The Petal School District is once again giving taxpayers the opportunity to contribute to the Petal Early Learning Collaborative and earn tax credits while benefiting pre-kindergarten efforts for 4-year-old students at C.H. Johnson Head Start and Petal Primary School.
During the program, which has garnered $4.1 million for the Petal School District since its inception in 2014, contributors are eligible to receive a 1:1 state tax credit for the donated amount, up to $1 million. The program is a result of the Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013, which was approved by the Mississippi Legislature to establish, expand and support successful early childhood education and development services.
“Since we’re part of a Pre-K collaborative, we have the opportunity to receive money from taxpayers that can be diverted,” said Matt Dillon, superintendent of the Petal School District. “Instead of going to Jackson, it can stay right here in Petal, in our school district, to enhance our Pre-K and early childhood education opportunities.
“We’ve been doing this for quite some time, and we’re very proud over the past few years of how much money has been given to our district.”
The Petal Early Learning Collaborative includes a partnership between the Petal School District, Pearl River Valley Opportunity and Petal Excel By Five. Three classes are housed at the head start center and one is housed at the primary school; each class has 20 students.
The collaborative uses a combination of “Frog Street” and “Creative Curriculum” resources to guide the delivery of instruction, with classrooms working to ensure students’ mastery of the Mississippi Early Learning Standards. Multiple measures, such as the STAR Early Literacy assessment, are administered in the fall and spring of each year to gauge students’ proficiency related to early literacy and numeracy skills.
Funds from the tax initiative can be used for Pre-K efforts such as the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, student field trips for Pre-K children, parent education opportunities, support personnel, replacement of desktop computers or tablets, and hands-on learning kits for students assigned to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Monies also have been used to provide funds to cover additional required work time for PRVO Head Start staff, to install seat belts on school buses, and to install outdoor shade for the Petal Primary School Pre-K area.
“This is such a huge blessing, because it allows us to go above and beyond what we normally could do for our efforts at the Coleman Center for Families and Children,” Dillon said. “There’s many ways that we utilize this money, not only to operate the center, but also we’re providing curriculum to our local daycares, so we’re all learning from the same curriculum.
“We have ways that we use that money for outreach and field trips and other opportunities. So this is giving our kids an advantage, and we’re very fortunate to have the opportunity for individuals and businesses that pay Mississippi taxes to participate in this.”
To take part in the tax program, individuals or corporations can call William Wheat, who serves as chief finanacial officer of the district, at (601) 606-5178 or email him at William.wheat@petalschools.com. Dede Smith, director of the Coleman Center for Families and Children, also can be contacted at (601) 466-6917 or dede.smith@petalschools.com.
The deadline to contribute is Dec. 31.
“We encourage those individuals that feel comfortable doing so to give us an opportunity for them to see what their state tax liability is,” Dillon said. “They can write a check to the Petal School District, and from there, you get a receipt or a form that you can give to your CPA or utilize to file your own taxes.”
The Mississippi Department of Revenue can approve 1:1 tax credits up to the amount the Mississippi Legislature appropriates to the Early Learning Collaborative Act each year. For 2021, the Legislature appropriated $11.8 million, therefore the sum of donations eligible for the tax credit may not exceed that amount.
“It’s been highly successful; I don’t know of any other district across the state that has brought in more money,” Dillon said. “Again, that just shows how dedicated our citizens are, and even people in the greater Pine Belt area, and our alumni, have also participated in the past.
“It’s very special, and we understand this is a blessing for us to have these extra dollars for us to put toward early childhood education efforts. (It) gives our students the best opportunities before they enter Petal Primary School, so it’s a very exciting time.”
