Education in Mississippi

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Formal education in Mississippi began in the early 19th century with private schools and academies, a public education system was founded during the Reconstruction era, by the biracial legislature led by the Republican Party. Throughout its history, Mississippi has produced notable education inequalities due to racial segregation and underfunding of black schools, as well as rural zoning and lack of commitment to funding education.

In the 21st century, Mississippi struggles to meet national assessment standards, and the state has low graduation rates. The Mississippi Legislature and Board of Education develop policies aimed at building better learning environments and standards in the classroom. In 2005, ninety-one percent of white students statewide were in public schools, and an even higher percentage of black students.^[1]

Although unusual in the West, school corporal punishment is common in Mississippi, with 31,236 public school students^[2] paddled at least one time.^[3] A greater percentage of students were paddled in Mississippi than in any other state, according to government data for the 2011–2012 school year.^[3]