NATCHEZ — Including the latest cuts by Gov. Phil Bryant, the Natchez-Adams School District’s state funding is approximately $1.5 million short.

The Parents’ Campaign, a non-profit group focused on education issues in Mississippi, released figures showing statewide shortfalls in funding.

The group’s data indicates the Natchez-Adams district only received $15.9 million of a $17.4 million pot dedicated to NASD under the Mississippi Adequate Education program.

In a statement, Nancy Loomis with the Parents’ Campaign, blames corporate tax breaks lawmakers have recently passed.

The most recent cut, which has happened toward the end of the school year, costs the Natchez-Adams district $68,620.

District business manager Monica Anderson said the cuts break out with approximately $63,000 being in the general fund and $5,000 impacting the buildings and transportation fund.

Due to failure to hire staff for certain positions in the district, Anderson said the cuts won’t hurt.

“We had room in both budgets for salaries that were never filled,” she said. “Right now, we are not in a crunch at all, but I’m glad it wasn’t cut by more.”

Interim superintendent Fred Butcher said funding according to standards would improve instruction across the district.

“It would help us fine tune instruction and enable us to go out and seek the additional teachers we need,” he said. “I think it would also help us to fill some gaps we have in our arts and music programs.”

Butcher said extra curricular activities would be improved with adequate funding.

“That is part of the educational process as well,” he said. “It lends itself to improving the academic standards of our students and it also helps to improve attendance.”

For the upcoming 2016-17 fiscal year district leaders also expect the MAEP to either be underfunding or level funding again. The district will budget accordingly, Butcher said.

“Routinely with public education, we can never get the funding that we really need,” he said. “We are always thinking about doing the best we can with what we have got.”