Lamar County Education Foundation

HB 1944, the Children's Promise Act private school funding bill, passed the House on an 80-35 vote. See how your rep voted: https://msparentscampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HB1944-House-2.25.26.pdf. The bill now will go to the Senate, where it is likely to be referred to the Finance Committee. Details of the bill are below.

House members were misled in committee and on the floor about the impact of this bill on the state budget. House members were told that the tax credits benefiting private schools in this bill are the "exact same kind of tax incentive" one gets for a donation to a church or a charitable organization like the United Way. That is false.

Donors to churches and most other charitable organizations get a tax deduction that reduces the amount of income on which they pay taxes. Donors to private schools via the Children's Promise Act get a tax credit, a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the donor's state tax bill.

For example:
-A church donor who gives $5,000 reduces his/her taxable income by $5,000, putting $220 back in the taxpayer's wallet (costing the state $220).
-A private school/Children's Promise Act donor who gives $5,000 reduces his/her state tax bill by $5,000, putting $5,000 back in the taxpayer's wallet (costing the state $5,000).

The Children's Promise Act is not just a "tax incentive." It is the state paying back private school patrons for their donations to private schools, dollar for dollar. It has the exact same impact on the state budget and for private schools as would a direct state appropriation to the school. It reduces the state funding available for a teacher pay raise, repairs to school facilities, an expansion of pre-k, and many other needs in our public schools.

Ask your senator to VOTE NO on HB 1944 or ANY BILL that increases funding to private schools via the CHILDREN'S PROMISE ACT.

Find contact information for legislators: https://msparentscampaign.org/legislators-by-school-district/

Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770

Senate Finance Committee: https://msparentscampaign.org/senate-finance-committee/

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann: 601.359.3200

It appears that many of the private schools receiving state funds through the Children's Promise Act are double-dipping, getting state funding twice for the same students. More than half of the private schools receiving Children's Promise Act funds last year also participated in the ESA voucher program for children with special needs. They likely used the ESA voucher students to qualify for the Children's Promise Act funding.

HB 1944 would send $20-million or more in state funding to private schools each year through dollar-for-dollar tax credits - up to $500,000 annually to each participating private school, regardless of school size, with no accountability, oversight, or reporting required.

Here are key provisions of the bill:
• Transfers tax credits intended for foster care organizations (Baptist Children's Village, Methodist Children's Home, etc.) to private schools if not used by October 1. (While the reverse also is allowed, each year all private school tax credits have been snapped up by private school patrons within minutes of going live, while foster care organizations have been unable to use all of the $9M in credits dedicated to them in each of the last three years.)
• Past efforts to amend the law to direct all of the program’s tax credits to foster care service organizations were rejected by the bill’s sponsors, revealing that their priority is the diversion of public funds to private schools, not the needs of Mississippi’s most vulnerable children.
• Attempts to circumvent the no-funding-to-private-schools provision of the Mississippi Constitution by having private school patrons make donations to private schools, then paying them back via credits to their state tax bills for the amount of the donation - erasing up to half of their total state tax liability, though less than half of state taxes are dedicated to P-12 education.
• Participating private schools are not required to adjust their admissions or academic standards, or admit any new students in this program and are not held to any of the accountability measures and oversight to which public schools are held, though both public and private receive state funds.
• Includes no restrictions for private schools on expenditure of funds, no reporting requirements, and no state audit to verify the number of qualifying children enrolled.
• Carefully worded to ensure that virtually all private schools qualify for the funding, while giving the appearance of benevolence toward children who are disadvantaged (a school qualifies for the full $500,000 if only one enrolled child has a chronic illness or disability, such as asthma, ADHD, or an allergy; funds are not required to be spent on that child). See more details here .
• $20-million allocated annually to private schools in HB 1944 is roughly equal to the amount it would cost the state to provide every assistant teacher a $2,000 annual salary increase, which would raise their minimum salary from $17,000 to $19,000.
• Similar efforts to increase Children's Promise Act tax credits for private schools were defeated in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Get more information about HB 1944: https://tpcref.org/legislative-analysis/hb-1944-private-school-funding/

Please let your senator know right away that you see HB 1944 for what it is: state funding to private schools, with no accountability, no oversight, no public audits.

Ask your friends and neighbors to call, too. And remember this vote. Statewide elections are right around the corner, and together, we've got this!

Please ask your Senator to vote NO to HB1944 or any bill that provides taxpayer funding to private schools!! Tax dollars belong to public education!!!

HB 1944, the Children's Promise Act private school funding bill, passed the House on an 80-35 vote. See how your rep voted: https://msparentscampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HB1944-House-2.25.26.pdf. The bill now will go to the Senate, where it is likely to be referred to the Finance Committee. Details of the bill are below.

House members were misled in committee and on the floor about the impact of this bill on the state budget. House members were told that the tax credits benefiting private schools in this bill are the "exact same kind of tax incentive" one gets for a donation to a church or a charitable organization like the United Way. That is false.

Donors to churches and most other charitable organizations get a tax deduction that reduces the amount of income on which they pay taxes. Donors to private schools via the Children's Promise Act get a tax credit, a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the donor's state tax bill.

For example:
-A church donor who gives $5,000 reduces his/her taxable income by $5,000, putting $220 back in the taxpayer's wallet (costing the state $220).
-A private school/Children's Promise Act donor who gives $5,000 reduces his/her state tax bill by $5,000, putting $5,000 back in the taxpayer's wallet (costing the state $5,000).

The Children's Promise Act is not just a "tax incentive." It is the state paying back private school patrons for their donations to private schools, dollar for dollar. It has the exact same impact on the state budget and for private schools as would a direct state appropriation to the school. It reduces the state funding available for a teacher pay raise, repairs to school facilities, an expansion of pre-k, and many other needs in our public schools.

Ask your senator to VOTE NO on HB 1944 or ANY BILL that increases funding to private schools via the CHILDREN'S PROMISE ACT.

Find contact information for legislators: https://msparentscampaign.org/legislators-by-school-district/

Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770

Senate Finance Committee: https://msparentscampaign.org/senate-finance-committee/

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann: 601.359.3200

It appears that many of the private schools receiving state funds through the Children's Promise Act are double-dipping, getting state funding twice for the same students. More than half of the private schools receiving Children's Promise Act funds last year also participated in the ESA voucher program for children with special needs. They likely used the ESA voucher students to qualify for the Children's Promise Act funding.

HB 1944 would send $20-million or more in state funding to private schools each year through dollar-for-dollar tax credits - up to $500,000 annually to each participating private school, regardless of school size, with no accountability, oversight, or reporting required.

Here are key provisions of the bill:
• Transfers tax credits intended for foster care organizations (Baptist Children's Village, Methodist Children's Home, etc.) to private schools if not used by October 1. (While the reverse also is allowed, each year all private school tax credits have been snapped up by private school patrons within minutes of going live, while foster care organizations have been unable to use all of the $9M in credits dedicated to them in each of the last three years.)
• Past efforts to amend the law to direct all of the program’s tax credits to foster care service organizations were rejected by the bill’s sponsors, revealing that their priority is the diversion of public funds to private schools, not the needs of Mississippi’s most vulnerable children.
• Attempts to circumvent the no-funding-to-private-schools provision of the Mississippi Constitution by having private school patrons make donations to private schools, then paying them back via credits to their state tax bills for the amount of the donation - erasing up to half of their total state tax liability, though less than half of state taxes are dedicated to P-12 education.
• Participating private schools are not required to adjust their admissions or academic standards, or admit any new students in this program and are not held to any of the accountability measures and oversight to which public schools are held, though both public and private receive state funds.
• Includes no restrictions for private schools on expenditure of funds, no reporting requirements, and no state audit to verify the number of qualifying children enrolled.
• Carefully worded to ensure that virtually all private schools qualify for the funding, while giving the appearance of benevolence toward children who are disadvantaged (a school qualifies for the full $500,000 if only one enrolled child has a chronic illness or disability, such as asthma, ADHD, or an allergy; funds are not required to be spent on that child). See more details here .
• $20-million allocated annually to private schools in HB 1944 is roughly equal to the amount it would cost the state to provide every assistant teacher a $2,000 annual salary increase, which would raise their minimum salary from $17,000 to $19,000.
• Similar efforts to increase Children's Promise Act tax credits for private schools were defeated in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Get more information about HB 1944: https://tpcref.org/legislative-analysis/hb-1944-private-school-funding/

Please let your senator know right away that you see HB 1944 for what it is: state funding to private schools, with no accountability, no oversight, no public audits.

Ask your friends and neighbors to call, too. And remember this vote. Statewide elections are right around the corner, and together, we've got this!

Owen Myrick, TJ Taylor, and Reve McLelland- all Lamar County School District middle schoolers-won the state robotics tournament and will represent Mississippi at the World Robotics Competition in April!

Don’t miss your chance—Friday is the final day to purchase a ticket for our "Breaking at the Beach" raffle! 🌴 All proceeds go directly to supporting classrooms in Lamar County Schools! With the rainy weather keeping you indoors, why not brighten your day by securing a chance to win a stunning beach getaway? Your support makes a difference! ☔️🏖️

Breaking at the Beach giveaway supporting Lamar County Education Foundation If sun, sand, and salty waves are calling your name-grab a ticket! One lucky winner will receive a 3 night/4 day stay at the beautiful “Paradise Lost”condo in Gulf Shores!

Thanks to a generous grant from the LCEF, Mrs. Lee’s students at Baxterville enjoyed reading their very own copies of The Stone Fox! This opportunity brought the joy of reading alive in the classroom and made a lasting impact on our students.

As we gear up for the 2024-2025 school year, we're reaching out to our wonderful community for support. Classroom grants like this one make a world of difference in our students' education, and we would LOVE your help to continue providing these enriching experiences.

Every donation, big or small, helps us to inspire young minds and foster a love for learning. Join us in making a difference today! 💙

Thank you for your continued support!

Our teachers and schools benefit each year from the grants provided by Lamar County Education Foundation! Please consider giving to LCEF before the end of the year and receive a tax deduction!

LCSD T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, and Hoodies all at a great price! All proceeds will go to LCEF to benefit our classroom teachers! Several different designs and colors to choose from and easy online ordering with JMH Graphics.

Sales Close March 1st - We cannot take additional orders after sales close, please double check your sizes for accuracy before placing your order.

The Pampered Chef fundraiser to benefit LCEF is now open until November 30th. Please consider making a purchase to help fund projects for the staff and students in Lamar County School District. Thank you!!

Mrs. Lucy Parker's Kindergarten class in Baxterville says a big "THANK YOU" to the Lamar County Education Foundation. The class was so excited to get their new organizational supplies! The new seat sacks, table trays, and table organizers will help so much with making their classroom efficient. Also, the new rolling stools for the teachers will make learning fun!

🌟Super proud of Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. McCardle!! 🌟They were awarded grants that will benefit our school! Mrs. Wilson wrote a grant that will allow us to purchase some new equipment for recess! And Mrs. McCardle wrote a grant for Osmos technology for her classroom. Thank you to The Lamar County Education Foundation for supporting PLE!! 💜💛🎉