NATCHEZ — A proposed constitutional amendment regarding public schools could lead to bigger changes for the Mississippi Constitution.

Mississippi Center for Public Policy President Forest Thigpen attended the Friday Forum at the Natchez Coffee Company to shed light on the issue.

Supporters of a state constitutional amendment, related to public schools, have obtained enough signatures to place an amendment known as Initiative 42 on the November 2015 election ballot in Mississippi, Thigpen said.

“The amendment takes an existing provision in the constitution that says the legislature shall provide for the maintenance of free public schools,” Thigpen said. “This adds the words adequate and efficient so that the legislature would be required to provide for the maintenance.”

According to Thigpen, Initiative 42 says that the state shall provide for the establishment, maintenance and support of an adequate and efficient system of free public schools, while the chancery courts of the state shall have the power to enforce this section with appropriate injunctive relief.

The amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: “Should the state be required to provide for the establishment, maintenance and support of an adequate and efficient system of free public schools.”

However, Thigpen said he is not showing favor or opposition toward the amendment.

“We are not saying people should vote for or against it,” Thigpen said. “We are saying to know what it is and know what you are voting for.”

Voters will also have the option to vote to keep the current provision of the amendment.

Thigpen said the Better Schools Better Jobs, a group who is the primary organization supporting Initiative 42, said the words ‘maintenance’ and ‘support’ in the amendment relates to school funding — but contrary to every other state in the U.S., Mississippi’s constitution currently does not require that children be provided an adequate education.

“The amendment states that our children should be provided at least an adequate education,” BSBJ said in the press release. “The amendment leaves it up to the legislature to determine how it will establish, maintain and support an adequate and efficient system of public education, but it requires legislature to provide support (funding) for an adequate education.”