Area educators expressed concern Monday about the potential forthe closure of the Mississippi School of the Arts and theMississippi School of Math and Sciences in Columbus.

With a budget deficit and spending gap approaching $1 billion,lawmakers said Monday that would look again at how to fund theschools when they begin their session today.

A tight budget has legislators looking at all agencies todetermine where cuts can be made, including the possibility ofclosing the schools. MSA and MSMS are seeking $7.6 million combinedfor the next fiscal year.

MSA Director Vicki Bodenhamer said Monday that she has notreceived anything officially alerting her that the school is indanger.

“I think we read these same headlines last year,” she said. “Thebudget is tight, but we’re having school every day and spending ourbudget wisely.”

During last year’s budget crisis, cuts also threatened to closethe school.

The state Department of Education was able to find the fundingto not only keep the school open but also to admit a junior classas previously planned. However, the school still suffered a cutequal to nearly one-third of its total budget.

Bill Sones, chairman of the MSA Foundation, admitted it foreseesa tough legislative battle to keep the arts school open. However,he felt the two schools would emerge victorious.

“I’m hoping we’ll have the public support to keep the schoolsopen and capture the vision of what they are trying to achieve,” hesaid. “It deserves the opportunity to grow into maturity. It’scertainly prudent government to look at every aspect of a budget,but we’re hopeful that in the final analysis they will find a wayto keep these schools open.”

A possible compromise on this year’s budget dilemma is to chargestudents for residential living fees to help offset school costs.The fee would cover the costs of students’ dorm rooms and food.

Bodenhamer said that was an option, but not one she would behappy to see put into effect.

“It depends on whether you’re from a poor family or whether youhave a lot of resources,” she said. “I think we could lose some ofour students. Some of them can barely get home during schoolbreaks. It can also be a very difficult concept in chargingresidential fees as opposed to charging for education. By law,public education is Mississippi is free.”

However, charging a residential fee is preferable to closing theschool.

“I think as long as it’s based on income and there is some fairand equitable formula in place, it would be OK,” she said. “Thebest way to be is a free residential high school, but if there is acharge it should be based on residential fees as opposed totuition.”

Sones also voiced some support for a fee system.

“We’re certainly not opposed to some type of tuition paid bystudents,” he said. “If so, we’ll try to get some corporatesponsors to provide scholarships.”

Funding of arts schools in other states is mixed, he said. Someare completely funded by the state while others charge residentialfees or tuition to offset the costs.

Sones said the foundation recently mailed out approximately3,000 letters across the state seeking donations to the school.There has not been time for any response, he said.

MSA students receive many of their more traditional classes,such as history, at Brookhaven High School. Brookhaven SchoolDistrict Superintendent Lea Barrett said district officials viewthe arts school as an integral part of their program.

“We feel like those children are our children too,” she said.”They’ve become a part of our community. This district wants to seeMSA be successful. It provides children opportunities they can’tget anywhere else.”

The final alternative, closing the school, is not an option,Bodenhamer said.

“If the legislature should decide not to fund this program, it’sa crime against the children of Mississippi,” Bodenhamer said. “Thearts are one of Mississippi’s trademarks and we should be promotingwhat we do best.”

Barrett agreed, adding that the legislature should keep itspromises to the state’s children.

“A promise was made to fund MSA before the ‘no new taxes’ pledgewas made,” she said. “Certainly ‘no new taxes’ sells politically,but what about credibility?”