Everything's Bigger Down South

When we think of the South, some things that come to mind are big hats and big boots, but we almost never think about the massive education funding gaps. In Durant, Mississippi, the last time the state provided full funding for education was in 2008. Now the funding gap has grown to $1.5 billion, and Mississippi could fall $260 million short in the 2016 year. Currently, Mississippi ranks last in state ratings of student achievement, but this isn't a result of student incompetency. Instead, the lack of resources available and the overall quality of education are to blame.

In Durant, textbooks are not up-to-date and do not meet the Common Core standards. In other words, the most basic of resources in schools are unavailable in a school district of only 588 students. However, the sad truth, according to former superintendent Glenn Carlisle, is that "if [they] buy new textbooks, [they're] not going to have the teachers." Though when they do hire new teachers, the Durant School District hires people right out of college with less experience because they're cheaper. THAT'S ABSURD! Students deserve much more than random lessons from the Internet and amateur teachers, there's not much that Durant can do.

The vast majority of Mississippi's school districts have raised property taxes to help close the gap, but their efforts have not been very successful. Other school districts in the state sued to make the state pay for what is owed to the school district (the Durant School District is actually in violation of a law that requires that students have textbooks or electronic devices in every subject to take home). Education advocacy groups have taken a more reasonable approach to try to amend the state's constitution to guarantee sufficient education funding.

The fact that the Durant School District has broken a state law and the state hasn't assisted in any way to amend the violation puts forth an air of hypocrisy on the state legislature. The state's failure and/or inability to enforce its own law is both sad and outrageous. Government needs to start putting education in the forefront of its priorities. Without quality education, the future of America will be the America's biggest failure.