NATCHEZ — Mississippi is often ranked amongst the worst public education systems in the country, and Natchez-Adams School District Superintendent Fred Butcher said Mississippi leaders need to address a key factor in this — lack of adequate funding for all districts.

Mississippi’s Republican legislative leaders are seeking to rewrite the state’s nearly 20-year-old education funding formula — which has only been fully funded twice — allegedly to put more money into the classrooms and less into administrative expenses. Butcher said it is important for leaders to address the formula.

“The intent of the funding formula is to ensure that all Mississippi children receive an adequate education despite the economic status of the community,” Butcher said. “Whenever there has been a lean budget, education has had to absorb major funding cuts. Based on some calculations, education is only allocated approximately 16 percent of the total state budget. with federal funds factored into the equation.”

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn said the Senate Rules and House Management committees on Tuesday hired a private, nonprofit firm called EdBuild to examine how the state spends money on K-12 education. Gunn said the goal is to have a new formula that legislators could consider during the 2017 session.

The current formula, the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, was put into law by a Democratically controlled Legislature in 1997 over the veto of Republican Gov. Kirk Fordice, but it has been fully funded only twice since its inception. It is designed to give each district enough money to meet midlevel academic standards.

Butcher said districts are already putting more MAEP funds into the classroom with teachers.

“School districts in areas without a large tax base have been downsizing administrators in order to adjust their budgets due to the lack of full funding,” Butcher said. “MAEP was not written to address costs for administration.”

Mississippi Sen. Bob Dearing (D-Natchez) said he believes the formula is well written, but is interested to see the outcome.

“I don’t know if it is a case of too much administration and not enough funding in the classroom, but that is what we are trying to figure out,” he said. “I think the problem is we just haven’t fully funded it but twice.”

Rep. Sam Mims (R-McComb) said under both Republican and Democrat controlled Legislatures, MAEP has only been fully funded twice.

“In my opinion, the formula is outdated and does not work,” Mims said. “I think it makes sense to look at it and try to make it better.

“Our goal is to make sure we get more money to the classroom with the teachers. That’s where I think we will get better results.”

Dearing said he was waiting to see what the changes are to MAEP.

“I think it is always good to revisit legislation you have passed,” he said. “Legislation is never perfect so it is always good to review. Maybe you will come up with some better ideas.”

A big concern with MAEP, Butcher said, is technology. Butcher said the world isn’t the same as it was in 1997. Students are required to have proficient computer skills just to take the annual high stakes proficiency tests.

“Districts are required to use a sizeable portion of funds purchasing, upgrading and repairing technology hardware, software and infrastructure,” Butcher said. “We just can’t get around that.

“We are all aware of the costs of desktop computers, iPads or other devices and districts are required to be very creative in their funding to make certain that students have the resources they need to be successful in and out of the classroom.”

Mims said he agreed technology should be factored into the funding formula.

“I think technology is changing all aspects of education, and we need to look at how to get it in the classroom,” he said.

One concern Butcher mentioned was EdBuild, which is headed by a person who once ran a non-profit advocating Charter Schools. Another red flag about EdBuild is it considers bankruptcy an opportunity for school districts, he said.

“Based on information I have read, student-based funding would provide funding that ‘follows’ students to public schools of their choice — district and charter,” Butcher said. “We do not need public education funds funneled to charter schools who would not be held to the same high accountability expectations as public school districts.”

EdBuild is based in New Jersey, and the firm was selected for the $250,000 contract without a bid process, the legislative leaders said. The state will pay $125,000, and private donors to EdBuild will pay the balance.

EdBuild was formed in 2014 and its founder and CEO, Rebecca Sibilia, is a former executive for StudentsFirst, a nonprofit group that promotes charter schools. Charters receive public money and are operated by private, nonprofit groups. Mississippi’s three current charter schools are all in Jackson, but Republican legislative leaders have expressed interest in expansion.

The company could issue a report to lawmakers in the next month or so, Gunn said, and legislators intend to hold public hearings before writing a bill to revamp the formula.

Legislators put about $2.2 billion into MAEP for the year that started July 1, which was about $170 million short of full funding based on the MAEP funding formula.

However, lawmakers also put money into other specific education programs. During the past three years, the state has spent approximately $50 million on literacy coaches, and fourth-graders’ reading scores improved on standardized national testing.

“If all we cared about was the politics of education funding, we could just take the money that we’re currently spending outside the formula, put it in the formula, call it full funding and then … everybody’s happy,” Reeves said. “But, it’s not about the politics of the funding formula. It’s about doing what’s best for kids.”

MAEP was written largely in response to equity-funding lawsuits being filed in other states, which challenged the level of money being spent in poorer districts compared to wealthier ones. Reeves said a new formula would also have to keep some elements of equity funding.