Mississippi’s House speaker has introduced a sweeping education bill aimed at expanding options for K-12 families, drawing attention from local and national school choice advocates, including an official in the White House.
House Bill 2, authored by Republican Speaker Jason White and dubbed the “Mississippi Education Freedom Act,” is an omnibus package that holds reforms ranging from stipends for public-school parents to use on private-school tuition to expanding charter options and allowing prayer in public school classrooms.
The Mississippi Senate passed a bill this week that would streamline the process of public-school students wanting to transfer to another public school, taking away the home district’s veto power. Virtually the same measure is included in the House package.
White is a longtime advocate for school choice, the idea of giving parents more of a say in where their children are educated without being restricted by their neighborhoods. In a statement, he pointed to Mississippi’s recent gains in education, including a No. 16 overall ranking and nation-leading improvements in reading. He said the Mississippi Education Freedom Act “builds on that success.”
“It expands opportunity, uses proven instructional strategies, and empowers parents to decide what is best for their children. This legislation prioritizes freedom, results, and Mississippi’s future workforce,” the statement reads in part. “Parents understand their children’s needs better than any system. HB 2 establishes Magnolia Student Accounts, enabling families to access private schools, specialized instruction, therapies, and other educational services that best fit their child’s needs.
“HB 2 ensures that all Mississippi families, regardless of income or zip code, have real choices and the freedom to pursue what works best for their children, while prioritizing low- and middle-income families. HB 2 also expands educational opportunities by removing barriers to high-quality public-school options while fully preserving local school boards’ decision-making power to accept students who want to transfer from other districts.”
The wide-net legislation would create what White calls Magnolia Student Accounts, or access to stipends of up to or around $7,000 that can be used on private-school tuition. The phase-in program would begin in the 2027-28 school year and have 12,500 scholarships in year one, with low and middle-income students prioritized. 20,000 scholarships would be available in the program’s fourth year. The State Treasurer’s Office would be responsible for administering the accounts, and the Mississippi High School Activities Association would be in charge of determining the eligibility of student-athlete transfers.
Other measures included in the 553-page bill include allowing charter schools to open in any district. Currently, Mississippi only allows charter schools to open without local school board approval in D- or F-graded districts; allowing home-schooled students to participate in public-school extracurriculars such as clubs and athletics; expanding targeted literacy and math initiatives; allowing school boards to designate periods of time for student-led, voluntary prayer; establishing a pilot program to expand Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs through grant assistance; and consolidating the Copiah County and Hazlehurst school districts.
The Mississippi Education Freedom Act is being touted by school choice advocates, including U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Educational Freedom Institute executive director Corey DeAngelis.
“I am thrilled to see Mississippi advancing an ambitious school choice expansion in their 2026 session. Giving parents options is essential to improving education outcomes and ensuring every child finds the learning environment that best fits their needs,” McMahon wrote on X. “Well done, [Speaker Jason White].”
DeAngelis, a self-proclaimed “school choice evangelist,” has made several posts on X commending the House bill and lambasting the Senate for its public-to-public transfer bill, calling it “the weakest school choice bill I’ve ever seen.”
The House bill dropped almost at the same time as a letter penned by over 100 Mississippi business leaders urging White and Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann to expand school choice. Those who signed the letter include billionaire and potential gubernatorial candidate Tommy Duff, former Republican Govs. Haley Barbour and Phil Bryant, and C Spire board chair Hu Meena.
“As Mississippi business owners and employers, we write to urge you to take bold actions this session to expand education freedom for every child in our state,” the letter, in part, reads. “This is Mississippi’s moment for school choice. There has never been more momentum for empowering families with options than there is right now. Now is the time.”
With school choice being the cornerstone of the bill, debate is expected within the full House chamber once it expectedly passes the House Education Committee. A majority of Democrats have historically been opposed to school choice expansion in Mississippi as it results in public money following the student to their new school, something White contends will make school districts “more competitive” in providing the best education possible. Some Republicans who represent more affluent areas with leading school districts have heard constituent concerns over allowing students from less-affluent areas to enroll. However, the bill’s giving of receiving districts significant discretion when it comes to public-to-public transfers could ease that concern.
House Minority Leader Robert Johnson III, a Democrat from Natchez, is concerned it won’t “actually provide the kinds of opportunity and equitable access to education that it should.” As it relates to the public-to-public transfer component, he believes the receiving school should not be able to veto a student’s transfer request.
“If pure school choice means, I don’t care where I live, I can choose to go to a school that I think serves my needs or serves my child’s needs, the only way that works is that if I choose to go there, that school cannot say no to me. I don’t care if I’m a D or F student…if that’s what I think works for me, you cannot turn me down,” Johnson said. “But there has not been a provision that provides that kind of access.”
Johnson added that ancillary costs, such as transporting students, must be addressed in any school choice-related legislation. The bill says the transferee school district can provide transportation but is not required to, meaning the responsibility would fall to a parent or legal guardian.
“Furthermore, if I choose to do that and you can’t turn me down, how am I going to get there? If you’re not sending enough money to take care of all the ancillary costs that come along with taking care of a student, then you’re not really doing that student or that school system a service,” he said.
The Mississippi Education Freedom Act would also raise the minimum base salary for assistant teachers from $17,000 to $20,000 while making it easier for retired teachers to return to the classroom without jeopardizing pension benefits. A separate bill is expected to be considered in the House that would give other teachers a pay raise. The Senate passed a bill this week to raise educator salaries by a “starting point” of $2,000 across all public levels, ranging from K-12 to community-college and university.