JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Mississippi lawmakers are going back and forth on how to handle public education funding before the 2024 Legislative Session wraps up.

The House has not backed down from its Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) alternative that was dubbed the INSPIRE Act.

House leadership said the INSPIRE Act will bring more funding to Mississippi’s historically underfunded schools, as well as provide more for special needs students.

Opponents to the House measure said the House needs to take its time with overhauling public education funding.

“It is a complete overhaul of this school funding law. We really need to see the need to hear from experts about the unintended consequences that might result from that. Those changes. We need to see impact data,” said Nancy Loome, executive director of The Parents’ Campaign.

The Senate’s education funding plan consists of tweaking the current MAEP formula and allocating within.