Disability Rights Mississippi supports the Southern Poverty Law Center’s lawsuit to ensure proper funding and oversight for all Mississippi schools.
Under current law, charter schools in Mississippi divert local and state taxpayer funds from traditional public school districts. According to the SPLC, this funding structure violates the Mississippi Constitution. Diverting funding from traditional public school districts is especially harmful to students with disabilities, who require special services and supports to achieve their academic goals. There are more than 3,000 students with disabilities in JPS, which has already lost more than $1.8 million to charter schools. DRMS’s mission is to promote, protect and advocate for the legal and human rights of all people with disabilities, and to assist them with full inclusion in home, community, education and employment.
“We support a public education system that serves every single student in Mississippi, including students with disabilities,” said Ann Maclaine, DRMS Executive Director. “We cannot support diverting resources from the thousands of public school children who need them.”
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