Mississippi

Overview

During the 2022-2023 school year, Mississippi preschool enrolled 5,329 children, an increase of 2,522 from the prior year. State spending totaled $16,000,000, and an additional $1,485,429 in federal recovery funds supported the program, up $8,064,628 (86%), adjusted for inflation, since last year. State spending per child (including federal recovery funds) equaled $3,281 in 2022-2023, down $75 from 2021-2022, adjusted for inflation. Mississippi met 10 of 10 quality standards benchmarks.

What's New

During the 2022-2023 school year, the Mississippi state preschool expansion continued, with another $8 million for additional planning grants to open 3,040 more seats during the 2023-2024 school year. With this expansion, the total state funding will equal $24 million. Additionally, during the 2022 legislative session, $20 million was appropriated to fund additional preschool programs in school settings, specifically in the State Invested Pre-K (SIP) Program. SIP classrooms are in public schools; however, these classrooms can include children who are dually enrolled in Head Start. Although this funding was received during the 2022-2023 program year, children are being served in classrooms beginning in August 2023. It is estimated that this $20 million investment will yield approximately 190 additional classrooms to serve approximately 3,800 additional children.

In December 2022, Mississippi was awarded a federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B–5) three-year renewal grant for $8,095,090. Funds are used to offer coaching, family engagement activities, and professional learning opportunities for childcare, school district, and Head Start preschool providers. This funding will also provide grant opportunities to school districts to offer blended preschool classrooms for children with and without disabilities in the same classroom.

Background

The Early Learning Collaborative (ELC) Act of 2013 established Mississippi’s first state-funded, voluntary pre-K program. The ELC Act provides funding to local communities to establish, expand, support, and facilitate the successful implementation of quality early childhood education and development services. Implementation began in January 2014, with the capacity to serve 1,774 children. The program was initially funded at $3 million per year and has expended with additional funding to serve more children. As long as the ELC Act of 2013 is funded, current Collaboratives that meet program requirements will continue to be funded.

Pre-K programs in Head Start centers, licensed child-care facilities, and public, parochial, or private schools formed and maintained stakeholder councils called ELCs, involving at least two program auspices.

The voluntary pre-K program intends to improve quality, increase access to high-quality pre-K programs for 4-year-olds, and prepare more children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school. This program also supports local programs in their efforts to improve pre-K quality and access. Pre-K programs also implement an integrated, effective system of early childhood curriculum, instruction, assessment, and program evaluation, which includes the utilization of evidence-based curricula aligned with the Mississippi Department of Education’s Early Learning Standards for Classrooms Serving Infants through Four-Year-Old Children.

Mississippi Early Learning Collaborative

Access

Total state pre-K enrollment	5,329
School districts that offer state program	26%
Income requirement	No income requirement
Minimum hours of operation	4 hours/day; 5 days/week
Operating schedule	School or academic year
Special education enrollment, ages 3 and 4	3,446
Federally funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	13,833
State-funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	0

Resources

*Pre-K programs may receive additional funds from federal or local sources that are not included in this figure. †Head Start per-child spending includes funding only for 3- and 4-year-olds. ‡K–12 expenditures include capital spending as well as current operating expenditures.