In the latest round of state budget cuts, Gov. Phil Bryant will make Mississippi’s Department of Education more cut than other agencies. Phil Bryant. Bryant stated that the decision was a straightforward one. Bryant stated, “It was so that we didn’t need to cut MAEP” (Mississippi Adequate Education Program). Bryant was referring to the state’s formula that determines how much money each school district must spend to provide an adequate education each year. The governor stated, “It was either the administration or the classroom.” “I chose the administration,” said Carey Wright, State Superintendent. The department’s budget will be reduced by $4.9 million or about 3 percent. Wright stated that her staff would examine the budget line-by-line to determine where she will cut. Wright said that she would prioritize the agency’s efforts to reform literacy and early childhood education. By the end of the month, the department must report to the Governor’s Office and the Department of Finance and Administration. Bryant reduced the budget to make up for nearly $57 million in accounting errors made by legislative staff when they prepared the fiscal year 2017 budget. The budget reduction of $56.8 millions amounts to less than 1 percent of the $5.8 billion general fund budget. Bryant spared $56.8 million for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. He also avoided spending cuts to the Institutes of Higher Learning Financial Aid and the Military department.