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All Mississippi Senate Democrats Stood United for Mississippi Public Schools, Opposed Senate Bill 2002 – Public-to-Public “School Choice” Bill
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Jackson, Miss. — Following today’s vote in the Mississippi Senate, every Senate Democrat stood united in opposition to legislation that would expand public-to-public school transfers without adequate safeguards—commonly referred to as a “school choice” bill.
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Senate Democrats voted NO, citing serious concerns that the legislation would weaken public education by draining resources from already underfunded school districts, undermining local control, and increasing inequities across the state.
“Mississippi’s public schools are not a game of musical chairs,” said Senate Minority Leader Senator Derrick T. Simmons, who delivered an impassioned speech against Senate Bill 2002 to colleagues.
“This bill would have shifted students and funding from one public school to another without strengthening the overall system. When funding follows students out of struggling districts, the children who remain are left with fewer resources and fewer opportunities.”
Senator Simmons also emphasized concerns that the bill failed to include meaningful guardrails to prevent selective enrollment practices by receiving districts—potentially favoring students who are more affluent, less costly to educate, or athletically gifted—while leaving behind schools with higher concentrations of need.
“Choice without access is not real choice,” Simmons continued. “Without transportation support, equity protections, and local oversight, this policy would have benefited a few at the expense of many—particularly rural communities and low-income communities across Mississippi.”
Senate Democrats reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening public education statewide through proven investments, including competitive teacher pay, modern facilities, early childhood education, and targeted support for struggling schools.
“Public education is a public trust,” Simmons said. “Senate Democrats will continue to stand with Mississippi’s students, educators, and communities by opposing policies that divide our schools and by advocating for solutions that lift every child, in every ZIP code.”
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