The Mississippi Senate Education Committee moved quickly on education policy Monday, approving three bills during the opening day of the 2026 Legislative Session.
Committee Chair Dennis DeBar said the early action was intentional, signaling where Senate leadership stands on key education priorities.
“It’s important to set the tone where the Senate is — where they stand on teacher pay, on school choice, and getting teachers back into the classroom,” DeBar said.
Teacher Pay Increase Proposal
One of the bills approved by the committee includes a $2,000 across-the-board pay raise for Mississippi teachers. DeBar said he hopes lawmakers can ultimately increase that amount.
“I would like to see that get closer to $5,000, if possible,” he said.
Retired Teachers and Alternate Pathways
Another bill aims to address Mississippi’s ongoing teacher shortage by allowing retired educators to return to the classroom. According to DeBar, the state is currently short 3,815 teachers.
The proposal would also expand eligibility to state retirees who do not hold teaching degrees, allowing them to enter classrooms through an alternate certification process. Additionally, the bill increases allowable earnings for retirees who return to work, raising the limit from 50% to 65% of their retirement pay.
“This could be any retiree — it does not have to be an educator,” DeBar explained. “We’re opening that up.”
Senate School Choice Bill
The third bill approved is the Senate’s version of school choice legislation. The measure would allow students to continue transferring between districts, but removes the ability of the sending district to block those transfers.
“Basically, they’re allowed to continue what they’re doing, except the sending district does not have the veto authority to stop it,” DeBar said.
Before final approval, Briggs Hopson offered an amendment that would allow school districts to continue deciding whether to charge a fee to students transferring from outside the district.
That amendment raised concerns among some lawmakers, including Rod Hickman, who questioned the potential impact on lower-income families.
“Doesn’t that further exacerbate the socio-economic issue in that districts are now able to say, ‘You can come to this better district, but you’ve got to pay to do it?’” Hickman asked.
What’s Next
The bills now head to the full Senate for debate and possible passage.
“When you see these bills come up on the floor tomorrow, I hope that the chamber will agree with that,” DeBar said. “And we’ll send them back to the House tomorrow afternoon.”
