The Senate narrowly passed the bill and was sent to Governor. Phil Bryant introduced Thursday’s bill to allow students from failing public schools to attend charter schools outside their home district. Bryant’s office tweeted, “I commend Mississippi Legislature for passing SB2161, assuring MS Students will have more educational options w/ public charter schools,” shortly after the vote. Bryant was one of the state Republican leaders that supported charter school expansion in the first legislative session. The Senate approved the House’s changes by a vote of 24-21. The bill also reallocates some education funding to charter school, allowing public funds to be moved with students from the public schools to charter schools. Students can only attend charter schools within their school district. Students can now attend charter schools across district lines under the new bill. The bill’s supporters claim it will improve education for underserved students within public schools districts. Students in C, D, and F districts can now attend charter schools. “You think it’s okay to tell a child who attends a failing school that we have to keep them there?” Sen. Gray Tollison (R-Oxford), asked this question during debate before the vote. This bill simply gives these kids options. If I could choose, I would want to attend a school that succeeds. “And who’s against it?” Many senators opposed the bill which was passed by the House on March 28 with 64 to 54 votes. Opponents claim that funding public schools would harm already-failing districts. Senator David Jordan (D-Greenwood) stated that Mississippi’s education problems cannot be solved by jumping from “from concept to idea.” He also said that charter schools were just another way to fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. On Thursday, Sen. Chad McMahan (R-Guntown) was the only Republican to oppose the bill. He cited what he called “progress in Mississippi’s public education” during the legislative session. These bills would have required district superintendents to become elected instead of appointed and would consolidate certain districts that are underperforming. McMahan stated that taking money from public school is wrong. He said, “Until there is evidence that charter schools work,” The bill provides that students who travel across district lines to attend charter schools in another district will be paid by the Mississippi Department of Education. These property tax receipts, as well as any payments to charter school districts, would go to each student enrolled. Students enrolled in charter schools within their school district will be paid the proportional property tax receipts from the charter school and the payments to the school district. The vote was quickly followed by Lt. Governor. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Florence) released a statement applauding the bill’s passage. The statement stated that “This is yet another step to ensure that every child in Mississippi has the chance for success in their lives.” “This bill should allow for public charter schools to be established in small districts of the Delta, as well as in other areas in our state that are in financial crisis. “I appreciate the legislative effort to make this happen.”