Public/Private Partnerships in
Education Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo
wants to be one of the ten best school systems in the nation, but
it knows that it will take more than property tax revenue to
achieve that, particularly since Mississippi has long trailed most
of the nation in per-pupil expenditure.
Tupelo's dream
began when the late George McLean, publisher of the local
newspaper, voiced concerns about the city's economic future and
noted that if Tupelo was to prosper, a sound educational system was
essential. That early notion grew into a community-wide commitment
to comprehensive education. Since 1983 more than $2.5 million has
been raised from public and private sources to supplement the
regular school budget. Students' test scores and per pupil
expenditures have risen, Tupelo students have begun competing in
and winning statewide and national academic competitions, and pride
in the school system has helped attract new businesses to
Tupelo.
Private
citizens and businesses fund innovative projects in the schools
that would be otherwise impossible to support. The Association for
Excellence in Education, a private membership organization formed
in 1983, contributes over $100,000 per year for mini-grants and
in-service training for
Image removed
teachers, after-school tutorials and special challenges for gifted
students, and such basics as textbooks, computers, and additional
school personnel. A community foundation that is part of the
partnership also provides direct financial assistance to innovative
projects. Other aspects of Tupelo's comprehensive approach include
health education, and dropout prevention and pregnancy prevention
programs.
The city
government's primary contribution has been the creation of Quality
Leap Forward, a program that funds additional teachers in
mathematics, science, and English. Since its inception in 1985,
Quality Leap Forward has lowered student teacher ratios from 33:1
to 22:1 in mathematics and science classes.
Although the
highest levels of business and government now share responsibility
for these initiatives inside and outside the classroom, all
programs are administered by the superintendent of
schools.