ClassWallet success as teachers use it
Evans made the report during the State Superintendent's report at the board's Aug. 21 meeting. "Last year at this point in time, we had spent 8.5 million in EF funds. Uh at this point in time this year, which is, you know, a measure of the exact same period of time, we've spent uh it's a little over 10 million we're at now," Evans said. He reported roughly 700,000 transactions have been made by 34,298 registered teachers using the platform. Evans also told the board that the Mississippi Department of Education has launched a "direct pay" option meant to eliminate teachers paying out of pocket and waiting for reimbursement, and that the vendor marketplace has expanded by 80 retailers, including Home Depot and Office Depot.
The rising spending figures represent the state's own accounting of how much of the teacher-spending program is being used, up from $8.5 million at the same point a year earlier. The vendor expansion and higher transaction volume suggest growing use of the program among registered teachers statewide.
School choice advocates want families to be able to allocate education tax dollars the way teachers are increasingly able to through ClassWallet.