The Mississippi School of the Arts has not been spared theuncertainty surrounding possible state funding cuts foreducation.

“We don’t know if, or how, it will affect us,” said MSAExecutive Director Dr. Vicki Bodenhamer. “It’s too early in thesession for us to know anything.”

Bodenhamer said the MSA is funded through the Department ofEducation and could be included in the proposed cuts. However, itsfunding is handled separately from the public schools, which mayspare it from the budget ax.

“We’re not a school district, so we’re not treated exactly thesame,” said MSA Public Relations Director Jennifer Jackson. “Lastyear, when the government funded education first, we were notincluded and did not benefit from those funds.”

Bodenhamer assumes, however, that the entire state educationdepartment will be affected by the cut.

“It does look like everyone will be affected,” she said.

She and her staff have been working diligently on preparingpotential alternative plans should the arts school be included,Bodenhamer said. But there are few areas where the fledgling schoolhas any maneuverability.

The school has new teachers to hire as the current class movesup. Therefore, cutting faculty is not option.

“When you have a skeleton staff, you can’t cut staff,” shesaid.

While legislators haggle among themselves over the best way tomeet budget demands and how much of the education budget to cut,MSA officials can only watch anxiously with their public educationcounterparts to see what will develop.

“We’re being encouraged by local officials that we should be OK,but there’s always, always a worry,” Jackson said.