Lawmakers are vowing to expand school choice. What would it mean in South MS?

An ambitious push by state leaders to give parents more freedom to choose where their children attend school is sparking growing debate in South Mississippi from lawmakers vowing to make it a priority and local superintendents questioning why it is needed.

Lawmakers and educators say the policy change would likely impact other parts of the state more than the Mississippi Coast, where public school districts are more successful. But superintendents also say it could upend long-held norms in public schools.

Biloxi Public Schools Superintendent Marcus Boudreaux argued strongly against expanded school choice when he addressed a committee of lawmakers this fall.

In a recent interview, Hancock County School District Superintendent Rhett Ladner also said he was concerned about how school choice proposals would impact public education.

“It’s being created by people who are not educators,” he said.

Advocates of expanding school choice acknowledge the issue is complex. But they also say parents – especially those who live in struggling public school districts – deserve much more choice over their children’s futures.

“I believe in freedom,” said State Rep. Jansen Owen, a Republican from Poplarville who co-chairs the committee of lawmakers studying school choice. “We need to recognize that parents are the ones who know their children best.”

The issue is gaining new urgency. Mississippi has long debated whether to expand school choice, but lawmakers say interest is surging after parents became more involved with schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. President Donald Trump supports the idea, and Gov. Tate Reeves is also for it. Across the country, enrollment is dropping in public districts as more states give parents money to use on private schools.

Other states have adopted various policies, including voucher programs or systems that let students transfer between schools regardless of where they live. It is still unclear what form of school choice Mississippi lawmakers will propose and how it might impact the Coast.

But local lawmakers and superintendents are offering clues about the possible impacts.

School choice in South MS

They predict school choice would inevitably lead to more transfers between schools, and say that process would be easier in South Mississippi than some other parts of the state because districts here are all close together.

On the Coast, where all districts just scored As and Bs on state report cards, parents would likely opt to move students between schools based on individual preference rather than dire need to escape struggling districts. Ladner said school choice could prompt local students to shop between districts until they find the best fit.

State Rep. Kevin Felsher, a Republican from Biloxi, said school choice could mean a child being bullied in one district chooses to move to another. Students may also transfer to districts with particular opportunities, such as strong performing arts programs or Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.

“That’s a choice, and certainly it’s a valid choice,” Felsher said.

Expanded school choice could also lead to the creation of more specialized schools and force public school districts to more aggressively advertise their merits. State Sen. Brice Wiggins, a Republican from Pascagoula, said the Coast could see the creation of more schools geared to serve academically gifted or disabled students.

Public educators also say expanded school choice would create new challenges. Public schools are funded based on how many students attend each year. Superintendents say an open door between districts could lead to fluctuating enrollment numbers that make it harder to determine how many teachers to hire. It could also lead to larger class sizes if more students than anticipated arrive in a district.

“We’re just going to have a harder time planning for the future,” Boudreaux said.

Any changes would probably be gradual. Owen said Mississippi’s proposed program might be similar to the system adopted in Tennessee, which offers families money to spend on private schools but caps the program at 20,000 participants, half of whom are lower-income.

Wiggins predicted Coast parents likely would not move children between districts in huge numbers. Mississippi already has a program that gives parents of disabled children money to offset costs of private school. With permission from districts, Coast parents can also opt to move students to a school outside of their zip code and pay a tuition fee. Ladner and Boudreaux both said the program is not hugely popular.

“I would argue people are really happy, as a general rule, with the performance of the school districts in South Mississippi,” Wiggins said. “That’s a good thing.”

Superintendents raise questions

Local superintendents have raised worries that school choice could create two extremes of sought-after and neglected districts, worsening economic inequalities. Owen argued more competition between districts could lead to greater accountability for those that perform poorly.

Coast lawmakers said they had heard little from constituents about school choice so far. But Owen said parents in his district, which covers Lamar and Pearl River counties, have asked for more options.

“My parents believe that they should have the freedom to choose,” he said.

Superintendents have also questioned whether school choice would lead to a transfer portal of student athletes on the Coast, where districts could recruit players or students could choose schools based on sports programs. Owen called the issue “a very easy fix” and said a bill could include language that ensures the state keeps regulating student athlete transfers.

Lawmakers are expected to propose a school choice bill during the legislative session that begins in January.

“It’s very complex. I don’t think it’ll be easy,” Felsher said. “And if we’re going to do something like this, we need to do it right.”

This coverage is supported by a grant from Press Forward Mississippi, part of a nationwide philanthropic effort to reinvigorate local news.

This story was originally published October 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM.