The steady decline in enrollment in Mississippi’s public schools over the past dozen years raises two questions: Why is it happening? What is the state doing about it?
There is no single answer as to why Mississippi now has almost 70,000 fewer students in the public schools than it did in 2013.
Part of the reason is the state’s comparatively stagnant population. Fewer families moving to or staying in Mississippi translates into fewer students to educate.
Part is the impact of lower birth rates nationwide during the past two decades. The enrollment cliff that colleges and universities have been warning about is already starting to hit elementary and secondary schools.
Part is the growing popularity of homeschooling, which accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as traditional schools turned to remote learning as a public health precaution, but then stuck with it longer than they should have.
Part may be dissatisfaction with public schools in those districts where the quality of instruction has been chronically subpar.
Whatever the causes, the enrollment declines are widespread, according to the data compiled by Mississippi Today. Of the state’s 138 school districts, 113 have experienced enrollment declines since 2013. In 37 districts, the losses have been 25% or greater.
The response is obvious: A lot of districts and schools should be consolidated.
Yet, Mississippi has been generally slow to accept reality, particularly by local school boards that have resisted consolidation because of wanting to preserve jobs or because of emotional connections within the community to the individual schools.
Where consolidation has occurred, it has been usually compelled by the Legislature after a district has been taken over by the state because of dismal academics or financial troubles.
The combination of the Greenwood and Leflore County school districts was an example of just such a mandated consolidation. For the first few years after the 2019 merger, the consolidated district dragged its feet on taking the next step and merging individual schools. But financial constraints, declining enrollment and a desire for better facilities eventually prompted action.
Last fall, the Greenwood Leflore district closed a junior high and moved those students to a newer but underutilized campus. It will be closing two elementary schools this summer. And it is building a new, $40 million-plus countywide high school in order to merge the three existing high schools.
Those are the kinds of decisions that other school districts will be contemplating, if they are not already, when a year from now the state’s funding formula starts penalizing districts that are experiencing enrollment declines.
The Mississippi Legislature, particularly the House of Representatives, is also keen on jump-starting the consolidation of districts after a roughly seven-year lull.
House Speaker Jason White has floated the idea of having one district per county. He recently appointed a legislative task force to come up with consolidation proposals before the 2027 session. He will have an ally in this effort in the Governor’s Office. Tate Reeves is on record as saying he believes the state should merge somewhere between 20 and 50 of the state’s smaller districts into others.
Consolidation is an emotional subject when whole districts are being combined. It becomes even more so when individual schools are being merged or closed.
It’s past time to face facts, though. School districts must adjust to their population. Where enrollment is steadily and substantially declining, the number of campuses and employees should be reduced. If not, the costs get out of line and the taxpayers become overburdened. Ultimately, the students suffer as well, since inefficient school operations eat up the money that could provide a broader and better education.
