by Internet service providers, leaving them largely unserved or underserved. But it’s not just a Mississippi trend. According to a national study of the rural black Southnearly three-quarters, or 72.6%, of households in the Black rural South do not have broadband of at least 25 Mbps — the minimum standard for high-speed Internet.
Compounding these challenges is the glaring lack of access to mental health care, a formidable barrier for Mississippi students. According to our report, although parents described the immense impact of the pandemic on their family’s mental health, few sought help or had access to mental health professionals. On 70 percent of Mississippi children with major depression do not receive treatmentexceeding the national average of 60 percent.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has exacerbated this problem, as many students struggle with the loss of loved ones, economic instability, and social isolation imposed by remote learning. The student-to-counselor ratio in Mississippi is 398 to 1, nearly 60 percent higher than the American School Counselor Association’s recommendation of 250 to 1, according to a report. analysis carried out by Charlie Health.
Our report also reveals that students with disabilities have been severely impacted during the pandemic. Although Covid guidelines mandated compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, many districts consistently failed to support students and their parents.
Mississippi now faces the moral imperative to fortify its historically underserved school districts, especially those most severely impacted by the pandemic. With a state revenue surplus of $3.9 billion in 2023lawmakers finally have the means to fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) for the first time since 2008. Yet they chose not to do so at a time when schools need investment and support most .
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It’s long past time for lawmakers to make education in Mississippi a priority for all students, especially those in historically underfunded districts. The state must begin investing in education to overcome historic inequalities and post-pandemic challenges. It is the only viable path to dismantling the systemic barriers that have perpetuated disparities for far too long.
Until then, Mississippi’s commitment to the well-being and success of all its residents, regardless of zip code, will remain in question.
Now is the time for relentless action.
Kim L. Wiley is a former educator who serves as an Instructional Analyst and Project Coordinator for THE Mississippi Justice Centera nonprofit public interest law firm committed to advancing racial and economic justice.
This story about Educational Inequalities in Mississippi was produced by The Hechinger report, an independent, nonprofit news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Register for The Hechinger newsletter.
