JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi House passed a bill that would replace the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP).

The Inspire Act passed 92-13 on Wednesday, March 6.

Proponents of the bill said this is a simpler formula and more equitable compared to MAEP. The Inspire Act would mandate a minimum base student cost of $6,650, as well as give school districts more funding based off the amount of students that struggle with disabilities, are English language learners or are low-income students.

Full funding of this formula would be increased by $241 million compared to MAEP, if passed and signed into law.

The bill will now move to the Mississippi Senate, which has a separate proposal to revise but not abandon the current formula.

MAEP is designed to give school districts enough money to meet midlevel academic standards. Senators tried to revise it last year, but that effort fell short.

Full funding of MAEP would cost nearly $3 billion for the budget year that begins July 1, according to the state Department of Education. That would be about $643 million more than the state is spending on the formula during the current year, an increase of about 17.8%.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.