OSA

Did you know Mississippi’s average teacher salary is the third-lowest in the country when adjusted for cost of living? In 2023–2024, approximately 43% of Mississippi’s K–12 budget was spent on teacher salaries. State Auditor @ShadWhite believes teachers deserve better. That’s why our office has recommended that the Legislature requires 50% of every dollar spent on education to go to teacher salaries. This would immediately cause Mississippi public school teachers to become some of the highest paid teachers in the nation. Mississippi can lead in education, but first we must invest in the people standing at the front of the classroom every day.

It has been the position of State Auditor @ShadWhite that teachers should have their EEF cards before their Professional Development days. MDE and school districts control when this money gets to teachers. In June, MDE committed in writing to our office that they would “make EEF funds available to teachers on July 15, 2026.” Our office is committed to transparency in state government and will continue to do everything we can to ensure teachers don’t have to spend their own money to set up their classroom.

State Auditor @ShadWhite believes that teachers should have their EEF money (classroom supply funds) available for use before they return to school for their professional development days. The Mississippi Department of Education confirmed to our office that EEF cards will be activated on July 15 this year. That’s progress from last year, but more than 1,200 teachers will already be in their classrooms by that date. Our office will continue to monitor whether teachers have access to their funds by July 15. Analysts in our office compiled the following information detailing how many teachers have professional development days before July 15th: Ambition Prep Charter School’s 34 teachers have PD on July 6th. Clinton Public School District’s 337 teachers have PD on July 13th Petal School District’s 333 teachers have PD on July 13th. McComb School District’s 151 teachers have PD on July 13th. Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District’s 352 teachers have PD on July 14th. School Districts Affected: 5 Teachers Affected: 1,207 Students Affected: 16,974 We will continue to monitor the state's and school district’s progress in making EEF funds readily available to teachers before the school year begins. Mississippi's teachers deserve nothing less.

The Mississippi Office of the State Auditor is proud to announce that we returned $202,716.28 back to taxpayers in the month of June.

Auditor White Announces City of Belmont as PIE Award Winner JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor @ShadWhite honored the City of Belmont with the Mississippi Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) Award. To win the award, the city launched Operation Pothole, a strategic effort to identify and mark potholes while securing competitive pricing for materials and labor, and also created a cost-sharing opportunity through garbage services by subcontracting with neighboring municipalities to spread the cost of equipment needs, such as a new garbage truck. “We launched the PIE Awards to honor public servants who think outside the box and find new ways to save taxpayers money and that’s exactly what the City of Belmont is doing for their citizens,” said State Auditor Shad White. “So often the job of the auditor is to find wrongdoing, but I think it’s equally important to highlight when government is working well.” The City of Belmont’s Operation Pothole initiative is a more systematic approach to street maintenance as opposed to scattered spot work. Belmont implemented a process that secured competitive pricing for both materials and labor that maximized their resources and extended the lifespan of roads. Belmont also launched cost-sharing opportunities through regional garbage service by subcontracting with Golden to help spread the cost of equipment needs. “We are honored to receive this recognition from State Auditor Shad White and the State of Mississippi,” said Mayor Brandon Pharr. “Our goal has been simple: find ways to serve our citizens better, be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and make Belmont a stronger and more efficient city. This award is a reflection of the hard work of our employees, leadership, and everyone committed to moving Belmont forward.” “This award shows what can happen when a city is intentional about finding practical solutions that improve services for our citizens,” Vice Mayor Ken Dulaney added. “We are proud of the work being done in Belmont and proud to see those efforts recognized at the state level.” The Mississippi PIE Award recognizes government entities that demonstrate innovation through cost savings, waste reduction, and improved public services. Questions about the program or application process can be emailed to PIE@osa.ms.gov or directed to Kelley Ryan.

Auditor's Office Arrests Former Jones County Deputy Chancery Clerk JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor @ShadWhite announced that Special Agents from his office have arrested Christy Hodge, former Jones County Deputy Chancery Clerk, for allegedly altering official county records. Between June 2025 and August 2025, Hodge allegedly altered and submitted bank statements to conceal $13,356.89 in public funds she converted to her personal use. The funds were later recovered and deposited to the appropriate county depository. “Stealing taxpayer dollars only holds Mississippi back from helping citizens and is completely unacceptable,” said State Auditor Shad White. “We will continue to do everything in our power to recover misspent money for taxpayers.” Hodge faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office at any time by clicking the red button on the Auditor's website or calling 1-(800) 321-1275 during normal business hours.

Auditor's Office Arrests Former Prentiss City Clerk Accused of Embezzling Over $460,000 JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor @ShadWhite announced that Special Agents from his office have arrested Dana Jones, former Prentiss City Clerk, for allegedly embezzling public funds from the City of Prentiss during her time as City Clerk. Jones allegedly pocketed $469,031 for her own personal use by adding unauthorized paychecks and overtime payments to her salary. She also allegedly used city funds to make credit card payments on debt she owed. Additionally, Jones drafted checks made payable to herself and deposited those checks into her personal bank account. “Every dollar stolen from taxpayers is a dollar that could have gone to paving roads, paying our teachers and cops more, or to tax cuts,” said State Auditor Shad White. “We will continue to do everything in our power to recover misspent money for taxpayers.” Jones faces up to $175,000 in fines and 205 years in prison if convicted. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office at any time by clicking the red button on the Auditor's website or calling 1-(800) 321-1275 during normal business hours.

Last year our office found that 75% of Mississippi teachers were already starting the school year before they even had access to their classroom supply funds. Teachers either had to pay for their own classroom supplies or start the year with an empty classroom. Because of those findings, our office requested an update from the Mississippi Department of Education on the steps they've taken to ensure public school teachers receive their funds before returning to the classrooms this year. And GREAT NEWS! MDE's response stated that "the Department will make EEF funds available to teachers on July 15, 2026" and that "a July 15 activation allows MDE to load and activate accounts promptly so that money is available well before the great majority of teachers return to their classrooms." Thank you to MDE for taking feedback from our report and teachers across the state and addressing this concern.

This week our talented interns took a break from work and toured the beautiful Governor’s Mansion in downtown Jackson. Thank you to our gracious tour guide for our wonderful experience in one of Mississippi ’s most historic buildings.

Last year @MSStateAuditor @ShadWhite released a comprehensive MOGE report on government waste from 2018-2025. Some of the report’s greatest hits include: Millions Going to DEI Offices that Spend Money on Things Like Equity-Based Yoga for Preschoolers and Taxpayer Funding for College Degree Programs that Teach Trans/Gender ideology Go to osa.ms.gov, click on audit reports, and search MOGE for more information on this wasteful spending.

As everyone is traveling on their summer trips, it’s important to remember that Mississippi taxpayers are footing a bigger bill than ever for government travel, vehicles, and fuel. State spending in these categories has climbed to roughly $25 million annually—outpacing similar-sized states like Louisiana, Arkansas, and Iowa by millions of dollars. Since 2015, spending has grown well beyond inflation, and new vehicle purchases have exploded sevenfold. As families tighten their budgets, state government should be doing the same. Mississippi taxpayers deserve transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of every tax dollar.

The City of Jackson had the highest homicide rate in the nation last year. Every murder carries a cost. Taxpayers pay for law enforcement response, investigations, prosecutions, incarceration, victim services, and more. Crime also drives away investment, slows economic growth, and makes it harder to attract jobs and families to Mississippi. One national study found that each additional officer prevents approximately 0.06 to 0.1 homicides per year. When government spends money, taxpayers deserve a return on their investment. In this case, the math is simple: More officers = less violent crime = a stronger economy

Yesterday was Father’s Day and it serves as a reminder of how important of a role fathers play in each of our lives. A few years ago, our office released a report analyzing the taxpayer cost of fatherlessness in Mississippi. Kids born in fatherless homes are more likely to have health problems, drop out of high school, and get incarcerated. Seventy percent of high school dropouts are fatherless children. Fatherlessness poses a threat to both the economic and social well-being of Mississippi communities. The data suggest that even a small decrease in the number of fatherless homes could save taxpayers money while improving outcomes for children and families.

Mississippi has the second-highest car tag fees in the nation! Hear from State Auditor @ShadWhite about what the state can do to reduce car tag fees for taxpayers.

Last year @MSStateAuditor @ShadWhite made making illegal immigration a state crime at the top of his list of legislative priorities. Our team traveled around the state advocating for this bill and after years of killing it, the Legislature has finally passed it into law. Our office found that Mississippi taxpayers spend over $100 million every year on costs associated with illegal immigration. The new law goes into effect on July 1st. This bill will help the state ensure that tax dollars go to Mississippi citizens instead of illegal immigrants.

We are so fortunate at the Office of the State Auditor to have the 2026 class of interns. This group of talented young people has shown throughout the summer that they are hard-working, dedicated, and committed to serving our great state. Thank you to our outstanding interns, and stay tuned as they continue learning about and experiencing public service firsthand

Prior to 2025, Mississippi had never reported Medicaid payments for illegal aliens despite federal law requiring it. After identifying this anomaly, State Auditor @ShadWhite commissioned a report to determine why Mississippi’s Medicaid program had never reported this spending. During this work, Mississippi’s Division of Medicaid identified approximately $10.5 million spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens from 2023 to 2025 alone. Mississippi taxpayers should know the cost of illegal immigration and what their tax dollars are funding. Our office will continue to let you know how your tax dollars are being spent—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Mississippi Office of the State Auditor is proud to announce that we returned $80,067.49 back to taxpayers in the month of May.

State Auditor @ShadWhite Issues Statement on Fitch v. White Ruling JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor @ShadWhite issued the following statement on the Mississippi Supreme Court ruling in the Fitch v. White case: “Now that the court has ruled that Lynn Fitch has the sole authority to file suit to get misspent taxpayer money back, I can only assume the Attorney General will now change course and begin to aggressively fight in court for the recovery of all the welfare money. Maybe she will fight as hard to do that as she fought to stop me from recovering the money. Mississippi taxpayers deserve nothing less.”