Kaitlyn Fowler, a non-profit Mississippi News spokesperson, says that there are times when Jackson high school students have to wear coats in class because of the school’s slow heating system. Cold classrooms are a problem for both students and teachers at Murrah High School. Three years ago, a Murrah student tweeted the school superintendent asking for space heaters. The February day was just below freezing. Fowler gave evidence at the Capitol last year about the conditions at her school. It was established in 1954. In a recent interview, she stated that “we shouldn’t have” to wear an overcoat to school. Teachers are forced to spend more on supplies for classrooms, Fowler and other students learn in old buildings. Parents worry about the limited access to advanced placement courses and foreign language. Mississippi cannot afford to spend less on education. Schools in Mississippi face this reality every year, as lawmakers cut funding that is far below what is considered full funding. Mississippi’s $2.3 billion shortfall over the last decade has seen it outspent by a lot of other states. Inflation is also a factor as Mississippi’s K12 budget is below pre-recession levels. According to Michael Leachman, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C., “If you had the same salary for your entire life and the price of milk, bread, and eggs went up each year, it’s almost like getting a pay cut.” The state’s declining population could be due to a decrease in financial support for its public schools. Mississippi has lost nearly 4,000 residents since the last Census. It is one of eight states and Puerto Rico that have experienced a decline in population. As school leaders feel the squeeze of tight funding, they often make tough decisions such as increasing local taxes or rationing their state allocations. Jameson Taylor, from the Mississippi Center for Public Policy (a conservative think tank), says that school districts don’t often consider reducing administrative spending as a cost-saving solution. Taylor points to a 2015 report by the state’s legislative oversight committee, which found that administrative spending had increased by 13 percent over a decade or $57 Million. However, instructional spending has decreased by 3.2 per cent or $75,000,000. He stated that overall, the picture shows that we are spending a lot on administrative spending. The Capitol is open to calls for reducing administrative fat. Republican leaders, such as Lt. Governor. Tate Reeves, House Speaker Philip Gunn and other Republican leaders often stress the importance of money being in classrooms rather than central office positions. Advocate groups such as the Parents’ Campaign claim that talk points masks the fact that many times, state funds that districts receive are not sufficient to pay teacher salaries. Another thing is that the state law restricts how much districts may spend on administrative costs. Jameson believes that Mississippi is likely overspending on K12 education because it does not account for administrative costs. However, he supports better teacher salaries. However, he maintains that education reform must include more than just salary increases. He said, “We must look at professionalizing teachers as well as giving them a better working environment.” “Even if you have a great teacher, and you pay them a decent salary, they will eventually get burnt out due to all the red tape and hoops that they have to jump through.” Lawmakers seem poised to increase education expenditures. The Mississippi House and Senate may consider moving forward with a teacher raise in this election year. However, negotiations for a final figure remain ongoing. Oleta Fitzgerald, with the Children’s Defense Fund, is one of the Mississippians who considers funding public schools a top priority. Long-time advocate Oleta Fitzgerald often wonders if many of the battles for education funding in Mississippi are too narrow-sighted. She stated that “most of the legislative work in the state has been about trying to get that minimum base of funding, and trying to keep them [lawmakers] from diverting funds. When we know in our hearts we need more than this formula to allow our young people to move forward towards the skill levels they need to compete in the 21st Century,” she said. Fitzgerald believes it is time to unite behind more ambitious initiatives, like a statewide bond bill for the repair and replacement of decades-old school buildings. She said, “We can make incremental progress, but we need to have a big view.” Mississippi’s vision was too small, too limited by a focus on race or class,” she said. “We’re either chickens eating at the ground or eagles. “I want to be an Eagle.”