State Board allocates $24M for Pre-K programs across Mississippi

Education Daily Wire Jun 16, 2025

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Erin Meyer, Esq. General Counsel | Linkedin

The State Board of Education (SBE) in Mississippi has allocated $24,064,656 in grants to 20 school districts for the implementation and continuation of State Invested Pre-K (SIP) programs. These funds aim to support high-quality pre-kindergarten education for four-year-old children in districts not part of the Mississippi Department of Education’s Early Learning Collaborative (ELC) program.

Of the total amount, ten districts will use the grants to renew their existing SIP programs, while another ten will establish new ones. The initial SIP programs began in August 2023, and with this expansion, there are now 33 SIPs across Mississippi serving up to 2,120 students in 109 classrooms.

Districts creating new SIP programs include Louisville School District, New Albany School District, Richton School District, Tate County School District, Western Line School District, Covington County School District, Forest Municipal School District, Meridian Public School District, Perry County School District, and Winona-Montgomery School District.

Those renewing their programs are Smith County School District, Newton Municipal School District, Jefferson Davis County School District, Union County School District, Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District, Vicksburg-Warren School District, Natchez Adams School District, Tupelo Public School District, Lauderdale School District and Wayne County School District.

Each district working with Head Start received $125,000 per classroom for additional services. Other districts were granted funds based on application scores.

The state legislature provides funding for these grants as an opportunity for public schools to implement pre-K programs. Similar to ELCs, SIP programs must meet all ten benchmarks set by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). Partnerships with local childcare centers or Head Start grantees are optional but provide applicants with priority points during evaluation.

The grant period runs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028. Continuation each year depends on service completion success and available funds.

To review details about this decision by SBE refer to the May 15 agenda item regarding SIP initiatives.

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