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Friends,
What a week it’s been. We already told you how the Supreme Court seems destined to protect women’s sports. And now, the Mississippi House of Representatives has taken a major step to support all Mississippi families.
On Thursday, they passed the Mississippi Education Freedom Act, House Bill 2. This comprehensive reform puts parents and children first by expanding opportunity, increasing transparency, and strengthening the education system.
What I love about school choice is how it reduces the constant battles in public schools by empowering families with alternatives rather than turning education into a zero sum game.
This bill is supported by President Trump, Gov. Tate Reeves, Mississippi Federation of Republican Women, business leaders, religious leaders, and more! The Mississippi Republican Party Platform has long supported parents’ God-given right to direct the upbringing and education of their child: “Parental involvement in education should extend to allowing parents to choose the school that best meets the educational needs of their children.” Parents, not the government, know what’s best for their child.
At the heart of HB 2 are Magnolia Student Accounts, a new program that allows eligible families to use a portion of their education dollars for approved expenses like private school tuition, tutoring, curriculum, testing, and transportation. The program prioritizes low- and moderate-income families, begins with 12,500 students in its first year, and expands over time.
But the scope of this bill extends well past school choice.
HB 2 also:
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Strengthens public education by extending Mississippi’s proven literacy and math supports into middle school, building on the success of the “Mississippi Miracle.”
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Creates public accountability dashboards so families can easily see how schools are performing in areas like growth, attendance, readiness, and financial transparency.
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Removes barriers to public-to-public school transfers.
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Expands and improves special needs education savings accounts.
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Makes it easier to start and grow high-quality public charter schools.
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Allows homeschool students to participate in public school extracurricular activities.
The bill also supports teachers and school leaders by increasing assistant teacher salaries, giving districts more flexibility in hiring and staffing, and directing the state to seek a federal waiver to reduce excessive standardized testing in grades 3–8.
Together, these reforms reflect a clear vision: our education system should center on students, respect families, and empower educators to do their best work.
We are grateful to Speaker Jason White, Education Chairman Rob Roberson, and Representatives Jansen Owen and Celeste Hurst for their vision and thoughtful work on this bill.
Every state surrounding us has passed similar school choice legislation—Mississippi is the last hold out! The bill now heads to the Senate Education Committee.
Let’s keep going!
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