Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-51 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 115-51
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-51
Status: in_force

The legislature hereby finds that there is great need of additional and better trained nurses in Mississippi and the purpose of this section is to meet that need to the extent herein provided.

The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is hereby authorized and directed to establish a school of nursing at the University of Mississippi under the jurisdiction of the dean of the school of medicine or such other authority as said board of trustees may determine, and other regularly constituted administrative authorities of the university.

Said board of trustees shall provide for such school, such buildings and equipment, and such teaching staff and other personnel as may be deemed appropriate for the establishment and operation of such school of nursing and for the performance of the other functions herein provided for, all of which shall, however, be done within the appropriations made for such purposes.

Such school of nursing shall, under the direction and supervision of the dean of the school of medicine and the other regularly constituted administrative authorities of the university and of said board of trustees and under curricula to be prescribed by said board, and beginning each of its functions at such time as may be determined by said board, carry on a teaching course, looking to the conferring of bachelor's or master's degrees in nursing.

Such school of nursing shall under the same direction, supervision, control and conditions as set forth in the fourth paragraph hereof, have authority, in its discretion, to arrange and contract with hospitals, hospital schools of nursing or other similar institutions, for students in the school of nursing to take clinical training and practice in such institutions. It shall have the further authority to contract with hospitals, hospital schools of nursing or other similar institutions with respect to providing to any such institution instructors or instruction services from the university school of nursing upon full or part time basis and upon such basis of compensation or reimbursement of costs as may be deemed reasonable and proper in view of the public interests involved.

Under the same supervision, direction, control and conditions as are set forth in the fourth paragraph hereof, said school of nursing shall also administer such scholarship programs in nursing education and such activities with respect to recruitment of nursing students and counseling work with such students and prospective students as may be provided for by the legislature from time to time.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 45-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-17
Status: in_force

The commission shall select an executive secretary, who shall be the administrative officer of the commission. The executive secretary shall perform such duties as are required of him by law, and such other duties as may be assigned to him by the commission. He shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by the commission. He shall hold, or be eligible to secure, a Class AA certificate for administrators as defined in the rules and regulations of the state department of education covering the certification of instructional personnel. He shall have had ten years' experience as a teacher, supervisor or administrator in the public schools, of which not less than five years shall have been in a responsible administrative position. He shall have had broad professional education experience and shall have recognized ability as a school administrator. He shall have no vote in the decisions of said commission, and shall have no voice in the making or fixing of policies by said commission. Said executive secretary, in order to qualify for his position, shall be required to make a good and sufficient bond in some surety company qualified and doing business in the State of Mississippi, in the penal sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00), conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties as required by law and the directives of said commission. The premium on said bond shall be paid from any funds available to the commission for such purpose. Said executive secretary may be removed at any time upon a majority vote of the membership of said commission.

The commission shall have the power and authority to employ such technical, professional, and clerical help as may be necessary for the administration of this chapter and for the performance of such other duties as may be imposed upon the commission by law, and to define the duties and fix the compensation of such employees.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-171-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 171-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-171-7
Status: in_force

(1) School districts are encouraged strongly to enter into shared use agreements with community organizations and local governmental agencies.

(2) Local government entities are expressly authorized to enter into such shared use agreements and/or expend public funds and/or to use public labor and/or equipment and/or commodities in furtherance of the purpose of such agreements.

(3) The State Department of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Health, shall develop a best practices tool kit relating to shared use agreements for school districts. This tool kit must include:

(a) Information outlining liability protections for both the school district and school district employees for injuries resulting from community use of school property or facilities for purposes of recreation or sport during nonschool hours;

(b) Model shared use agreement language;

(c) A list of technical assistance resources available for the school district to promote community recreational use of school property or facilities during nonschool hours;

(d) A list of potential community partners for shared use agreements; and

(e) A list of any grants or funding opportunities available to school districts to promote community recreational use of school property or facilities during nonschool hours.

The tool kit must be posted on the State Department of Education and State Department of Health websites. The State Department of Education shall review the information required by this section no less than every two (2) years and shall update the information as necessary.

(4) The State Department of Education shall provide a link on the department's website to any school district policies or procedures that promote community recreational use of school property or facilities in order to encourage information sharing among the school districts.

(5) Each school district, in consultation with the school health council, must address community recreational use of school property or facilities during nonschool hours.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-51 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 47-51
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-51
Status: in_force

All bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter and all interim certificates issued under the provisions of this chapter, except those fully registered, shall be fully negotiable within the meaning and for all the purposes of the Uniform Commercial Code.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-109 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 155-109
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-109
Status: in_force

(1) The board shall make savings trust agreements available to the public, under which account owners or other payors may make contributions on behalf of qualified beneficiaries. Contributions and investment earnings on the contributions may be used for any qualified higher educational expenses of a designated beneficiary. The state does not guarantee that such contributions, together with the investment return on such contributions, if any, will be adequate to pay for qualified education expenses in full.

(2) Each savings trust agreement made pursuant to this article shall include the following terms and provisions:

(a) The maximum and minimum contribution allowed on behalf of each beneficiary for the payment of qualified higher education expenses at eligible institutions, both as defined in Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , as amended, or other applicable federal law;

(b) Provisions for withdrawals, refunds, transfers and any penalties;

(c) The name, address and date of birth of the beneficiary on whose behalf the savings trust account is opened;

(d) Terms and conditions for a substitution of the beneficiary originally named;

(e) Terms and conditions for termination of the account, including any refunds, withdrawals or transfers, and applicable penalties, and the name of the person or persons entitled to terminate the account;

(f) The time period during which the beneficiary must use benefits from the savings trust account;

(g) All other rights and obligations of the account owner and the MACS Trust Fund; and

(h) Any other terms and conditions that the board deems necessary or appropriate, including those necessary to conform the savings trust account with the requirements of Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , as amended, or other applicable federal law or regulations.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-257 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 33-257
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-257
Status: in_force

The department shall conduct an annual survey of nursing homes in the state to determine the number of individuals fifty-five (55) years of age and under who reside in such homes due to a spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury. All individuals identified in such a survey shall be evaluated by the department as to their rehabilitation potential, and any individual who may benefit from rehabilitation services shall be given an opportunity to participate in an appropriate rehabilitation program for which he may be eligible.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-123-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 123-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-123-7
Status: in_force

(1) Delta State University may enter into a public-private partnership with a third-party developer for planning, designing, renovating, constructing, furnishing, and equipping Ward Hall Dormitory and Cleveland Hall, using funds specifically appropriated for that purpose.

(2) Delta State University may enter into a partnership with the Cleveland School District to create a model rural education school to serve Pre-K through sixth-grade students from Bolivar County and a model program which shall also serve as a model for the education of teachers and administrators. To accomplish that purpose, Delta State University and the Cleveland School District are each authorized, in their discretion:

(a) To enter into an agreement for the purpose of designing, constructing, maintaining and operating a model rural education school to serve Pre-K through sixth-grade students from Bolivar County; and

(b) To transfer funds to the other and expend such funds on mutually agreeable terms and conditions for the construction, maintenance and operation of such school.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-61 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 113-61
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-61
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this section:

(a) “ Extension service ” means the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

(b) “ Fiscal year ” means the period beginning on July 1 of any year and ending on June 30 of the following year.

(c) “ Therapeutic riding ” means the use of equine-facilitated activities for the purpose of contributing positively to the cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being of people with disabilities.

(2) There is established a program of state certification for therapeutic riding instructors in Mississippi, which shall be administered by the Mississippi State University Extension Service. In order to receive certification under the state program, a therapeutic riding instructor must complete the training provided by the extension service, which shall address standards of safety for participants, volunteers, staff, equipment, facilities and horses, and standards of health care for horses. The extension service shall provide, or facilitate through contracts with third parties, the training necessary to obtain certification.

(3) Initial and renewal certification under the state program will be valid for one (1) fiscal year. The initial certification will be valid for the fiscal year in which it is obtained. In order to renew the certification for later fiscal years, the instructor must attend, in each fiscal year, a continuing education seminar that is provided by or approved by the extension service.

(4) The extension service may charge reasonable fees for providing training, initial certification, and continuing education seminars.

(5) The state certification program is a program to identify and recognize those therapeutic riding instructors who have completed training in safety standards in therapeutic riding. The state certification program is not a regulatory program, and the extension service shall not have any regulatory authority over therapeutic riding instructors, facilities or programs in Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-563 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 29-563
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-563
Status: in_force

The Board of Trustees of the Coahoma Community College District shall have the authority to purchase property, make capital improvements, and lease or use private or public facilities at the campus, in the discretion of the board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-321 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 101-321
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-321
Status: in_force

The bonds authorized under the authority of Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 may be validated in the Chancery Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, in the manner and with the force and effect provided now or hereafter by Chapter 13, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 1972 , for the validation of county, municipal, school district and other bonds. The notice to taxpayers required by the aforesaid statute shall be published in a newspaper published in the City of Jackson, Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-243 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 101-243
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-243
Status: in_force

(1) For the purposes of this section, these words are defined as follows:

(a) “ Commission ” means the Commission on College Accreditation created under Section 37-101-241 ; and

(b) “ Institution ” means and includes institutions of higher learning approved under Section 37-101-241 and proprietary schools and other entities subject to regulation under Section 75-60-1 et seq.

(2) The commission may enter into and administer interstate reciprocity agreements that allow institutions to offer postsecondary distance education. The commission is further authorized to carry out the following duties as related to interstate reciprocity agreements:

(a) Approve or disapprove participation in these agreements by institutions;

(b) Establish fees to be paid by participating institutions to cover the commission's direct and indirect administrative costs incurred by the commission or by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning on the commission's behalf;

(c) Serve as the state point of contact for questions, complaints and other communications;

(d) Enter into agreements with other state agencies regarding state responsibilities; and

(e) Form committees to assist in establishing policies and procedures.

(3) The commission shall not:

(a) Require institutions to participate in interstate reciprocity agreements; or

(b) Prohibit institutions that do not participate in these agreements from offering postsecondary distance education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 155-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-3
Status: in_force

The Legislature hereby finds and declares as follows:

(a) Tuition and required fees at institutions of higher education are difficult for many to afford and difficult to predict. As a result, the ability of individuals and families to plan for future educational expenses has been adversely affected.

(b) It is in the best interest of the citizens of this state to foster higher education in order to provide well-educated citizens.

(c) It is in the best interest of the citizens of this state to encourage state residents to enroll in institutions of higher education.

(d) Providing a mechanism to help assure the higher education of the citizens of this state is necessary and desirable for the public health, safety and welfare.

(e) The purposes of this article are to:

(i) Provide wide and affordable access to the public institutions of higher education for the residents of this state.

(ii) Encourage attendance at institutions of higher education and help individuals plan for educational expenses.

(iii) Provide a program for the advance purchase of tuition and required fees as both a means and an incentive for the citizens of this state to provide for future higher education expenses.

(iv) Provide a program through which many of the costs associated with postsecondary attendance may be paid in advance and fixed at a guaranteed level for the duration of the undergraduate enrollment.

(v) Provide for the creation of a trust fund, as an agency and instrumentality of the State of Mississippi, to assist qualified students in financing a portion of the cost of attending institutions of higher education in the State of Mississippi.

(vi) Encourage timely financial planning for higher education by the creation of prepaid tuition contracts.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-61 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 41-61
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-61
Status: in_force

To the extent that state, federal or other funds are available or appropriated, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Education shall cooperate to conduct an information campaign to educate drivers concerning the provisions of Chapter 481, Laws of 2011, and the importance of school bus safety.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 27-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-9
Status: in_force

In case the county board of education of two or more counties shall so decide, two or more counties may unite in establishing a joint agricultural high school, joint agricultural high school-junior college or two schools. The county boards of education of the two or more counties shall meet in joint session to determine the location of the school or schools, and if no place can be agreed upon by a majority of the joint boards for either school, the two places receiving the greatest number of votes shall be certified by the boards to the state board of education, which board shall select one of them as a site for the school.

In case any county not contributing to the support of an agricultural high school or agricultural high school-junior college desires to co-operate in the maintenance of such a school or schools already established by some other county or counties, and receive therefrom the full privileges and benefits of such an institution, such desire shall be made a matter of record on the minutes of the county board of education of the said county by a majority vote of said board. After such action by the county board of education, the board of supervisors of said county may with the consent of the trustees of the school or schools make a levy for the support of said agricultural high school or agricultural high school-junior college. After such levy has been made, the county shall, so far as the law is concerned, have all the privileges, rights, and duties concerning the operation of said school in every respect as the county or counties originally establishing said agricultural high school or agricultural high school-junior college.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-161-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 161-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-161-5
Status: in_force

(1) There is established a commission to be known as the “Lifelong Learning Commission.”

(2) The commission shall consist of four (4) members, who shall serve ex officio, as follows:

(a) The Governor of the State of Mississippi, who shall serve as chairman;

(b) The State Superintendent of Public Education;

(c) The Commissioner of the Mississippi Community College Board; and

(d) The Commissioner of Higher Education.

(3) The duties of the Lifelong Learning Commission shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:

(a) To assess the dropout crisis in Mississippi and recommend action steps to address it;

(b) To create a set of common definitions for graduation and dropout rates which can be used to compare the commission's progress relative to other states;

(c) To facilitate agreements that will make the Mississippi high school experience more meaningful;

(d) To encourage more rigor and relevance in the high school experience;

(e) To facilitate the transferability of education from secondary to postsecondary institutions;

(f) To raise state awareness on the need for improving Mississippi's high schools;

(g) To develop a series of best practices policy actions that state policymakers and legislators can implement to achieve system-wide high school reform; and

(h) To convene town hall meetings around the state, when the commission determines necessary, where students, teachers, administrators and parents can discuss high school, the senior year and impediments to greater success.

(4) The commission may prepare an annual report for the consideration of the Chairmen of the House and Senate Education and Universities and Colleges Committees pertaining to the information gathered in the performance of its duties.

(5) The commission members shall meet at those times and places deemed necessary by the commission. The commission may use any available resources to fulfill its mission.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-353 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 7-353
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-353
Status: in_force

The Legislature finds and declares that there exists an urgent shortage of adequate public school facilities, equipment and capital with which to provide such facilities and equipment for the attainment of a satisfactory level of public education in the schools of this state, and that this situation has become a critical priority of many school districts in order to provide adequate space for kindergarten programs as mandated by the Education Reform Act of 1982. It is the purpose of Sections 37-7-351 through 37-7-359 to provide the boards of trustees of the school districts of this state with additional options with which to provide for facilities, equipment and other property necessary, in the judgment of the boards of trustees of such school districts, to properly carry out the local education needs of the local school districts.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 59-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-27
Status: in_force

All bonds issued by a school district shall mature annually, with all maturities not longer than twenty (20) years. Not less than one-fiftieth ( 1 / 50 ) total issue shall mature each year during the first five (5) years of the life of such bonds, and not less than one-twenty-fifth ( 1 / 25 ) of the total issue shall mature each year during the succeeding period of ten (10) years of the life of such bonds, and the remainder shall be amortized, as to principal and interest, into approximately equal annual payments, one (1) payment to mature each year for the remaining life of such bonds. However, in cases where bonds shall be issued or dated subsequent to the date fixed for making the school tax levy in the year in which such bonds are to be issued, the first maturity date of not less than one-fiftieth ( 1 / 50 ) of the total issue may be fixed for any period not exceeding two (2) years from the date of the bonds with the same schedule of subsequent maturities as hereinabove set forth. Such bonds shall not bear a greater overall maximum interest rate to maturity than that allowed in Section 75-17-101, Mississippi Code of 1972 . No bond shall bear more than one (1) rate of interest. Each bond shall bear interest from its date to its stated maturity date at the interest rate specified in the bid. All bonds of the same maturity shall bear the same rate of interest from date to maturity. All interest accruing on such bonds so issued shall be payable semiannually or annually, except that the first interest coupon attached to any such bond may be for any period not exceeding one (1) year.

No interest payment shall be evidenced by more than one (1) coupon and neither cancelled nor supplemental coupons shall be permitted. The lowest interest rate specified for any bonds issued shall not be less than seventy percent (70%) of the highest interest rate specified for the same bond issue. The interest rate of any one (1) interest coupon shall not exceed the maximum interest rate allowed on such bonds. Each interest rate specified in any bid must be in multiples of one-eighth of one percent ( 1 / 8 of 1%) or in multiples of one-tenth of one percent ( 1 / 10 of 1%), and a zero rate of interest cannot be named.

The form and place or places of payment of such bonds shall be fixed in the resolution or order of the school board of such school district issuing such bonds. Such bonds shall be executed by the manual or facsimile signature of the president of the school board and the superintendent of schools, with the official seal or facsimile thereof of such school district affixed thereto. At least one (1) signature on each bond shall be a manual signature, as specified in the issuing resolution. The coupons may bear only the facsimile signatures of such president of the school board and superintendent of schools. However, if so provided in the issuing resolution, if the manual signature of the trustee or other fiduciary or agent charged with authenticating and issuing the bonds is required to be thereon, both the signatures of the president of the school board and the superintendent of schools may be by facsimile. No bonds shall be issued and sold under the provisions of this article for less than par and accrued interest.

The bond register for all outstanding bond issues of such school district shall be maintained by the school board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-147-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 147-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-147-3
Status: in_force

There is hereby created and established the Mississippi University Research Authority to promote the public welfare and prosperity of the people of Mississippi and foster economic development within the state by forging links among the state's educational institutions, businesses and industrial communities and state government through the development of cooperative ventures of innovative technological significance which will advance education, research or economic development within the state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-159 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 33-159
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-159
Status: in_force

The State Board of Rehabilitation Services shall appoint an Executive Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services, in accordance with standards established by the State Personnel Board and on the basis of his education, training, experience and demonstrated ability. The executive director shall serve as secretary and executive officer of the board, and he shall serve at the will and pleasure of the board. The salary of the executive director shall be set by the board, subject to the approval of the State Personnel Board, and shall be provided for out of any funds made available for such purpose by the Legislature, the federal government or other gifts or grants. The executive director shall be responsible to the board for the proper administration of the programs of rehabilitation provided under this chapter in conformity with the policies adopted by the board and shall be responsible for appointing directors of offices and any necessary supervisors, assistants and employees. The salary and compensation of such employees shall be subject to the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the State Personnel Board as created under Section 25-9-101 et seq.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-29 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 173-29
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-29
Status: in_force

The inclusion of eligible nonpublic schools within options available to Mississippi public school students does not expand the regulatory authority of the state, its officers, or any school district to impose any additional regulation of nonpublic schools beyond those reasonably necessary to enforce requirements expressly set forth in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 41-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-5
Status: in_force

In addition to public school students or pupils authorized to be transported to the public schools by virtue of Section 37-41-3 , the local school board, with the concurrence of the board of supervisors, in their discretion and with local tax funds or other local contributions or support exclusively and without state appropriations, may provide transportation for students or pupils to the public schools whenever the within described boards or officers find that extraordinary circumstances and conditions are prevalent in said school district in regard to such matters as the public health and safety, school facilities, location of the school site, unusual economic growth and population expansion, newly expanded municipal corporation limits, the general welfare, and any other emergency facts and conditions which may be deemed by said authorities to be in the best interest of the political subdivision.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 155-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-7
Status: in_force

(1) The board of directors shall consist of thirteen (13) members as follows:

(a) Nine (9) voting members as follows: the State Treasurer; the Commissioner of Higher Education, or his designee; the Executive Director of the Community and Junior College Board, or his designee; the Department of Finance and Administration Executive Director, or his designee; and one (1) member from each Mississippi Supreme Court District and two (2) from the state at large to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The MPACT Board of Directors, created by former Section 37-155-7, is continued and reconstituted as follows: Effective January 1, 2028, the appointed MPACT Board members shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term of office of four (4) years, provided that three (3) such members shall be appointed in 2028 to a term ending December 31, 2031, and two (2) such members shall be appointed in 2030 to a term ending December 31, 2033. Appointments made at the beginning of the four-year cycle shall be made to fill any member's term which actually expires that year and any member's term which expires next until the majority of the membership of the board or commission is reached. Appointments made at the beginning of the third year of the four-year cycle shall be made for the remainder of the membership positions irrespective of the time of their prior appointment. Any question regarding the order of appointments shall be determined by the Secretary of State in accordance with the specific statute. All appointment procedures, vacancy provisions, interim appointment provisions and removal provisions specifically provided for in Section 7-1-35, Mississippi Code of 1972 , shall be fully applicable to appointments to the MPACT Board of Directors. Ex officio members of the board may be represented at official meetings by their deputy, or other designee, and such designees shall have full voting privileges and shall be included in the determination of a quorum for conducting board business.

(b) Two (2) nonvoting, advisory members of the board shall be appointed by each of the following officers: the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(2) Each member appointed shall possess knowledge, skill and experience in business or financial matters commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the trust fund.

(3) Members of the board of directors shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for each day's official duties of the board at the same per diem as established by Section 25-3-69 and actual travel and lodging expenses as established by Section 25-3-41 .

(4) The board of directors shall annually elect one (1) member to serve as chairman of the board and one (1) member to serve as vice chairman. The vice chairman shall act as chairman in the absence of or upon the disability of the chairman or in the event of a vacancy of the office of chairman.

(5) A majority of the currently serving members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of conducting business and exercising its official powers and duties. Any action taken by the board shall be upon the vote of a majority of the members present.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 11-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-7
Status: in_force

(1) The State of Mississippi does hereby accept and avail itself of all the provisions and benefits of acts passed by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled on June 4, 1946, known as the “National School Lunch Act,” Chapter 281, 60 Stat 230, and on October 11, 1966, known as the “Child Nutrition Act,” 80 Stat 885.

(2) The State Department of Education is hereby designated and appointed as the state agency in Mississippi to carry out and execute the functions and duties required of a state agency under the terms and provisions of said acts and to administer the funds made available by the federal government for the school lunch and other child nutrition programs for and in the State of Mississippi under the provisions of said acts. For such purpose, the State Superintendent of Public Education is hereby authorized and empowered to do any and all things which may be required under the terms of said acts to enable the State of Mississippi to receive the benefits thereof, to enter into any and all agreements and contracts with any officer or agency of the United States of America, or any other person, agency or political subdivision, that may be necessary, expedient or advisable in administering said acts, and to appoint and employ a state supervisor of the child nutrition programs and such other administrative, supervisory, stenographic and clerical personnel as may be necessary in the administration of said acts.

(3) The school boards of any combination of school districts may authorize by resolution the organization and operation of, or the participation in, a group purchase program with other participating child nutrition operators for the purchase of commodities, supplies, equipment and services provided under the school lunch and child nutrition programs, when it appears to said participating child nutrition operators that a group purchase program shall effect economy or efficiency in such operation. The State Department of Education may administer such group purchase program to provide commodities, supplies, equipment and services under the school lunch and child nutrition programs and may charge and collect reasonable fees from participating operators for the actual cost of administering such group purchase program. Purchases by participating operators in such group purchasing programs shall not be exempt from public bid requirements as prescribed in Sections 31-7-12 and 31-7-13, Mississippi Code of 1972 .

(4) The State Treasurer is hereby designated and appointed custodian of all monies received by the state from appropriations made to carry out the provisions of said acts of Congress, and he is authorized to receive and to provide for the proper custody of same, and to make disbursements thereof in the manner provided for in said acts and for the purposes therein specified.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-50.1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 115-50.1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-50.1
Status: in_force

Subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, the University of Mississippi Medical Center (hereafter known as the “academic medical center”) is authorized to directly or indirectly enter into joint-purchasing arrangements, however structured, on terms customary in the market or required by the organization and to enter into joint ventures, joint-operating agreements, or similar arrangements with community hospitals or other public or private health-related organizations, or with for-profit or nonprofit corporations or other organizations, to establish arrangements for the academic medical center to participate in financial integration and/or clinical integration or clinically integrated networks with a joint venture, with community hospitals or other public or private health-related organizations, or with other for-profit or nonprofit corporations or other organizations, or through a joint-operating agreement, and to provide for contracts of employment or contracts for services and ownership of property on terms that will protect the public interest.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-59 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 33-59
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-59
Status: in_force

The department shall provide vocational rehabilitation services to individuals who are blind who are determined by the department to be eligible therefor, and in carrying out the purposes of the Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind Law, the department is authorized among other things:

(a) To cooperate with other departments, agencies and institutions, both public and private, in providing for the vocational rehabilitation of individuals who are blind, in studying the problems involved therein, and in establishing, developing and providing, in conformity with the purposes of that law, such programs, facilities and services as may be necessary or desirable;

(b) To conduct research and compile statistics relating to the vocational rehabilitation of individuals who are blind;

(c) To prescribe and provide such courses of vocational training as may be necessary for the vocational rehabilitation of individuals who are blind.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-119 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 155-119
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-119
Status: in_force

This article is not a promise or guarantee that the beneficiary will be:

(a) Admitted to any institution of higher education;

(b) Admitted to a particular institution of higher education after admission;

(c) Allowed to continue enrollment at an institution of higher education; or

(d) Graduated from an institution of higher education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-209 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 13-209
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-209
Status: in_force

The State Department of Education shall review district-submitted courses to enable schools to utilize high quality online computer science courses to meet the needs of such schools as a result of Sections 37-13-201 through 37-13-213 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 145-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-5
Status: in_force

There is hereby created the Mississippi Opportunity Loan Program to assist students in meeting the rising costs of higher education and to increase the educational opportunities of such students by providing low interest rate student loans to assist Mississippi students in furthering their higher education goals.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-55 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 113-55
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-55
Status: in_force

There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the “Mississippi State University Veterinary School Fund.” The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed by the Department of Finance and Administration to assist Mississippi State University with paying costs associated with the design, construction, renovation, repairs, and equipping of the Wise Center. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-67 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 11-67
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-67
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this section, “ bullying or harassing behavior ” is any pattern of gestures or written, electronic or verbal communications, or any physical act or any threatening communication, or any act reasonably perceived as being motivated by any actual or perceived differentiating characteristic, that takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function, or on a school bus, and that:

(a) Places a student or school employee in actual and reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property; or

(b) Creates or is certain to create a hostile environment by substantially interfering with or impairing a student's educational performance, opportunities or benefits. For purposes of this section, “ hostile environment ” means that the victim subjectively views the conduct as bullying or harassing behavior and the conduct is objectively severe or pervasive enough that a reasonable person would agree that it is bullying or harassing behavior.

(2) No student or school employee shall be subjected to bullying or harassing behavior by school employees or students.

(3) No person shall engage in any act of reprisal or retaliation against a victim, witness or a person with reliable information about an act of bullying or harassing behavior.

(4) A school employee who has witnessed or has reliable information that a student or school employee has been subject to any act of bullying or harassing behavior shall report the incident to the appropriate school official.

(5) A student or volunteer who has witnessed or has reliable information that a student or school employee has been subject to any act of bullying or harassing behavior should report the incident to the appropriate school official.

(6) Conduct described in subsection (1) of this section is considered bullying if that conduct interferes with a student's education or substantially disrupts the operation of a school.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-35 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 59-35
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-35
Status: in_force

Whenever there shall be on hand in any bond and interest fund an amount in excess of the amount which will be required for expenditure therefrom within the then next succeeding twelve (12) months, the school board may use such excess amount to purchase the outstanding bonds of such school district which are payable from such fund whenever, in the judgment of such school board, the best interest of the district would be served thereby. When such bonds are purchased, they shall be cancelled and retired and shall not thereafter be resold or reissued. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prevent the payment of a portion of the earnings derived from the investment of the amounts in the bond and interest fund to the federal government to the extent required by the federal laws applicable to such bonds or the interest income thereon in order to maintain their tax exempt status.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 65-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-3
Status: in_force

The decision or determination to close any one or more of the schools, colleges or institutions of higher learning as provided in Section 37-65-1 , shall be effectuated and evidenced by a proclamation of the governor of the State of Mississippi, which shall be effective upon his execution or issuance thereof, and such schools, colleges, or institutions of higher learning closed according to the provisions of this article shall remain so closed until said governor shall execute or issue a further proclamation opening same. The use by said governor of the power vested in him by the terms of this article may be exercised from time to time as, in his discretion, he may deem necessary for any or all of the purposes specified in Section 37-65-1 and any proclamation of closure need not specify the period of time during which such closure shall be effective.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-132-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 132-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-132-5
Status: in_force

A student teacher or intern under the supervision of a certificated teacher, principal, or other administrator shall have the protection of the laws accorded the certificated teacher, principal, or other administrator, and shall, while acting as such student teacher or intern, comply with all rules and regulations of the local board of education and observe all duties assigned certificated teachers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-71-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 71-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-71-3
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meaning ascribed in this section, unless the context requires otherwise:

(a) “ Alternative learning course ” or “ alternative course, program or opportunity ” means a sequence of instruction over a period of time that meets reasonably equivalent requirements or competencies of a subject or subjects included in the career and technical education curriculum included in the College and Career Readiness Standards, which results in the granting of a credit leading to high school graduation.

(b) “ Apprenticeship ” means:

(i) A program that meets the federal guidelines set out in 29 CFR Part 29 , including Industry Programs; or

(ii) An apprenticeship program that already exists or created by a Mississippi statute, rule or licensing authority.

(c) “ Board ” means the State Board of Education.

(d) “ Department ” means the State Department of Education.

(e) “ Licensing ” means any required training, education, or fee to work in a specific profession.

(f) “ Licensing authority ” means an agency, examining board, credentialing board, or other office with the authority to impose occupational fees or licensing requirements on any profession.

(g) “ Sponsoring organization ” means any business, industry, whether public or private, nonprofit organization, for-profit organization or other appropriate entities that partner with a local school district or multiple districts to provide alternative learning courses through apprenticeships, internships or pre-apprenticeships, subject to guidelines prescribed by the State Board of Education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 29-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-105
Status: in_force

In the event that bonds shall have been authorized for projects determined by the board of trustees and such bonds validated, the board of trustees is authorized to utilize any available funds for the immediate commencement of such project and to reimburse the funds from which any such expenditures are made from the proceeds of the bonds when the same are received.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-31 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 145-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-31
Status: in_force

Upon the issuance and sale of such bonds, the State Bond Commission shall transfer the proceeds of any such sale to the State Treasurer. Immediately upon receipt of a resolution from the board of directors of the company requesting same, the State Fiscal Officer shall issue a warrant to the State Treasurer to cause to be paid into the Mississippi Opportunity Loan Fund of the company the proceeds of said bonds, less cost of issuance thereafter and accrued interest on the bonds.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 113-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-1
Status: in_force

The name of the state institution of higher learning designated heretofore as Mississippi A & M College, and subsequently as Mississippi State College, is hereby changed to Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, and wherever the term Mississippi A & M College or Mississippi State College appears in the laws of the State of Mississippi, the same shall be construed to refer to the Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 45-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-27
Status: in_force

In conducting any hearing, the commission shall not be required to follow common law or statutory rules of evidence or the technical or formal rules of procedure. Any such hearing may be conducted in such manner as the commission may deem best to ascertain and determine the physical, mental, moral, social and educational welfare of the educable children involved, the efficiency of the operation of the schools, and the economic and social welfare of the various school areas involved.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-73 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 145-73
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-73
Status: in_force

In addition to any other funds it may establish, the board of trustees may, by resolution, establish one or more special funds pursuant to this section, referred to herein as “guarantee reserve funds,” and may pay into such reserve funds:

(a) Any moneys appropriated and made available by the state for the purposes of such guarantee reserve fund;

(b) Any proceeds from the sale of notes or bonds to the extent provided in the resolutions of the board of trustees authorizing the issuance thereof;

(c) Any moneys which may be made available to the board of trustees from any other sources for the purposes of such guarantee reserve fund; and

(d) Any income or interest earned by, or increment to, any reserve fund due to investment shall be deposited in the reserve fund.

The board of trustees may by resolution provide for the establishment of a guarantee reserve fund requirement for any guarantee reserve fund established pursuant to this section.

The board of trustees shall, on or before January 1 of each year, make and deliver to the Governor of the state a certificate stating the sum, if any, required to restore the guarantee reserve fund to the fund requirement. The Governor shall transmit to the State Legislature a request for the amount, if any, required to restore the guarantee reserve fund to the required funding level. The State Legislature may, but shall not be required to, make any such appropriations so requested. All sums appropriated by the State Legislature for such restoration and paid shall be deposited by the board of trustees in the guarantee reserve fund.

Any moneys appropriated by the State Legislature for the purposes of the guarantee reserve fund established pursuant to this section shall not revert to the General Fund of the state at the end of any fiscal year.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-469 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 29-469
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-469
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of the Copiah-Lincoln Junior College District shall have the general borrowing and bonding authority provided in Sections 37-29-101 through 37-29-127 . The said board of trustees shall have the taxation authority provided in Sections 37-29-141 through 37-29-145 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-24 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 59-24
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-24
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any school district having outstanding school debt which is repaid at least in part from local ad valorem tax receipts may, for the remaining term of such debt, irrevocably instruct the appropriate local tax collector/assessor in writing to deposit a portion of the monthly ad valorem tax collections for district purposes directly with any state or federally chartered bank serving as trustee or paying agent on such district debt. The district's instructions to the tax collector/assessor shall specify the amount of tax receipts to be so deposited with the trustee or paying agent and shall be binding on the district and local tax collector/assessor during the term of such debt.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-61 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 9-61
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-61
Status: in_force

A school district, school district employee or any other person who has control over personnel actions may not take unlawful reprisal against an employee of the school district because the employee is directly or indirectly involved in an effort to create or encourage participation in a public charter school. As used in this section, the term “ unlawful reprisal ” means an action which is adverse to the employee and results in one or more of the following for the employee:

(a) Disciplinary or correction action;

(b) Detail, transfer or reassignment;

(c) Suspension, demotion or dismissal;

(d) An unfavorable performance evaluation;

(e) A reduction in pay, benefits or awards;

(f) Elimination of the employee's position without a reduction in force by reason of lack of monies or work; or

(g) Other significant changes in duties or responsibilities which are inconsistent with the employee's salary or employment classification.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 131-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-11
Status: in_force

All demonstration or practice schools established under the provisions of Section 37-131-1 shall, as far as may be practicable, be subject to and governed by the same laws as other public schools of the State of Mississippi, and shall make all reports required by law to be made by public schools to the State Board of Education at the same time and in the same manner as such reports are made by other public schools. However, for the purpose of the allocation of total funding formula funds, the reports of children in net enrollment shall be made to the school district involved by the demonstration or practice school, and a copy thereof shall be filed with the State Board of Education. The school district shall use the reports so filed with it in making its reports to the State Board of Education for the purpose of the allocation of total funding formula funds, but the net enrollment of the pupils attending such demonstration or practice school shall be segregated and separated in such reports from the net enrollment in the regular schools of the district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 115-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-27
Status: in_force

The medical school and teaching hospital shall be built and equipped together, in connection with each other, or as nearly together or connected as may promote the most efficient operation of both of them in proper coordination one with the other. The medical school and teaching hospital shall be located and built upon part of the lands owned by the State of Mississippi in or near the City of Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi, and commonly known as the old asylum lands, to be selected by the State Building Commission. The medical school and teaching hospital may have other locations as determined to be reasonable and necessary by the University of Mississippi Medical Center. All University of Mississippi Medical Center locations shall provide in the aggregate not less than fifty percent (50%) of their services to indigent persons including qualified beneficiaries of the State Medicaid Program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-71-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 71-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-71-7
Status: in_force

(1) For the 2021-2022 school term, the State Board of Education shall promulgate a rule by December 31, 2020, authorizing local school boards, in their discretion, to develop an Extended Learning Opportunity to include alternative educational opportunities available to students in Grade 9 through Grade 12, which are provided through apprenticeships, internships or pre-apprenticeships for elective course credit.

(2) Each local school board may adopt an Extended Learning Opportunities policy to include alternative educational opportunities for course credit that recognizes learning opportunities outside of the traditional classroom through apprenticeships, internships or pre-apprenticeships, and grants elective credit for those alternative learning opportunities. If adopted the policy shall:

(a) Provide for an application process for entities to submit proposals for alternative educational opportunities that will qualify for elective course credit;

(b) Define which entities are eligible to submit applications for alternative educational opportunities, which such entities shall include, but not be limited to:

(i) Nonprofit organizations;

(ii) Businesses with established locations in the state;

(iii) Trade associations;

(iv) Parents of students involved in programs that may otherwise qualify for alternative educational opportunities;

(v) Teachers involved in programs outside of the traditional classroom; and

(vi) School personnel involved in programs outside of the traditional classroom.

(c) Provide for the criteria used to evaluate the alternative educational opportunity;

(d) Describe any communication and collaboration needed with local school districts to implement alternative educational opportunities approved by the State Board of Education;

(e) Place requirements on the entity such as background checks for key personnel and minimum accountability standards; and

(f) Provide a process for student credit transfer.

(3) The local school board is authorized to approve or deny an application for an alternative educational opportunity. If an application is approved by the school board, the application shall be submitted to the State Board of Education for review as provided in Section 37-71-11 , prior to the implementation of the program within the local school district.

(4) The State Department of Education shall have the authority to audit approved alternative educational programs at any time. If the audit results in findings that an approved program is not meeting the provisions of this chapter or the policy outlined in subsection (2) of this section, then the local school board shall disqualify the program immediately.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-148-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 148-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-148-9
Status: in_force

Before December 1 of each year, IHL shall file a report with the Governor, Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House of Representatives on the implementation of the Strengthening Mississippi Academic Research Through Business Act. For each research agreement where an investor was issued a SMART Business certificate during that year, the report must include, but not necessarily be limited to, the name of the investor and the rebate amount the investor was eligible to claim. For each SMART Business Accelerate Initiative disbursement certificate issued during that year, the report must include, but not necessarily be limited to, the name of the applicant, a description of the research validation and the amount of the disbursement.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-55 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 41-55
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-55
Status: in_force

(1) The driver of every school transportation vehicle used to transport pupils, on approaching any railroad crossing, shall bring the vehicle to a complete stop within fifty (50) feet but not less than fifteen (15) feet from the nearest rail of the railroad. While stopped, the driver shall open the service door and driver's window, and look and listen for:

(a) Approaching trains or any other vehicle operated upon the rails for the purpose of maintenance of railroads, including, but not limited to, all hi-rail vehicles and on-track maintenance machines; and

(b) Signals indicating the approach of a train or other vehicle or machine operated upon the rails.

The driver shall not proceed until the driver has determined that it is safe to proceed.

(2) The driver of every school transportation vehicle used to transport pupils, on approaching any highway intersection, shall bring the vehicle to a complete stop and shall not proceed until the driver has determined that it is safe to proceed.

(3) Any driver who fails to bring his vehicle to a complete stop and follow the procedures as herein required is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00) for each offense.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-16-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 16-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-16-13
Status: in_force

(1) The school board of a local school district may award an honorary high school diploma in a form prescribed and supplied to school districts by the State Board of Education to veterans of World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam Conflict who were unable to complete their education due to their military service. The honorary diploma is available to any honorably discharged veteran residing in Mississippi who was (a) scheduled to graduate between 1941 and 1955 but was inducted into military service before completing the necessary graduation requirements, or (b) was scheduled to graduate between 1963 and 1973 but volunteered for military service and received the Vietnam Service Ribbon. Family members of deceased eligible veterans may apply for the diploma to be awarded posthumously.

(2) The State Board of Education and State Veterans Affairs Board jointly shall develop a uniform application for persons seeking a diploma under subsection (1) of this section. The application shall request no less than the following information:

(a) The veteran's name, social security number and date of birth;

(b) The last year the veteran was in school and the veteran's grade level during that year;

(c) The year the veteran left school to enter World War II, the Korean Conflict or the Vietnam Conflict;

(d) The year the veteran would have graduated from high school;

(e) The name and location of the school attended;

(f) The date of the veteran's enlistment or draft;

(g) The veteran's service number;

(h) The veteran's date of honorable discharge;

(i) A copy of the veteran's DD-214 form, if available; and

(j) Any other information deemed relevant by the State Board of Education or State Veterans Affairs Board.

The State Board of Education shall provide local school districts, county departments of human services and local veterans services offices with copies of the uniform application.

(3) A person may request an application from any local school district, county department of human services or local veterans services office. Completed applications for a diploma may be submitted to the veteran's local school district, regardless of whether or not the veteran attended school in that district. Upon verifying the information contained in the application, including verifying the veteran's military service information with the State Veterans Affairs Board, and determining the veteran's eligibility for the honorary high school diploma, the local school board may award the diploma to the veteran. The diploma shall indicate clearly that the recipient is a veteran of World War II, the Korean Conflict or the Vietnam Conflict and that the diploma was issued at a later date due to the veteran's participation in the war. The State Department of Education and the State Veterans Affairs Board may work together to provide communities with information about hosting a diploma ceremony on or around Veteran's Day. The diploma shall be provided to the veteran or, if the veteran is deceased, to the veteran's family.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-39 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 31-39
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-39
Status: in_force

The state board of education shall cooperate with medical, health, nursing and welfare groups and organizations and with any other agencies in the state charged with administering state laws providing for vocational rehabilitation of physically handicapped children. Said state board is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to cooperate with the federal government in such manner as to obtain the benefits of the provisions of the federal social security act pertaining to crippled children.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-15 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 68-15
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-15
Status: in_force

The department shall provide a comprehensive report on the use of funds distributed under this grant program and the effectiveness of distance learning plans adopted by schools to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Chairs of the Senate and House Appropriations and Education Committees by October 1, 2020.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-43-33 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 43-33
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-43-33
Status: in_force

Any parent, person or school board in any community of the state may purchase books from a board-approved regional depository who is given authority to sell books under the provisions of this chapter. The price of the books so ordered or brought shall be the same as the contract price, plus whatever postage or delivery charges might accrue.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-47 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 41-47
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-47
Status: in_force

It shall be unlawful for a driver of any school bus, whether a public or a contract bus, to drive said bus at a speed greater than forty-five (45) miles per hour while transporting children to and from school on regular routes; however, the maximum speed for interstate highways shall be sixty-five (65) miles per hour. However, any such driver, while operating a school bus on other authorized trips, shall not drive said school bus at a speed greater than fifty (50) miles per hour, except the maximum speed for interstate highways shall be sixty-five (65) miles per hour. Any person who shall violate the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) nor more than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for each such offense. In addition thereto, upon such conviction, such driver may be discharged from further employment as a school bus driver or carrier and his contract as such may be terminated.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-107 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 23-107
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-107
Status: in_force

All funds provided for in Sections 37-23-91 through 37-23-111 shall be kept in a separate fund and shall be used exclusively for the construction, operation, furnishings and maintenance of any such center so established. Any funds accumulated which are not used in any fiscal year shall remain in said separate fund for that use in the succeeding year or years. Such funds shall be expended upon order of the county board of education, and by warrant issued by the county superintendent of education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-47 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 28-47
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-47
Status: in_force

(1)(a) Charter schools must comply with applicable federal laws, rules and regulations regarding the qualification of teachers and other instructional staff. No more than twenty-five percent (25%) of teachers in a charter school may be exempt from state teacher licensure requirements. Administrators of charter schools are exempt from state administrator licensure requirements. However, teachers and administrators must have a bachelor's degree as a minimum requirement, and teachers must have demonstrated subject-matter competency. Within three (3) years of a teacher's employment by a charter school, the teacher must have, at a minimum, alternative licensure approved by the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development.

(b) A charter school may not staff positions for teachers, administrators, ancillary support personnel or other employees by utilizing or otherwise relying on nonimmigrant foreign worker visa programs. However, a charter school may submit a request to the authorizer for an exception allowing the employment of a nonimmigrant foreign worker before the worker is employed. The authorizer may grant permission for the employment of the nonimmigrant foreign worker only if the charter school makes a satisfactory showing of efforts to recruit lawful permanent residents of the United States to fill the position and a lack of qualified applicants to fill the position.

(2) Employees in charter schools must have the same general rights and privileges as other public school employees, except such employees are not:

(a) Covered under the Education Employment Procedures Law ( Section 37-9-103 ); and

(b) Subject to the state salary requirements prescribed in Section 37-19-7 .

(3) For the purpose of eligibility for participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, a public charter school is considered to be a political subdivision of the state. Employees in public charter schools are eligible for participation in other benefits programs if the public charter school governing board chooses to participate.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 68-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-3
Status: in_force

(1) The Mississippi Legislature finds the following:

(a) The State of Emergency and ongoing public health crisis related to COVID-19 requires all schools to plan and implement distance learning programs, and plan to facilitate safe classroom and remote instruction;

(b) The availability of unprecedented federal funding for distance learning has created a unique opportunity for schools to provide all students and teachers with better access to technology to enhance traditional classroom teaching; and

(c) In recognition that every school's technology needs are different, this chapter establishes the Equity in Distance Learning Grant Program to require the Mississippi Department of Education and schools to expend funds on eligible expenses, within the relevant statutory provisions of this chapter and the regulations promulgated, in order to assist schools in expeditiously implementing distance learning programs and facilitating safe classroom and remote instruction.

(2) Therefore, the intent of the Mississippi Legislature is:

(a) To provide funding for devices and other technology, including technology related to connectivity and online access, sufficient for students, teachers, and administrators and other staff to engage in grade-appropriate distance learning aligned with the state's College and Career Readiness Standards, and provide funding for safe classroom or remote instruction; and

(b) To provide funding for technical support and professional development to facilitate distance learning and safe classroom or remote instruction.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-43-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 43-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-43-19
Status: in_force

The board shall have the power and is hereby authorized:

(a) To promulgate rules and regulations for the purchase, care, use, disposal, distribution and accounting for all books to be furnished under the terms of this chapter, and to promulgate such other rules and regulations as may be necessary for the proper administration of this chapter.

(b) To adopt, contract for, and make available for purchase, cash or credit, basal, supplementary or alternative textbooks through twelve (12) grades as provided in the school curriculum, or for any other course that it may add thereto.

(c) To determine the period of contract for rated and adopted textbooks which shall not be for less than four (4) years nor more than five (5) years, with the right of the board, in its discretion, to renew or extend such contract from year to year for a period not exceeding two (2) additional years and to determine the conditions of the approval or forfeiture of a contract and such other terms and conditions as may be necessary and not contrary to law.

(d) To have complete power and authority over additions and amendments to textbooks, advertising for bids and the contents thereof, including auxiliary materials and workbooks, advertising on the protective covers of textbooks, bids and proposals, prices of textbooks, specimen copies, cash deposits, selection and adoption, distribution, fumigation, emergencies, selling to others, return of deposits, forfeiture of deposits, regulations governing deposits, renovation and repair of books, requisition, transportation or shipment of books, and any other acts or regulations, not contrary to law, that may be deemed necessary for furnishing and loaning free textbooks to the school children, as provided in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 141-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-7
Status: in_force

It is hereby declared to be the intent of the Legislature that the functions of the center shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(a) Undertaking selected applied research projects with a permanent research staff, augmented by specialists from universities and colleges, government agencies and private firms, assisted by graduate students.

(b) Relating, when applicable, public service-related research and technical assistance activities at all state universities to the overall statewide economic development plan.

(c) Coordinating economic development related activities among all state universities.

(d) Providing a computer facility for use by all educational institutions and government agencies.

(e) Maintaining current information on research projects in the state; on scientific and research personnel; on research expenditures and sources of funds; on research programs of agencies and institutions outside the state which bear upon Mississippi development; publishing annually a catalogue of this information; and otherwise functioning as a research clearinghouse for the State of Mississippi.

(f) Developing a list of priority research projects that would have significant contribution to advancement of economic development efforts in the state.

(g) Coordinating with universities and other entities in the state to promote completion of the priority economic development related research projects with economic development potential and advising and assisting in the securing of needed research funding.

(h) Contracting with universities and other entities to effect needed priority economic development related research projects.

(i) Providing printing and data processing support to the Department of Economic Development.

(j) Identifying all federal funds that flow into Mississippi for any and all purposes, making comparisons with other states and preparing appropriate analyses to identify sources of federal funds where potential exists for attracting and obtaining larger amounts of federal funds for the state.

(k) Develop a system whereby economic development related research results can be disseminated to public and private entities for the purpose of enhancing economic development efforts, particularly at the local level.

(l) Assisting institutions, organizations and firms in identifying and obtaining research funds and other grants from public and private sources.

(m) Developing an econometric model of Mississippi designed to forecast various sectors of the Mississippi economy.

(n) Supporting and utilizing the Mississippi Automated Resource Information System (MARIS) to accomplish its objectives of gathering, maintaining and disseminating information and providing research assistance.

(o) Performing other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Commissioner of Higher Education.

(p) Carrying out the provisions of Sections 37-141-51 through 37-141-57 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-73 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 27-73
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-73
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of any such agricultural high school borrowing money pursuant to the authority granted in Section 37-27-69 , is hereby authorized and empowered to fix, maintain and collect fees, rentals and other charges to be paid by students, faculty members and others using, housed in or being served by any building or other housing facility erected or established under the terms and provisions of said section. All such fees, rentals and other charges shall be paid into the debt retirement fund specified in Section 37-27-71 and shall be pledged for the prompt repayment of any and all indebtedness, whether of principal or interest, incurred under the provisions of said section. Nothing in Sections 37-27-69 through 37-27-75 shall be construed to authorize the levying or imposition of any taxes in excess of the limits and amounts which are now or may hereafter be provided by law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-149-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 149-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-149-7
Status: in_force

The State Superintendent of Public Education shall appoint three (3) persons to serve as professional teacher recruiters, who shall have the following duties:

(a) To educate high school students, through oral presentations made on the campuses of all public high schools and the distribution of written materials, on the importance of teaching as a profession, emphasizing the critical need for teachers in certain geographical areas of the state and the availability of financial scholarships to college students in exchange for service as a licensed teacher in such geographical areas under the Critical Needs Teacher Scholarship Program;

(b) To encourage assistant teachers in the public schools to pursue a college education that will enable them to become licensed teachers, informing all assistant teachers of the availability of financial scholarships to both full-time and part-time college students under the Critical Needs Teacher Scholarship Program;

(c) To actively recruit, both within the state and out-of-state, teachers to render service to the state as a licensed teacher in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education, while receiving a scholarship to pursue a Master of Education degree or Educational Specialist degree at an institution of higher learning under the University Assisted Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant Program;

(d) To actively recruit, both within the state and out-of-state, nonpracticing licensed teachers to return to the teaching profession to render service as a licensed teacher in a public school district in a geographical area of the state where there is a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education;

(e) To actively recruit, both within the state and out-of-state, persons holding a baccalaureate degree in a field other than education who exhibit potential for a career in teaching to pursue a standard teaching license through the alternate teaching route; and

(f) To notify teachers of the availability of special home loans, subject to eligibility for persons who render service to the state as a licensed teacher in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-153 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 101-153
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-153
Status: reserved

The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is hereby authorized and empowered in its discretion to lease any lands, or any part thereof, belonging to any of the institutions of higher learning, either of said institutions or other institutions under its control and supervision, for oil, gas and mineral development, upon such terms, conditions and considerations as said board of trustees shall deem proper and for the best interest of the institution or institutions. Any such oil, gas or mineral lease shall be for a primary term of not more than six years and so long thereafter as oil, gas or other mineral is produced from said land. The royalty reserved in such lease or leases shall not be less than the following:

(a) On oil, one-eighth part produced and saved from said land;

(b) On gas, including casinghead gas, or other gaseous substances, produced from said land and sold or used off the premises, or for the extraction of gasoline or other products therefrom the market value at the well of one-eighth of the gas so sold or used; and

(c) On all other minerals mined and marketed, one-eighth part in kind or value at the well or mine except sulphur on which the royalty shall be two dollars ($2.00) per long ton.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 145-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-9
Status: in_force

The company shall administer and manage all money, including all interest made on loans pursuant to this chapter and all principal repaid on loans in whatever manner maximizes the amount of money available to the Mississippi Opportunity Loan Fund that is consistent with federal reinsurance requirements and state budget practices.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-8 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 15-8
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-8
Status: in_force

The superintendent of the school district shall have the authority, with the approval of the school board of the school district spread upon its minutes, to dispose of the following records:

(a) After five (5) years:

(1) Bank statements;

(2) Cancelled warrants and pay certificates;

(3) School board paid bills;

(4) Bids received, either accepted or rejected, for supplies, materials, equipment and construction;

(5) Depository receipt warrants;

(6) School board claims dockets, where claims are recorded on the minutes of the board;

(7) Original of school board's orders after such orders have been recorded in the minute book;

(8) Cancelled bonds and coupons;

(9) Tax collector's reports of tax collection to superintendent of schools;

(10) Transportation records.

(b) After three (3) years:

(1) Teacher contracts, computed from the expiration date thereof;

(2) Bus purchase documents;

(3) Teachers' registers, principals' reports and other evidence necessary to prepare the reports to the State Board of Education.

(c) After period to be set by the State Board of Education such other documents of a temporary or transitory nature as the State Board of Education by regulation shall designate.

Notwithstanding any of the provisions of Sections 37-15-1 through 37-15-4 , 37-15-8 and 37-15-10 to the contrary, no records which are in the process of being audited by the State Department of Audit, or which are the basis of litigation, shall be destroyed until at least twelve (12) months after final completion of said audits and litigation.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-58 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 13-58
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-58
Status: in_force

(1) The state department of education is hereby designated as the state agency responsible for the administration and supervision of the career education concept as an educational innovation in the State of Mississippi. It is the intent of the legislature that all funds made available to the State of Mississippi, for the purpose of enhancing career education, be administered by the state department of education.

(2) Pursuant to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the state department of education is hereby authorized to establish an office of career education within the framework of the state department of education for the purpose of developing standards, procedures and criteria for the administration and supervision of a statewide program of career education in grades one (1) through twelve (12). The state department of education, through the office of career education, shall assume the further responsibility for promoting a statewide effort designed to prepare local school faculties and staffs to incorporate the career education concept into their local educational programs.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 28-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-19
Status: in_force

(1) In reviewing and evaluating charter applications, the authorizer shall employ procedures, practices and criteria consistent with nationally recognized principles and standards for quality charter authorizing. The application review process must include thorough evaluation of each written charter application and in-person interview with the applicant group.

(2) In deciding whether to approve charter applications, the authorizer must:

(a) Grant charters only to applicants that have provided evidence of competence in each element of the authorizer's published approval criteria, and in the case of an applicant that currently operates one or more schools in any state or nation, clear evidence that the management or leadership team of the charter school or schools currently operated by the applicant has produced statistically significant gains in student achievement or consistently produced proficiency levels as measured on state achievement test;

(b) Base decisions on documented evidence collected through the application review process; and

(c) Follow charter-granting policies and practices that are transparent, based on merit and avoid conflicts of interest or any appearance thereof.

(3) Before the expiration of one hundred eighty (180) days after the filing of a charter application, the authorizer must approve or deny the charter application; however, an application submitted by a public historically black college or university (HBCU), in partnership with a national nonprofit public HBCU support organization, for a charter school to be operated on or near the campus of the HBCU must be considered for expedited approval by the authorizer. The authorizer shall adopt by resolution all charter approval or denial decisions in an open meeting of the authorizer board.

(4) An approval decision may include, if appropriate, reasonable conditions that the charter applicant must meet before a charter contract may be executed pursuant to Section 37-28-21 .

(5) For a charter denial, the authorizer shall state clearly, for public record, its reasons for denial. A denied applicant may reapply subsequently with the authorizer.

(6) Before the expiration of ten (10) days after taking action to approve or deny a charter application, the authorizer shall provide a report to the applicant. The report must include a copy of the authorizer's resolution setting forth the action taken and reasons for the decision and assurances as to compliance with all of the procedural requirements and application elements set forth in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-117-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 117-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-117-7
Status: in_force

The apportionment of students to be admitted to the Mississippi State College for Women shall be made and announced by the president of the college annually, and communicated to the county superintendents of education by the first of August, or as soon thereafter as practicable. No applicant under sixteen years of age shall be admitted to the institution.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-149-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 149-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-149-1
Status: in_force

(1) There is established within the State Department of Education, the Mississippi Teacher Center for the purpose of insuring that the children of our state are taught by quality professionals. The center shall serve as an interagency center focused on teacher recruitment, enhanced training and initial instructional support.

(2) The center shall have a staff which shall consist of one (1) director, one (1) administrative assistant and professional teacher recruiters. A steering committee shall be established which shall consist of one (1) member from each of the following: the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, the Mississippi Community College Board, the State Board of Education, the Board of the Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges, the Board of the Mississippi Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, trustees of the local school boards, teachers and the private sector. The members of the steering committee shall be appointed by the State Superintendent with the approval of the board. The steering committee shall direct the work and establish policies for the purpose of operating the center.

(3) The center shall provide leadership for the following initiatives:

(a) The initiation and monitoring of high school programs for teacher recruitment;

(b) The initiation and monitoring of college level programs for teacher recruitment;

(c) The establishment of a Beginning Teacher/Mentoring program, as authorized in Sections 37-9-201 through 37-9-213 ;

(d) The sponsorship of a teacher renewal institute;

(e) The continuation of the Teacher Corps program;

(f) The enhancement of the William Winter Scholarship program;

(g) Research for the development of professional teaching standards;

(h) Provide additional scholarships for any targeted populations needing potential teachers; and

(i) Provide assistance to local school districts in identifying and locating specific teacher needs.

(4)(a) The Legislature recognizes that a highly qualified teacher in every public classroom in this state is fundamental to a quality education. The Legislature also recognizes that Mississippi has a serious shortage of qualified teachers to serve in the public schools of this state and that it has a responsibility to enact public policy in an effort to remedy that shortage of qualified teachers.

(b) There is hereby established a Mississippi “Troops to Teachers” pilot program in the State Department of Education to assist in the recruitment, licensure, referral, placement and compensation of military personnel interested in beginning a second career in public education as a teacher. The Teacher Center in the State Department of Education shall collaborate with the national “Troops to Teachers” program to establish the criteria and procedures for allocation of funds provided by the federal government to administer the pilot program to ensure the most effective placement of such teachers around the state taking into consideration the degree of teacher shortage in each school district.

(c) The Legislature shall appropriate funds necessary for the support of this pilot program which will not supplant federal funds provided for that purpose. The Office of the Governor shall transfer any federal funds provided for the Mississippi “Troops to Teachers” program to the State Department of Education for the administration of this program.

(d) The Department of Education shall report to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2009, on the status of the implementation of the Mississippi “Troops to Teachers” program and the need for its continuation.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-115 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 65-115
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-115
Status: in_force

Should any school be closed in accordance with the terms of this article, such period of closure shall not be subtracted from the period of time which would otherwise be earned by any superintendent, principal, teacher or other employee employed to render services in and about the conduct and operation of any such school, as to any certification to which such person might otherwise be entitled.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-65 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 11-65
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-65
Status: in_force

A student who is enrolled in any grade higher than Grade 6 in a school district in this state must be suspended from participation in any extracurricular or athletic activity sponsored or sanctioned by the school district after a semester in which the student's cumulative grade point average is below a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. The suspension from participation in extracurricular or athletic activities may not be removed until the student's cumulative grade point average in a succeeding semester is 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. A student with a cumulative grade point average below a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale at the semester of an academic school year shall be suspended from participation in extracurricular or athletic activities in the succeeding academic school year until the student's cumulative grade point average is 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-183-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 183-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-183-3
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) “ Department ” means the Department of Finance and Administration.

(b) “ COVID-19 ” means the Coronavirus Disease 2019.

(c) “ CARES Act ” means the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

(d) “ Eligible postsecondary educational institution ” means:

(i) Any state-supported four-year college or university operating within the State of Mississippi under the governing authority of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning;

(ii) Any private four-year college or university operating within the State of Mississippi and accredited by a state, regional or national accrediting organization; and

(iii) Any state-supported two-year community college operating within the State of Mississippi under the governing authority of the Mississippi Community College Board and a local community college district board of trustees.

(e) “ Interruption in learning ” means disruption of regular educational instruction at a postsecondary educational institution facility resulting from required or voluntary closure related to COVID-19.

(f) “ Public health measure ” means any action reasonably taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the educational setting.

(g) “ Eligible expense ” means a cost incurred by a postsecondary educational institution for public health measures or due to interruption in learning from March 1, 2020, through December 30, 2020. Such eligible expenses may consist of:

(i) Training and professional development for faculty and staff regarding measures to decrease the spread of COVID-19;

(ii) Purchasing facility sanitization supplies and other expenses of disinfection of the recipient institution's facilities to mitigate or respond to COVID-19;

(iii) Technology costs associated with transition to and administration of online learning;

(iv) Payroll expenses for public health and public safety employees employed by the recipient institution, and payroll expenses for health care, human services and similar employees of the institution whose services are substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency;

(v) Purchasing of medical supplies and personal protection equipment (PPE);

(vi) Developing infrastructure necessary at the community or junior colleges to increase capacity in workforce development or skills training classes for students who are unemployed, underemployed or seeking new employment as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19; or

(vii) Medical expenses incurred by the recipient institution to treat or diagnose COVID-19, including COVID-19 testing and serological testing, emergency medical response and transportation, and telemedicine expenses related to COVID-19.

No cost will be considered an eligible expense if found to be ineligible under the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act.

(h) “ Grant ” means an award by the department to a postsecondary educational institution to cover eligible expenses in accordance with this chapter.

(i) “ Program ” means the Postsecondary Education COVID-19 Mitigation Relief Program established in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 145-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-17
Status: in_force

All repaid principal and interest resulting from repayment of a loan and not required for retirement of bonds issued under authority of Sections 37-145-43 through 37-145-73 or other expenses of the Mississippi Opportunity Loan Program shall be credited to the Mississippi Opportunity Loan Fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-73 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 106-73
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-73
Status: in_force

(1) There is established a Speech-Language Pathologists Forgivable Loan Program. It is the intent of the Legislature that persons declaring an intention to work in an accredited public school (K-12), including a charter school, located in the State of Mississippi as a speech-language pathologist shall be eligible for a loan for the purpose of acquiring a master's level education in such profession. The board shall enter into contracts with applicants, providing that such loans may be discharged by working as a master's level speech-language pathologist in an accredited public school (K-12), including a charter school, located in the State of Mississippi.

Repayment and conversion terms shall be the same as those outlined in Section 37-106-53 .

(2) The board shall establish rules and regulations as it deems necessary and proper to carry out the purposes and intent of this section.

The provisions of this section shall be subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-185-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 185-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-185-9
Status: in_force

There is created a special fund in the State Treasury, to be known as the “Independent Schools' COVID-19 Assistance Grant Fund,” from which the grants authorized by Sections 37-185-1 through 37-185-9 shall be disbursed by the MDA. All monies shall be disbursed from the fund in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act. If on December 1, 2020, there are unobligated monies in the fund, those funds shall lapse into the Budget Contingency Fund, to be transferred, by the State Fiscal Officer, into the Unemployment Compensation Fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 146-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-11
Status: in_force

(1) Students in the program may apply to the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry.

(2) Students in the program seeking admission to the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry shall be eligible for the admissions process pursuant to criteria established by the School of Dentistry Admissions Committee which will include consideration of the attributes of participation in the program.

(3) In carrying out the admissions process developed for the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program participants under this section, the goal is for the program to work with the School of Dentistry to enhance the capability of participants to successfully enter and complete dental school and enter practice in rural or underserved areas in Mississippi. To the extent feasible, the early admissions process should be completed before December 1 of the year preceding a student's admission to dental school.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-41 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 45-41
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-41
Status: in_force

When the reporter's notes shall have been transcribed, the reporter shall certify same and file an original and one copy with the commission and give notice by registered mail of the fact of such filing to the county board or county boards of education and the board of trustees of any municipal separate school district involved in the proceeding covered by the transcript, and their respective counsel of record, if any, and to the commission.

Any correction of the transcript shall be made in the same manner provided for correcting a transcript in Section 9-13-35, Mississippi Code of 1972 , with the commission exercising the rights and power of the trial judge mentioned therein, and the executive secretary of the commission exercising the duties of the clerk mentioned in said section. The written agreement provided by said section concerning the transcript therein provided to be filed in the supreme court may be entered into and filed in the chancery court to which the appeal is taken from any final rule, regulation or order of the commission.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 29-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-1
Status: in_force

(1) The creation, establishment, maintenance and operation of community colleges is authorized. Community colleges may admit students if they have earned one (1) unit less than the number of units required for high school graduation established by State Board of Education policy or have earned a High School Equivalency Diploma in courses correlated to those of senior colleges or professional schools. Subject to the provisions of Section 75-76-34 , they shall offer, without limitation, education and training preparatory for occupations such as agriculture, industry of all kinds, business, homemaking and for other occupations on the semiprofessional and vocational-technical level. They may offer courses and services to students regardless of their previous educational attainment or further academic plans.

(2) The boards of trustees of the community college districts are authorized to establish an early admission program under which applicants having a minimum ACT composite score of twenty-six (26) or the equivalent SAT score may be admitted as full-time college students if the principal or guidance counselor of the student recommends in writing that it is in the best educational interest of the student. Such recommendation shall also state that the student's age will not keep him from being a successful full-time college student. Students admitted in the early admission program shall not be counted for total funding formula purposes in the net enrollment of the school district in which they reside, and transportation required by a student to participate in the early admission program shall be the responsibility of the parents or legal guardians of the student. Grades and college credits earned by students admitted to the early admission program shall be recorded on the college transcript at the community college where the student attends classes, and may be released to another institution or used for college graduation requirements only after the student has successfully completed one (1) full semester of course work.

(3) The community colleges shall provide, through courses or other acceptable educational measures, the general education necessary to individuals and groups which will tend to make them capable of living satisfactory lives consistent with the ideals of a democratic society.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 113-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-3
Status: in_force

The state institution of higher learning, as incorporated by an act of the legislature, approved February 28, 1878, by the name of the “Agricultural and Mechanical College of Mississippi,” and established in pursuance of that act, shall continue to exist as a body-politic and corporate, by the name of the “Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science,” with all its property and the franchises, rights, powers, and privileges heretofore conferred on it by law, or properly incident to such a body and necessary to accomplish the purpose of its creation; said university may receive and hold all real and personal property conveyed to it for such purpose.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-65 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 145-65
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-65
Status: in_force

All expenses incurred by the company in carrying out the provisions of this chapter shall be payable from funds in the Mississippi Opportunity Loan Fund, and nothing in Sections 37-145-43 through 37-145-73 shall be construed to authorize the company to incur indebtedness or liability on behalf of or payable by the state or any other political subdivision thereof.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-133-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 133-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-133-9
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning to make periodic fiscal reports to the state fiscal management board and the legislative budget office, and to otherwise comply with the budget and accounting laws of the state of Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-57 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 41-57
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-57
Status: in_force

The State Board of Education shall adopt and enforce regulations not inconsistent with the traffic laws and regulations of this state to govern the design and operation of all school buses used for the transportation of school children when owned and operated by any school board or privately owned and operated under contract with any school board in this state. Such regulations shall by reference be made a part of any such contract with a school board. Every school board, its officers and employees, and every person employed under contract by a school board shall be subject to said regulations.

Any officer or employee of any school board who violates any of said regulations or fails to include the obligation to comply with said regulations in any contract executed by them on behalf of a school board shall be guilty of misconduct and subject to removal from office or employment. Any person operating a school bus under a contract with a school board who fails to comply with any of said regulations shall be guilty of breach of contract and such contract shall be cancelled after notice and hearing by the responsible officers of such school board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 15-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-3
Status: in_force

Such cumulative folders as are provided for in Section 37-15-1 shall be kept in the school wherein the pupils are in attendance. Both the permanent records and the cumulative folders shall be available to school officials, including teachers within the school district who have been determined by the school district to have legitimate educational interests. In no case, however, shall such records be available to the general public. Transcripts of courses and grades may be furnished when requested by the parent or guardian or eligible pupil as prescribed in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 20 USCS Section 1232g . Such records shall be kept for each pupil throughout his entire public school enrollment period. In the event a pupil transfers to a public school, including a charter school, then the cumulative folder shall be furnished to the head of the school to which the pupil transfers; if a pupil transfers to a private school, then a copy of the cumulative folder shall be furnished to the head of the school to which the pupil transfers. The permanent record shall be kept permanently by the school district from which the pupil transferred.

At no time may a permanent record of a student be destroyed, but cumulative folders may be destroyed by order of the school board of the school district in not less than five (5) years after the permanent record of the pupil has become inactive and has been transferred to the central depository of the district. Provided, however, that where a school district makes complete copies of inactive permanent records on photographic film, microfilm, or any other acceptable form of medium for storage which may be reproduced as needed, such permanent records may be destroyed after the photographic film or microfilm copy has been stored in the central depository of the district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-63-10 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 63-10
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-63-10
Status: in_force

No individual who sits on any board or authority empowered to contract with the Educational Television Authority or to appoint members to the board which shall govern the use of the ITFS channels shall own or be interested in, directly or indirectly, any interest in any private organization doing business under the FCC license herein approved.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-171-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 171-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-171-3
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(a) “ Recreation ” means any indoor or outdoor game or activity, either organized or unorganized, undertaken for exercise, relaxation, diversion, sport or pleasure.

(b) “ School property ” means all indoor or outdoor structures, facilities and land, whether owned, rented or leased by the school or school district.

(c) “ Sport ” means an activity requiring physical exertion and skill and which, by its nature and organization, is competitive and generally accepted as being a sport.

(d) “ Shared use agreement ” means a legal agreement that defines the rights and responsibilities of the school district and another organization or governmental agency for use of the school facilities for recreation or other purpose of importance to the community.

(e) “ Local government entity ” means any county, municipality, school district, public hospital or other political subdivision of the state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-23 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 28-23
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-23
Status: in_force

(1) A charter school must be open to:

(a) Any student residing in the geographical boundaries of the school district in which the charter school is located; and

(b) Any student who resides in the geographical boundaries of a school district that was rated “C,” “D” or “F” at the time the charter school was approved by the authorizer board, or who resides in the geographical boundaries of a school district rated “C,” or “D” or “F” at the time the student enrolls.

(2) A school district may not require any student enrolled in the school district to attend a charter school.

(3) Except as otherwise provided under subsection (8)(d) of this section, a charter school may not limit admission based on ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, income level, disabling condition, proficiency in the English language, or academic or athletic ability.

(4) A charter school may limit admission to students within a given age group or grade level, including pre-kindergarten students, and may be organized around a special emphasis, theme or concept as stated in the school's application.

(5) The underserved student composition of a charter school's enrollment collectively must reflect that of students of all ages attending the school district in which the charter school is located, to be defined for the purposes of this chapter as being at least eighty percent (80%) of that population. If the underserved student composition of an applicant's or charter school's enrollment is less than eighty percent (80%) of the enrollment of students of all ages in the school district in which the charter school is located, despite the school's best efforts, the authorizer must consider the applicant's or charter school's recruitment efforts and the underserved student composition of the applicant pool in determining whether the applicant or charter school is operating in a nondiscriminatory manner. A finding by the authorizer that a charter school is operating in a discriminatory manner justifies the revocation of a charter.

(6) A charter school must enroll all students who wish to attend the school unless the number of students exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level or building.

(7) If capacity is insufficient to enroll all students who wish to attend the school based on initial application, the charter school must select students through a lottery.

(8)(a) Any noncharter public school or part of a noncharter public school converting to a charter school shall adopt and maintain a policy giving an enrollment preference to students who reside within the former attendance area of that public school. If the charter school has excess capacity after enrolling students residing within the former attendance area of the school, students outside of the former attendance area of the school, but within the geographical boundaries of the school district in which the charter school is located, are eligible for enrollment. If the number of students applying for admission exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level or building of the charter school, the charter school must admit students on the basis of a lottery.

(b) A charter school must give an enrollment preference to students enrolled in the charter school during the preceding school year and to siblings of students already enrolled in the charter school. An enrollment preference for returning students excludes those students from entering into a lottery.

(c) A charter school may give an enrollment preference to children of the charter school's applicant, governing board members and full-time employees, so long as those children constitute no more than ten percent (10%) of the charter school's total student population.

(d) A charter school shall give an enrollment preference to underserved children as defined in Section 37-28-5 to ensure the charter school meets its required underserved student composition.

(e) This section does not preclude the formation of a charter school whose mission is focused on serving students with disabilities, students of the same gender, students who pose such severe disciplinary problems that they warrant a specific educational program, or students who are at risk of academic failure. If capacity is insufficient to enroll all students who wish to attend the school, the charter school must select students through a lottery.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-73 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 113-73
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-73
Status: in_force

As used in Sections 37-113-71 through 37-113-81 , the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed in this section unless context of use clearly requires otherwise:

(a) “ Veterinary student ” means a student enrolled in the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

(b) “ Dean ” means the Dean of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

(c) “ Food supply animal ” includes cattle, hogs, sheep, goats and poultry.

(d) “ Food supply animal veterinarian ” means a veterinarian who is engaged in general or food supply animal practice as his or her primary focus of practice and who has thirty percent (30%) of his or her practice devoted to food supply animal veterinary medicine.

(e) “ Large animal veterinarian ” means a veterinarian whose practice is focused primarily on the health and safety of farm animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses, who must spend sixty percent (60%) of their time providing care for large animals.

(f) “ Program ” means the Dr. Elton Mac Huddleston Rural Veterinarian Scholarship Program administered by the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

(g) “ Rural community ” means an area of the state with a population density less than five hundred (500) people per square mile as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture.

(h) “ Rural mixed animal veterinarian ” means a veterinarian who practices in a rural community with provision of care to both small animals, i.e., dogs or cats, and large animals, i.e., cattle, sheep, goats, pigs or horses, within which the veterinarian must spend a minimum of thirty percent (30%) of his or her time providing care to large animals.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-155 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 101-155
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-155
Status: in_force

Before any of the land named in Section 37-101-153 , shall be leased for oil, gas and mineral purposes, the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning shall give notice of its intention by publishing a notice in some newspaper in the City of Jackson and also a newspaper published in the county or counties where such lands are situated, giving the time and place that said board will receive bids. Said notice shall be published once each week for three consecutive weeks. Said board at said time and place will receive sealed bids for such lease or leases, and will consider the highest and best bid that is the most advantageous to the institution or institutions. The board shall have the right to reject any or all such bids.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 33-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-19
Status: in_force

Except as may be otherwise provided by law for the vocational rehabilitation of the blind, the state board, through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, shall provide vocational rehabilitation services to eligible individuals with disabilities determined by the director to be eligible therefor, and in carrying out the purposes of the Vocational Rehabilitation Law, the office is authorized among other things:

(a) To cooperate with other departments, agencies and institutions, both public and private, in providing for the vocational rehabilitation of eligible individuals with disabilities, in studying the problems involved therein, and in establishing, developing and providing, in conformity with the purposes of that law, such programs, facilities and services as may be necessary or desirable;

(b) To conduct research and compile statistics relating to the vocational rehabilitation of eligible individuals with disabilities;

(c) To prescribe and provide such courses of vocational training as may be necessary for the vocational rehabilitation of eligible individuals with disabilities.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-201 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 13-201
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-201
Status: in_force

Sections 37-13-201 through 37-13-213 shall be known and may be cited as the “Mississippi Computer Science and Cyber Education Equality Act.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 131-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-9
Status: in_force

In addition to the amounts paid to the demonstration or practice school from total funding formula funds, as provided in Section 37-131-7 , the board of trustees of the school district involved may contract with the demonstration or practice school for the payment of additional amounts thereto to defray expenses over and above those defrayed by the total funding formula funds, which additional amounts shall be paid from any funds available to the school district other than total funding formula funds, whether produced by a supplemental district tax levy or otherwise.

If the total funds paid to the demonstration or practice school by the school district are inadequate to defray the cost and expense of maintaining and operating such demonstration or practice school then the president or executive head of the institution may, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, require the payment of additional fees or tuition in an amount to be fixed by the president or executive head of the institution, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, which amount shall be paid by and collected from the student or his parents.

Boards of trustees of school districts involved may designate an area within the jurisdiction of the board as an attendance center as provided by law, and may require students in such area to attend demonstration or practice schools, subject to a satisfactory contract between the school board and the president or executive head of the institution operating the demonstration or practice school. In such event, all fees and tuition must be borne by the school district and in no case shall the child or the parents of the child assigned to such demonstration or practice school be required to pay any fees or tuition.

The president or executive head of the institution, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, may also fix the amount of fees and tuition to be paid by students desiring to attend such demonstration or practice school in cases where there is no contract with the board of trustees of the school district in which the students reside therefor.

All funds received by an institution, under the provisions of this section, shall be deposited in a special fund and shall be used and expended solely for the purpose of defraying and paying the cost and expense of operating, maintaining and conducting such teachers demonstration and practice school. Such funds may be supplemented by and used in connection with any other funds available to the institutions for such purpose whether made available by legislative appropriation or otherwise.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-215 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 33-215
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-215
Status: in_force

The Office of Special Disability Programs shall provide services to any individual who is determined to meet the eligibility criteria for receiving services through one or more special disability programs. The services provided through the Office of Special Disability Programs shall be those defined as special disability services and independent living services.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-55 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 27-55
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-55
Status: in_force

When any pupils shall attend any agricultural high school or community or junior college under the provisions of Section 37-27-51 , such pupils shall be reported and accounted for the allocation of total funding formula funds provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 and building funds just as though such pupils were attending the regular schools of the district in which they reside. For this purpose reports shall be made to the board of trustees of the school district involved by the agricultural high school or community or junior college of the number of children in net enrollment, and the net enrollment of such pupils shall thereupon be included in reports made to the county or school district. The allocation of total funding formula funds and state public school building funds shall be made for such children just as though such children were attending the regular schools of the district. However, all total funding formula funds which accrue to any district as a result of the pupils who are in attendance at such agricultural high school or community or junior college shall be paid by the board of trustees of the municipal separate school district or the county board of education, as the case may be, to the agricultural high school or community or junior college at which the pupils are in attendance, and shall be expended by said agricultural high school or community or junior college for the instruction of said pupils. Funds allotted to the school district for building purposes under Chapter 47 of this title, shall, however, be retained by the school district entitled thereto. The term “ school district ” as used in Sections 37-27-51 through 37-27-59 shall be defined as including all public school districts in this state and also all agricultural high schools not located on the campus of a community or junior college.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-87 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 13-87
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-87
Status: in_force

(1) The Director of the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement shall employ three (3) school attendance officer supervisors, each to maintain an office within a different Supreme Court district. Each supervisor shall be responsible for the enforcement of the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law within his district and shall exercise direct supervision over the school attendance officers in the district. The supervisors, who shall report to the director of the office, shall assist the school attendance officers in the performance of their duties as established by law or otherwise.

(2) No person having less than eight (8) years combined actual experience as a school attendance officer, school teacher, school administrator, law enforcement officer possessing a college degree with a major in a behavioral science or a related field, and/or social worker in the state shall be employed as a school attendance officer supervisor. Further, a school attendance officer supervisor shall possess a college degree with a major in a behavioral science or a related field or shall have actual experience as a school teacher, school administrator, law enforcement officer possessing such degree or social worker; however, these requirements shall not apply to persons employed as school attendance officers before January 1, 1987. School attendance officers shall meet any additional qualifications established by the State Personnel Board for school attendance officers or school attendance officer supervisors. The school attendance officer supervisors shall receive an annual salary to be set by the State Superintendent of Public Education, subject to the approval of the State Personnel Board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 51-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-1
Status: in_force

It is hereby determined and declared that the state reaffirms its commitment and dedication to public school education; that nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed in any manner whatever to be an abandonment or impairment of public school education in this state; that the state calls upon all public school trustees, administrators, teachers, parents, and the public at large to continue full support of the public school system of this state; and that, especially during these difficult times, all school officials, administrators, teachers and others with primary responsibility for the public school system merit and need continued support and encouragement in their efforts.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-39 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 47-39
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-39
Status: in_force

For the purpose of paying the principal of and interest upon all state school bonds issued under the authority of this chapter, there shall be and there is hereby pledged the full faith, credit, and taxing power of the State of Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-2 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 15-2
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-2
Status: in_force

The permanent record provided for in Section 37-15-1 shall be kept, while it is active, in the attendance center office in a fire resistant container.

The permanent record shall be considered active: (a) if the student is enrolled in the school; or (b) if he has withdrawn or has been expelled and the students of the class of which he was a member shall not have reached the time of graduation.

At the point of the student's graduation or at the time when the student would normally have graduated had he not withdrawn or been expelled from school, the student's permanent record shall become a part of the permanent binder in the central fire resistant depository or stored digitally as designated and provided by the school board of the school district, or, as an alternative method, the records may be maintained in fire resistant storage at the school last attended by the student. The permanent binding and preservation of the inactive records shall be the duty of the superintendent of the school district who shall maintain a central depository of the records.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-41 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 113-41
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-41
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is hereby authorized to establish a fund to be known as the J. C. Hardy Memorial Fund.

The fund herein authorized shall be raised and supplemented by donations, gifts, legacies, and otherwise. Under the supervision of said board of trustees, said fund or the proceeds therefrom shall be used to assist sons of low-income Mississippi citizens to meet their educational expenses at the Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-243 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 101-243
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-243
Status: in_force

(1) For the purposes of this section, these words are defined as follows:

(a) “ Commission ” means the Commission on College Accreditation created under Section 37-101-241 ; and

(b) “ Institution ” means and includes institutions of higher learning approved under Section 37-101-241 and proprietary schools and other entities subject to regulation under Section 75-60-1 et seq.

(2) The commission may enter into and administer interstate reciprocity agreements that allow institutions to offer postsecondary distance education. The commission is further authorized to carry out the following duties as related to interstate reciprocity agreements:

(a) Approve or disapprove participation in these agreements by institutions;

(b) Establish fees to be paid by participating institutions to cover the commission's direct and indirect administrative costs incurred by the commission or by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning on the commission's behalf;

(c) Serve as the state point of contact for questions, complaints and other communications;

(d) Enter into agreements with other state agencies regarding state responsibilities; and

(e) Form committees to assist in establishing policies and procedures.

(3) The commission shall not:

(a) Require institutions to participate in interstate reciprocity agreements; or

(b) Prohibit institutions that do not participate in these agreements from offering postsecondary distance education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-511 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 7-511
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-511
Status: in_force

The school boards of the respective school districts in whom title to such property may be vested are hereby empowered and authorized to execute proper conveyances of such property in order to carry out the purposes of Sections 37-7-501 through 37-7-511 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 31-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-13
Status: in_force

(1) Any appropriation that may be made under the provisions of Sections 37-31-1 through 37-31-15 shall be used by the board for the promotion of vocational education as provided for in the “Smith-Hughes Act” and for the purpose set forth in Sections 37-31-1 through 37-31-15 . The state appropriation shall not be used for payments to high schools which are now receiving other state funds, except in lieu of not more than one-half ( 1 / 2 ) the amount that may be due such high schools from federal funds. Only such portion of the state appropriation shall be used as may be absolutely necessary to carry out the provisions of Sections 37-31-1 through 37-31-15 , and to meet the federal requirements. Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the state appropriation shall not be used for payments to high schools for conducting vocational programs for more than ten (10) months in any school year, and only funds other than total funding formula funds may be expended for such purpose.

(2) Subject to annual approval by the State Board of Education, extended contracts for vocational agriculture education services and other related vocational education services which contribute to economic development may be conducted by local school districts, and state appropriations may be used for payments to school districts providing such services. The board of trustees of each school district shall determine whether any proposed services contribute to the economic development of the area. Local districts may apply to the Division of Vocational and Technical Education of the State Department of Education for any state funds available for these extended contracts. The State Board of Education shall establish the application process and the selection criteria for this program. The number of state funded extended contracts approved by the State Board of Education will be determined by the availability of funds specified for this purpose. The State Board of Education's decision shall be final. Payments under this subsection shall only be available to those high schools whose teachers of vocational programs are responsible for the following programs of instruction during those months between the academic years: (a) supervision and instruction of students in agricultural or other vocational experience programs; (b) group and individual instruction of farmers and agribusinessmen; (c) supervision of student members of youth groups who are involved in leadership training or other activity required by state or federal law; or (d) any program of vocational agriculture or other vocational-related services established by the Division of Vocational and Technical Education of the State Department of Education that contribute to the economic development of the geographic area.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 146-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-17
Status: in_force

(1) Upon completion of dental school and/or a dental residency program approved by the commission, a participant in the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program must proceed to enter the full-time practice of dentistry in a rural or underserved area in Mississippi, as defined by the commission and consistent with generally acceptable designations. If an area experiences significant changes in its dental or general community which are not reflected by dental health professional shortage area (HPSA), the commission may receive testimony and, in its discretion, may qualify the area as a dentally underserved or rural area to allow the program participant to fulfill his or her practice obligation.

(2) Upon entering the practice of dentistry, a participant in the program must serve in a dental health professional shortage area (HPSA) or rural area otherwise approved for practice under subsection (1) of this section for a number of years which corresponds to the number of years, not to exceed five (5), for which the participant received funding through the program. Any participant who fails to complete the period of practice for which he or she is obligated to provide services in a dental health professional shortage area (HPSA) or rural area in exchange for financial assistance received through the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program shall be liable for the repayment of all financial assistance provided to the participant through the program, along with other penalties that may be prescribed by the commission, an amount which shall be reduced on a pro rata basis for actual years of practice by the dentist in the area designated by the commission.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-97-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 97-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-97-105
Status: in_force

(1) A postsecondary educational institution or any officer, trustee, or employee, of a postsecondary educational institution, shall have the right to, directly or through an agreement with a third party, identify, create, solicit, facilitate, negotiate, support, assist and otherwise enable opportunities for a student-athlete to earn or attempt to earn compensation for the use of the student-athlete's publicity rights. Such right shall include, without limitation, the right to discuss with a student-athlete the potential to earn compensation for their publicity rights if they attend the postsecondary educational institution. Provided that a postsecondary educational institution or any officer, trustee, or employee, of a postsecondary educational institution does not:

(a) Receive compensation from the student-athlete for facilitating, enabling, or assisting with such opportunities;

(b) Attempt to influence a student-athlete's choice of professional representation related to such opportunities; or

(c) Attempt in bad faith to reduce such student-athlete's opportunities from competing third parties.

(2) A third party shall have the right to compensate a student-athlete for the use of the student-athlete's publicity rights. This shall include the right to compensate the student-athlete for the use of the student-athlete's publicity rights in connection with the promotion of an athletic event in which the student-athlete may participate, the promotion of the postsecondary educational institution the student-athlete attends, and the promotion of the postsecondary educational institution's intercollegiate athletics programs.

(3) A postsecondary educational institution or officer, trustee, or employee of a postsecondary institution shall have the right to compensate a student-athlete for the use of the student-athlete's publicity rights to the extent consistent with any legally enforceable rules of a national association, a conference or any other group or organization with authority over the sport, that promotes or regulates collegiate athletics applicable to that institution. Before any agreement for compensation for the use of a student-athlete's publicity rights is entered into, and before any compensation is provided to the student-athlete, a postsecondary educational institution may require a student-athlete enrolled at that institution or who has announced an intention to attend that institution, to disclose the agreement or the terms thereof to a designated official of the postsecondary educational institution in which the student-athlete is enrolled or intends to enroll in a manner prescribed by the institution.

Student-athlete agreements, proposed agreements and any documents that compile, summarize or disclose any of the terms of such agreements shall be exempt from the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983. Postsecondary educational institutions and student-athletes shall not be compelled to disclose student-athlete agreements, proposed agreements and any documents that compile, summarize or disclose any of the terms of such agreements to a national association, a conference or any other group or organization with authority over the sport, that promotes or regulates collegiate athletics.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-63-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 63-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-63-5
Status: in_force

The Authority for Educational Television shall elect a chairman, vice chairman and such other officers it deems necessary. The authority shall adopt rules and regulations governing times and places for meetings, and governing the manner of conducting its business. Any member who does not attend three (3) consecutive regular meetings of the authority shall be subject to removal by a majority vote of the board members.

The authority shall meet at least bimonthly. Special meetings may be called by the chairman, vice chairman or the executive director. Four (4) members of the authority shall constitute a quorum.

Authority members who are not employed by the state shall receive per diem and actual and necessary expenses for attending meetings as provided by general law for public officers and employees. Elementary and secondary school teachers and/or elementary and secondary principals shall not be considered to be state employees for the purposes of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-53 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 113-53
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-53
Status: in_force

The board is directed to take any and all necessary and proper action for the implementation of this section and Section 37-113-51 , including but not limited to the appointment of a dean who will study and recommend to the board an adequate staff and whose responsibility will be to work with the state building commission in planning the construction and equipping of said college.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-139-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 139-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-139-1
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed herein, except when the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

(a) “Board” means the State Board of Education.

(b) “School” means the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-25 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 27-25
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-25
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of agricultural high schools shall make detailed statements of receipts and disbursements to the board or boards of supervisors and the county superintendent or superintendents of education annually on the first Monday of July. The county superintendent of education shall transmit to the state superintendent of public education, a copy of said detailed statement which shall be embodied in his annual report to the legislature.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-715 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 7-715
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-715
Status: in_force

Upon the organization, reorganization or reconstitution of any special municipal separate school district, the board of supervisors of the county wherein such special municipal separate school district is located and the governing authorities of the municipality may, by an order spread upon their minutes within sixty days after such organization, reorganization or reconstitution shall have become final, expressing an agreement between both such governing authorities, choose to constitute the board of such special municipal separate school district under one of the optional methods of organization set out in Section 37-7-717 . In the event that both the governing authorities hereinabove referred to shall enter such an order within said period, then the said board of trustees shall be thereafter constituted and selected according to the terms of such agreement, provided such agreement is in conformity with the terms of Section 37-7-717 . It is further expressly provided that irregularities of a procedural nature in the adoption of such orders shall not affect the validity of the same or the validity of any acts of the board of trustees which may be constituted by virtue thereof.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 115-21
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-21
Status: in_force

Whenever used in Sections 37-115-21 through 37-115-33 , the term “medical school” shall mean the four-year, standard medical school provided for in Section 37-115-23 as a department of the University of Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-43-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 43-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-43-17
Status: in_force

If any person related within the third degree by blood or marriage, as computed by civil law, to any member of the board, or if any person that is associated in any business or partnership with any member of said board, shall be employed in good faith by any school book company, firm, corporation or agent in connection with the adoption of textbooks within this state, the said member of the board so related by blood or marriage, or so associated in business or partnership with such person, shall not vote in the rating and adoption of any school book or books offered by such school book company, firm, corporation or agent for adoption.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 31-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-13
Status: in_force

(1) Any appropriation that may be made under the provisions of Sections 37-31-1 through 37-31-15 shall be used by the board for the promotion of vocational education as provided for in the “Smith-Hughes Act” and for the purpose set forth in Sections 37-31-1 through 37-31-15 . The state appropriation shall not be used for payments to high schools which are now receiving other state funds, except in lieu of not more than one-half ( 1 / 2 ) the amount that may be due such high schools from federal funds. Only such portion of the state appropriation shall be used as may be absolutely necessary to carry out the provisions of Sections 37-31-1 through 37-31-15 , and to meet the federal requirements. Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the state appropriation shall not be used for payments to high schools for conducting vocational programs for more than ten (10) months in any school year, and only funds other than total funding formula funds may be expended for such purpose.

(2) Subject to annual approval by the State Board of Education, extended contracts for vocational agriculture education services and other related vocational education services which contribute to economic development may be conducted by local school districts, and state appropriations may be used for payments to school districts providing such services. The board of trustees of each school district shall determine whether any proposed services contribute to the economic development of the area. Local districts may apply to the Division of Vocational and Technical Education of the State Department of Education for any state funds available for these extended contracts. The State Board of Education shall establish the application process and the selection criteria for this program. The number of state funded extended contracts approved by the State Board of Education will be determined by the availability of funds specified for this purpose. The State Board of Education's decision shall be final. Payments under this subsection shall only be available to those high schools whose teachers of vocational programs are responsible for the following programs of instruction during those months between the academic years: (a) supervision and instruction of students in agricultural or other vocational experience programs; (b) group and individual instruction of farmers and agribusinessmen; (c) supervision of student members of youth groups who are involved in leadership training or other activity required by state or federal law; or (d) any program of vocational agriculture or other vocational-related services established by the Division of Vocational and Technical Education of the State Department of Education that contribute to the economic development of the geographic area.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 45-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-7
Status: in_force

Each member of the commission shall, before entering upon the discharge of his duties, enter into a good and sufficient surety bond in the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) payable to the State of Mississippi and conditioned upon the faithful discharge of his duties. Said bond shall be executed by some surety company authorized to do business in this state. The premiums thereon shall be paid from any funds which may be available to the commission for such purpose.

Any member of the commission may have his vote on any question before the commission recorded on the minutes thereof at the time of the vote, and a member of the commission who votes against an illegal, unlawful or unauthorized expenditure of funds shall not be liable therefor.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 144-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-19
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program, acting through the commission, shall make every effort to establish an initial practice entry support system for participants in the program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-87 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 13-87
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-87
Status: in_force

(1) The Director of the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement shall employ three (3) school attendance officer supervisors, each to maintain an office within a different Supreme Court district. Each supervisor shall be responsible for the enforcement of the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law within his district and shall exercise direct supervision over the school attendance officers in the district. The supervisors, who shall report to the director of the office, shall assist the school attendance officers in the performance of their duties as established by law or otherwise.

(2) No person having less than eight (8) years combined actual experience as a school attendance officer, school teacher, school administrator, law enforcement officer possessing a college degree with a major in a behavioral science or a related field, and/or social worker in the state shall be employed as a school attendance officer supervisor. Further, a school attendance officer supervisor shall possess a college degree with a major in a behavioral science or a related field or shall have actual experience as a school teacher, school administrator, law enforcement officer possessing such degree or social worker; however, these requirements shall not apply to persons employed as school attendance officers before January 1, 1987. School attendance officers shall meet any additional qualifications established by the State Personnel Board for school attendance officers or school attendance officer supervisors. The school attendance officer supervisors shall receive an annual salary to be set by the State Superintendent of Public Education, subject to the approval of the State Personnel Board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-191 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 13-191
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-191
Status: in_force

Understanding the important role the Civil Rights Movement had on the State of Mississippi and understanding the importance of teaching Mississippi's children all of our history, it is the goal of this Legislature to provide meaningful support to this most important endeavor. Mississippi's central role in the civil rights struggle needs to be formalized and taught as a beacon of hope for all of our citizens.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 15-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-7
Status: in_force

In addition to the cumulative records provided for in Section 37-15-1 , there shall be kept a continuing census of all children below the age of nineteen within each school district. Such record shall be kept as a part of the permanent office records of the superintendent of the district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-471 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 7-471
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-471
Status: in_force

Whenever the school board of any school district shall find and determine, by resolution duly and lawfully adopted and spread upon its minutes:

(a) That any school building, land, property or other school facility is no longer needed for school or related purposes and is not to be used in the operation of the schools of the district, or that such school building, land, property or other school facility may yield a higher long-term economic value to the district, in the discretion of the local school board;

(b) That the sale of the property in the manner otherwise provided by law is not necessary or desirable for the financial welfare of the school district; and

(c) That the use of the school building, land, property or other school facility for the purpose for which it is to be sold, conveyed or leased will promote and foster the development and improvement of the community in which it is located and the civic, social, educational, cultural, moral, economic or industrial welfare thereof, the school board of such school district shall be authorized and empowered, in its discretion, and upon the terms and conditions set forth in Section 37-7-477 , to sell, convey, lease or otherwise dispose of same for any of the purposes set forth herein. Such sale, conveyance, lease or other disposition, including retention of partial interest, or undivided interest or other ownership interest, shall be made upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration, nominal or otherwise, as the school board may, in its discretion, deem proper in consideration of the benefits which will inure to the school district or the community in which the school building, property or other facility is located by the use thereof for the purpose for which it is to be sold, conveyed, leased or otherwise disposed of. The authority conferred by Sections 37-7-471 through 37-7-483 may be exercised by a school board in the sale, conveyance or lease of relocatable classrooms to the school board of another school district. Said sections without reference to another statute shall be deemed full and complete power for the exercise of the authority conferred hereby.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-273 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 29-273
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-273
Status: in_force

The county superintendent of education of a county in which there is located and operated a legally constituted municipal junior college may provide for the attendance of pupils residing in the county of which he is superintendent of education at such municipal junior college, and pay for same by certificate drawn by him on the special junior college fund. Said fund shall be raised by a levy made by the board of supervisors upon the recommendation of the county board of education. However, the amount so paid shall not be greater than the pro rata share of such pupils in the actual cost of incidentals and tuition of such municipal junior college.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-12 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 17-12
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-12
Status: in_force

(1)(a) Effective July 1, 2006, principals and administrators with career level certifications at schools with the highest levels of accreditation standards, as defined by the State Board of Education, shall be exempted from the provisions pursuant to Section 37-3-4 , subject to approval of the local superintendent.

(b) Effective July 1, 2006, school districts meeting the highest levels of accreditation standards, as defined by the State Board of Education, shall be exempted from the provisions pursuant to Sections 37-3-46 , 37-3-49(2) , 37-7-337 , 37-17-8 and 37-21-7(4) .

(c) The State Department of Education shall develop a policy to determine reevaluation of exemption status.

(2) The State Department of Education is directed to provide a report of all exempted process standards and nonexempted process standards to the Office of the Governor, the Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees, and the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents by December 1, 2007.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 144-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-11
Status: in_force

(1) Students in the program may apply to any medical or osteopathic school that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

(2) Students in the program seeking admission to the University of Mississippi School of Medicine shall be eligible for a special admissions process pursuant to criteria established by the School of Medicine Admissions Committee which will include special consideration of the attributes of participation in the program.

(3) In carrying out the admissions process developed for the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program participants under this section, the goal is for the program to work with the School of Medicine to enhance the capability of participants to successfully enter and complete medical school, train in family medicine or other generalist primary care specialty and enter practice in rural or underserved areas in Mississippi. To the extent feasible, the early admissions process should be completed before November 1 of the year preceding a student's admission to medical school.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-159-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 159-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-159-9
Status: in_force

(1) There is established the University Assisted Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant Program within the State Department of Education. The purposes of the program shall be to attract additional qualified teachers to those geographical areas of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers and to retain the qualified teachers already serving as licensed teachers in geographical critical teacher shortage areas by making available scholarships to persons working towards a Master of Education degree or an Educational Specialist degree at an institution of higher learning whose teacher education program is approved by the State Board of Education.

(2) Any institution of higher learning in the State of Mississippi which offers a Master of Education degree or an Educational Specialist degree may apply to the department for participation in the program. As part of the program, participating institutions shall collaborate with the Mississippi Teacher Center to identify, recruit and place teacher education graduates, from both within the state and out of state, in school districts situated within those areas of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education.

(3) The State Department of Education shall provide funds to participating institutions of higher learning for the purpose of awarding scholarships to qualified persons pursuing a Master of Education degree or an Educational Specialist degree at such institutions while rendering service to the state as a licensed teacher in a school district in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as approved by the State Board of Education. The financial scholarship shall be applied to the total cost for tuition, books, materials and fees at the institution in which the student is enrolled, not to exceed an amount equal to the highest total cost of tuition, books, materials and fees assessed by a state institution of higher learning during that school year. Teachers who relocate within Mississippi from out of state in order to participate in the program shall be classified as residents of the state for tuition purposes.

(4) Students awarded financial scholarships under the University Assisted Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant Program may receive such awards for a maximum of four (4) school years; however, the maximum number of awards which may be made shall not exceed the length of time required to complete the number of academic hours necessary to obtain a Master of Education degree or an Educational Specialist degree. Financial scholarships under the program shall not be based upon an applicant's eligibility for financial aid.

(5) Persons relocating to a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as approved by the State Board of Education, to participate in the University Assisted Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant Program shall be eligible for reimbursement for their moving expenses to the critical teacher shortage area from the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the administration of the relocation expense reimbursement component of the University Assisted Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant Program.

(6) Subject to the availability of funds, the State Board of Education may provide for professional development and support services as may be necessary for the retention of teachers participating in the program in those geographical areas of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers.

(7) Any person participating in the program who fails to complete a program of study that will enable that person to obtain a Master of Education degree or Educational Specialist degree shall become liable immediately to the State Board of Education for the sum of all awards made to that person under the program, plus interest accruing at the current Stafford Loan rate at the time the person abrogates his participation in the program.

(8) As a condition for participation in the program, a teacher shall agree to employment as a licensed teacher in a school district located in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education, for a period of not less than three (3) years, which shall include those years of service rendered while obtaining the Master of Education degree or Educational Specialist degree. However, for any person who obtained a Baccalaureate degree in education with a financial scholarship under the Critical Needs Teacher Scholarship Program and who entered the University Assisted Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant Program before rendering service as a teacher, the period of employment for the purposes of this subsection shall be two (2) years, in addition to the employment commitment required under the Critical Needs Teacher Scholarship Program. Service rendered by a participant as a licensed teacher in a school district in a geographical critical teacher shortage area before that teacher becomes a participant in the program may not be considered to fulfill the employment commitment required under this subsection. Any person failing to comply with this employment commitment in any required school year shall immediately be in breach of contract and become liable immediately to the State Department of Education for the sum of all scholarships awarded and relocation expenses granted to that person, less one-third ( 1 / 3 ) of the amount of that sum for each year that service was rendered, or for those persons whose required period of employment is two (2) years, less one-half ( 1 / 2 ) of the amount of that sum for each year that service was rendered, plus interest accruing at the current Stafford Loan rate at the time the breach occurs, except in the case of a deferral for cause by the State Board of Education when there is no employment position immediately available upon the teacher's obtaining of the Master of Education degree or Educational Specialist degree. After the period of such deferral, the person shall begin or resume the required teaching duties or shall become liable to the board under this subsection. If a claim for repayment under this subsection is placed in the hands of an attorney for collection after default, then the obligor shall be liable for an additional amount equal to a reasonable attorney's fee.

(9) All funds received by the State Department of Education from the repayment of scholarship awards and relocation expenses by program participants shall be deposited in the Mississippi Critical Teacher Shortage Fund.

(10) The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the proper administration of the University Assisted Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant Program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-183-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 183-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-183-9
Status: in_force

There is created a special fund in the State Treasury, to be known as the “Postsecondary Education COVID-19 Mitigation Relief Grant Fund,” from which the grants authorized by this chapter shall be disbursed by the department. All monies shall be disbursed from the fund in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-63-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 63-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-63-1
Status: in_force

It is declared to be the legislative purpose of this chapter, and the public policy of the State of Mississippi, that there be established and developed in the public interest an educational television and radio system which shall provide educational and instructional, professional growth, and public service programs for the students and citizens of Mississippi, such system to be known as Mississippi Educational Television. The legislature therefore declares and determines that for these and other related purposes there is hereby established an agency of state government to be known as the Mississippi authority for educational television which shall have the responsibility for the administration, operation, control and supervision of educational television and radio in Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-25 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 41-25
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-25
Status: in_force

Any superintendent of schools, member of the school board, superintendent, principal or carrier, or bus driver, who shall knowingly make any false report, list or record, or who shall knowingly make use of any false report, list or record concerning the number of school children being transported or entitled to be transported in any county or school district shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days, or by a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court. In addition, any such person shall be civilly liable for all amounts of public funds which are illegally, unlawfully or wrongfully expended or paid out by virtue of or pursuant to such false report, list or record, and upon conviction or adjudication of civil liability hereunder such person shall forfeit his license to teach for a period of three (3) years, if such person is the holder of such a license. Any suit to recover such funds illegally, unlawfully, or wrongfully expended or paid out may be brought in the name of the State of Mississippi by the Attorney General or the proper district attorney or county attorney. In the event such suit be brought against a person who is under bond, the sureties upon such bond shall likewise be liable for such amount illegally, unlawfully or wrongfully expended or paid out.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 113-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-27
Status: in_force

In order to provide for a more comprehensive method of improvement, promotion and development of agricultural research at the Delta Branch Experiment Station, the tax collector of each county of the State of Mississippi located in whole or in part in a levee district, shall deduct annually from all state ad valorem taxes collected by him a sum equal to the avails of a levy of one mill on the dollar of the assessed valuation of taxable property within such county upon which state ad valorem taxes are levied and collected, provided that such county in its discretion levies the one-fourth mill provided for in the third paragraph of this section. Said tax collector is hereby authorized and directed to pay same to Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science.

Any funds so paid to said university shall be used for agricultural research at the Delta Branch Experiment Station, with primary attention being given to a cotton research program and for providing needed laboratories and other facilities and equipment for agricultural research.

The board of supervisors of any county coming within the provisions of this section shall be authorized to levy, at the time and in the manner other county tax levies are made, and such levy shall be made as a condition precedent to the operation of this section in such county, an ad valorem tax of one-fourth mill against all of the taxable property of such county. Said ad valorem tax levy shall be collected as other taxes are collected, and shall be paid into a special fund of such county and shall be paid over to the Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science and shall be used at the Delta Branch Experiment Station for agricultural research, with primary attention being given to a cotton research program and for providing laboratories and other facilities and equipment for agricultural research. Such tax levy shall be in addition to all other levies now authorized by law, and no limitation or inhibition now in the statute against the levying of such a tax shall be effective against such levy. Such one-fourth mill ad valorem levies shall not be reimbursed under the Mississippi homestead exemption laws.

In the event similar diversions are already made from the avails of the state ad valorem tax levy in such a county, then this section shall be considered as supplemental thereto, and such laws authorizing such diversions shall not apply to the provisions of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-53 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 27-53
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-53
Status: in_force

When any pupils who shall attend any agricultural high school or junior college under the provisions of Section 37-27-51 are otherwise entitled to transportation at public expense under any applicable statute, such pupils shall remain entitled to such transportation, and shall be reported for the allotment of transportation funds by the county or municipal separate school district in which they reside and, when so reported, transportation funds shall be allotted therefor just as though such pupils were attending the regular schools of the district in which they reside, and transportation shall be furnished therefor by the county board of education or board of trustees of the municipal separate school district, as the case may be, as is otherwise provided by law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-31 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 153-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-31
Status: in_force

(1) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, separate and apart from any other fund, to be designated the “Work Force Carryover Fund,” into which shall be deposited any funds which were appropriated by the Legislature to the work force program of the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges’ budget for Fiscal Year 1995 and thereafter which said funds were allocated but unexpended for the purposes set forth in the Work Force and Education Act of 1994 in Sections 37-151-63 through 37-151-75 and 37-153-1 through 37-153-13 .

(2) Unexpended amounts remaining in the trust fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and all interest earned on amounts in this special fund shall be deposited to the credit of the trust fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-35 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 61-35
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-35
Status: in_force

There is hereby created a special fund in the State Treasury to be designated School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund into which proceeds collected pursuant to Sections 27-65-75(7) and 27-67-31(a) shall be deposited. Beginning with the 1994 state fiscal year, the entire amount of monies in such special fund shall be appropriated annually to the State Department of Education which shall distribute the appropriated amount to the various school districts in the proportion that the net enrollment of each school district bears to the net enrollment of all school districts within the state. On or before June 1 of each year, the State Department of Education shall notify each school district of the amount to which such district is entitled pursuant to this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-125-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 125-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-125-1
Status: in_force

A body politic and corporate is hereby created by the name of the “Jackson State College” to have perpetual succession, with power to contract and be contracted with, to receive by any legal method of transfer or conveyance, property of any description, to have, hold and employ the same, to make and use a corporate seal, with power to break or change the same, and to adopt bylaws, rules, and regulations for the government of its members, official agents, and employees. However, the name of said “Jackson State College” is hereafter changed to “Jackson State University,” without interference with the rights, powers and prerogatives of said college which continue in all respects. Whenever the name “Jackson State College” appears, the same is construed to denote “Jackson State University.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-22-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 22-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-22-7
Status: in_force

If state funds appropriated by the Legislature or otherwise made available by statute are insufficient to fully fund the Uniform Millage Assistance Grant Program, the Second Level Funding Program and the Emergency Fund Loss Assistance Program in any year, then any state funds made available for such programs shall be allocated by appropriation to each program in an aggregate amount which shall not exceed the total amount of state funds available.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-87 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 29-87
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-87
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of any public junior college district is hereby authorized, in its sole discretion, to convey real property and improvements thereon to any county within the junior college district without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids and without receiving compensation therefor, provided the following requirements are met:

(a) Where the county received title to the property and conveyed said property to the board of trustees of the junior college district, or where the board of trustees of such district received title to the property from any source and the purchase price therefor was paid by the county, for the purpose of operating an attendance center; and

(b) Where the board of trustees of the junior college district has not received approvals from necessary state agencies or authorities to use said land for the operation of an attendance center; and

(c) Where said board of trustees has adopted a resolution that such land and improvements are not needed for junior college purposes and expressing the desire to convey such land and improvements back to the county.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-60.1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 13-60.1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-60.1
Status: in_force

(1) The Mississippi State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee, hereinafter “SOICC,” is hereby designated as the entity responsible for the operation and management of an occupational information system to support career development in elementary schools, middle/junior high schools, high schools, postsecondary institutions and human service agencies pursuant to the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984, Public Law 98-524 , Section 422(b).

(2) SOICC shall develop and incorporate Mississippi-specific occupational and educational information to implement a career information delivery system for this state.

(3) SOICC shall train local staff in the use and operation of the career information delivery system in the career development process.

(4) SOICC shall establish the criteria pursuant to which appropriated funds will be distributed to local users of the career information delivery system.

(5) On or before January 1 of each year, SOICC shall report to the Senate Education Committee and the House Education Committee of the Mississippi Legislature its assessment of the effectiveness and usefulness of the career information delivery system in the advancement of career development for state public school students.

(6) SOICC is authorized to impose reasonable fees on users of the career information delivery system in order to defray a portion of the expense incurred in the operation and management of the career information delivery system.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-55 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 27-55
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-55
Status: in_force

When any pupils shall attend any agricultural high school or community or junior college under the provisions of Section 37-27-51 , such pupils shall be reported and accounted for the allocation of total funding formula funds provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 and building funds just as though such pupils were attending the regular schools of the district in which they reside. For this purpose reports shall be made to the board of trustees of the school district involved by the agricultural high school or community or junior college of the number of children in net enrollment, and the net enrollment of such pupils shall thereupon be included in reports made to the county or school district. The allocation of total funding formula funds and state public school building funds shall be made for such children just as though such children were attending the regular schools of the district. However, all total funding formula funds which accrue to any district as a result of the pupils who are in attendance at such agricultural high school or community or junior college shall be paid by the board of trustees of the municipal separate school district or the county board of education, as the case may be, to the agricultural high school or community or junior college at which the pupils are in attendance, and shall be expended by said agricultural high school or community or junior college for the instruction of said pupils. Funds allotted to the school district for building purposes under Chapter 47 of this title, shall, however, be retained by the school district entitled thereto. The term “ school district ” as used in Sections 37-27-51 through 37-27-59 shall be defined as including all public school districts in this state and also all agricultural high schools not located on the campus of a community or junior college.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-29 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 33-29
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-29
Status: in_force

It shall be unlawful, except for purposes directly connected with the administration of the vocational rehabilitation program, for eligible individuals with disabilities, and in accordance with regulations, for any person or persons to solicit, disclose, receive, or make use of, or authorize, knowingly permit, participate in, or acquiesce in the use of any list of, or names of, or any information concerning persons applying for or receiving vocational rehabilitation, directly or indirectly derived from the records, papers, files, or communications of the state or subdivisions or agencies thereof, or acquired in the course of the performance of official duties, except in response to summons, subpoena or other order of a court. Any violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor and punishable accordingly.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-219 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 7-219
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-219
Status: in_force

(1) For the purpose of holding such an election, it shall be the duty of the county election commissioners to prepare from the records in the office of the county registrar a list of the qualified electors of the school district who are eligible to participate in the election. The list shall be furnished to the election managers in each precinct, together with the ballots and other election supplies.

(2) In the event that any election precinct embraces parts of two (2) or more school districts it shall be the duty of the county election commissioners to prepare from the records in the office of the county registrar separate lists of the qualified electors of each school district who reside in the precinct and who are eligible to participate in the election. The election commissioners shall furnish to the election managers in the precinct separate ballots and separate ballot boxes and separate voting lists for each school district.

(3) For each day spent in carrying out the provisions of Sections 37-7-211 through 37-7-219 , the county election commissioners shall be paid at the rate prescribed by law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 31-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-105
Status: in_force

Allowable costs for public schools may include salaries of instructors, cost of equipment, supplies, supervision, rental of space and equipment, utilities, custodial services, and other costs justifiable for the specific programs. There shall be no cost to students for any training received. The necessary books, tools and supplies shall be provided. All items purchased shall remain the property of the state for future programs and shall not be given to the student. Equipment may be transferred between local public training agencies. Rental for private facilities and minor remodeling and maintenance for public facilities are allowable. There shall be no construction of facilities.

Up to One Hundred Dollars ($100) per student may be expended for medical services necessary for vocational rehabilitation if needed to render the person employable and if no other source of funds is available for this purpose.

Funds appropriated for the purpose of Sections 37-31-101 through 37-31-111 , except funds received by virtue of the Fiscal Assistance to State and Local Governments Act, Public Law 92-512 , 31 USCA 1221, et seq., may be used as matching funds to obtain federal funds for similar objectives whenever needed.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 61-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-3
Status: in_force

The total funding formula allotments to the public school districts and the funds derived from the supplemental school district tax levies authorized by law shall be used exclusively for the support, maintenance and operation of the schools in the manner provided by law for the fiscal years for which such funds were appropriated, collected or otherwise made available, and no part of said funds or allotments shall be used in paying any expenses incurred during any preceding fiscal year. However, this shall not be construed to prohibit the payment of expenses incurred during the fiscal year after the close of such fiscal year from amounts remaining on hand at the end of such fiscal year, provided that such expenses were properly payable from such amounts. Moreover, this shall not be construed to prohibit the payment of the salaries of superintendents, principals and teachers and other school employees whose salaries are payable in twelve (12) monthly installments after the close of the fiscal year from amounts on hand for such purpose at the end of the fiscal year.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-30 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 15-30
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-30
Status: in_force

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law, a pupil complies with the residency requirements for school attendance in a school district if the parent of the pupil is transferred to, or is pending transfer to, a military installation within this state while on active military duty pursuant to an official military order.

(2) A school district shall accept an application for enrollment and course registration by electronic means for a pupil who meets the requirements prescribed in subsection (1) of this section, including enrollment in a specific school or program within the school district.

(3) The parent of a pupil who meets the requirement prescribed in subsection (1) of this section shall provide proof of residence to the school district within ten (10) days after the published arrival date provided on official documentation. The parent may use the address of any of the following as proof of residence for the purposes of this subsection:

(a) A temporary on-base billeting facility.

(b) A purchased or leased home or apartment.

(c) Any federal government housing or off-base military housing, including off-base military housing that may be provided through a public-private venture.

(4) For the purposes of this section:

(a) “ Active military duty ” means full-time military duty status in the active uniformed service of the United States, including members of the National Guard and the State Military Reserve on active duty orders.

(b) “ Military installation ” means a base, camp, post, station, yard, center, homeport facility for any ship or other installation under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Defense or the United States Coast Guard.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-53 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 47-53
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-53
Status: in_force

All bonds and interim certificates issued under the provisions of this chapter and all interest thereon and income therefrom shall be exempt from all taxation, except gift, transfer, and inheritance taxes.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 115-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-27
Status: in_force

The medical school and teaching hospital shall be built and equipped together, in connection with each other, or as nearly together or connected as may promote the most efficient operation of both of them in proper coordination one with the other. The medical school and teaching hospital shall be located and built upon part of the lands owned by the State of Mississippi in or near the City of Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi, and commonly known as the old asylum lands, to be selected by the State Building Commission. The medical school and teaching hospital may have other locations as determined to be reasonable and necessary by the University of Mississippi Medical Center. All University of Mississippi Medical Center locations shall provide in the aggregate not less than fifty percent (50%) of their services to indigent persons including qualified beneficiaries of the State Medicaid Program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-89 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 41-89
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-89
Status: in_force

The school board of any school district may borrow money for the purchase of school transportation equipment or to establish, erect and equip school bus shops or garages, and purchase land therefor, and issue the negotiable notes or bonds of the school district as evidence of the indebtedness so incurred.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-63 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 3-63
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-63
Status: in_force

The procedure for establishing an Alliance for Families program in a district shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(a) A district assessment which shall include an assessment of school personnel, levels of parent and community support, and the student population; research on school district demographics, attitudes, test scores and the need for parent involvement. Contact shall be made with key persons and school officials in each district and meetings held.

(b) A recommendation for a district Alliance for Families program shall be developed which responds to the school district's needs. The plan shall include the district's goals and objectives for implementation of its Alliance for Families program.

(c) A project coordinator shall be assigned to school districts based on student population and need, except that each school district shall have one (1) assigned coordinator. The role of the district coordinator shall be to provide support for the project and to ensure continuity of the program. Included in the district coordinator's responsibilities shall be visits to school sites, and meetings with principals, teachers and parents to offer assistance with implementation of the program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-429 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 29-429
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-429
Status: in_force

When the board of trustees of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College District shall determine that it is necessary to procure additional funds by issuance of bonds for the purpose of making capital outlays for the construction and equipping of buildings, athletic fields, other structures, and related facilities, or for making repairs or providing funds for use in conjunction with funds provided by or available from any governmental, public or private source by loan, donation, matching program or grant, it may adopt a resolution declaring the necessity for said funds, that the same are unavailable from other sources and declare the purpose for which said funds are required and to be expended which purposes may, in addition to the foregoing, include any and all of the purposes for which school district bonds may be issued. In its said resolution the board of trustees shall determine and adjudge that the said bonds when issued will not result in the imposition on the property of the district of an indebtedness of more than five percent of the assessed valuation of the taxable property in the junior college district for junior college purposes, according to the latest completed assessment for taxation, shall specify the maximum amount in which said bonds may be issued, give the general proposed schedule of maturities and the details with respect to said bonds. In all matters where not otherwise herein provided the said bonds shall conform to the provisions of law governing school district bonds. Upon request of the board of trustees the clerk of the chancery court of each county shall furnish his certificate showing the totals of the latest completed assessment for taxation of all taxable property of the county, including motor vehicles.

Said resolution may call upon the boards of supervisors of the several counties to require an election to be called to determine whether or not the said bonds shall be issued or it may, in the discretion of said board of trustees, determine to issue the said bonds unless protest shall be filed and an election called pursuant thereto as set out in Section 37-29-431 . In the event that the board of trustees shall determine to cause an election to be called as above mentioned, the election shall be held and the results thereof ascertained and given effect in the manner as is set out in Section 37-29-431 and provided for in cases where an election is called upon the petition of twenty percent (20%) of the qualified electors of the county.

Prior to its resolution determining to issue said bonds or call an election thereon, the board of trustees of the junior college district shall inform the board of supervisors of each of the counties of its proposal and may be required, by the board of supervisors of any county, to cause to be made a survey, by one or more impartial experts, of the building needs of the district, setting out the same in the order of priority. If such a survey has been conducted within the past twenty-four (24) months a new one shall not be required but the board of supervisors for the several counties shall be furnished with copies of the survey.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-24-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 24-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-24-9
Status: in_force

This chapter does not create any liability for, or create a cause of action against, a school or its officers or employees, a health care provider, an organization or association of which a school or school district is a member, a private or public school, a private club, a public recreation facility, or an athletic league when such person or entity has complied with the provisions of this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-54 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 33-54
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-54
Status: in_force

The State Department of Rehabilitation Services, through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind, shall administer the Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind Law as prescribed in Sections 37-33-53 through 37-33-75 , Sections 43-3-3 through 43-3-15 and Section 43-3-93 . The executive director of the department shall assign to the office such powers and duties deemed appropriate to carry out the lawful functions of this law and any federal law or regulation.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 9-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-1
Status: in_force

(1) For the purposes of this chapter, the terms “superintendent” and “principal” shall have such meaning as are ascribed to them under the provisions of Section 37-19-1 . The term “ licensed employee ” shall mean any other employee of a public school district required to hold a valid license by the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development. The term “ non-instructional employee ” shall include all employees of school districts other than superintendents, principals and licensed employees.

(2) Unless a statute in this chapter specifically is made applicable to charter schools, the provisions of this chapter only apply to public school districts, the employees of public school districts and the public schools that are within those school districts.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-71 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 23-71
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-71
Status: in_force

Upon approving the application for financial assistance, the state department of education shall issue its commitment in writing to the parent or guardian of, or person standing in loco parentis to the applicant, or to the public school district, which said commitment shall be for a specified amount for each day. Payments made under such commitment shall be made by the department, in accordance with the terms of the commitment, and each commitment shall be conditioned upon the applicant's attendance in accordance with his application and the provisions of Sections 37-23-61 through 37-23-75 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-63 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 33-63
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-63
Status: in_force

(1) Vocational rehabilitation services shall be provided to any individual who is blind, (i) who is a resident of the state at the time of filing his or her application therefor and whose vocational rehabilitation the director determines after full investigation can be satisfactorily achieved, or (ii) who is eligible therefor under the terms of an agreement with another state or with the federal government. Except as otherwise provided by law or as specified in any agreement with the federal government with respect to classes of individuals certified to the agency under that agreement, the following rehabilitation services shall be provided to blind individuals, utilizing available financial resources. These may include state, federal and/or personal funds. The services shall include:

(a) Physical restoration;

(b) Transportation not provided to determine the eligibility of the individual for vocational rehabilitation services and the nature and extent of the services necessary;

(c) Occupational licenses;

(d) Placement equipment, tools and supplies;

(e) Maintenance;

(f) Training books and materials;

(g) Supported employment services, rehabilitation engineering services and independent living services.

(2) No person shall be determined ineligible because of financial status.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-453 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 29-453
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-453
Status: in_force

The Copiah-Lincoln Junior College District shall be under the executive direction of a president elected by the board of trustees of said district for a term not to exceed four (4) years.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 155-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-105
Status: in_force

As used in this article, the following words and phrases have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(a) “ MACS Program ” means the Mississippi Affordable College Savings Program established under this article.

(b) “ MACS Trust Fund ” means a special fund in the State Treasury established under Section 37-155-111 , and administered by the Treasury Department.

(c) “ Account owner ” means a resident or nonresident person, corporation, trust, charitable organization or other entity which contributes to or invests money in a savings trust account under the MACS Program on behalf of a beneficiary and which is listed as the owner of the savings trust account.

(d) “ Beneficiary ” means a resident or nonresident beneficiary of a savings trust agreement who meets the requirements of Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , as amended, or other applicable federal law, and any regulations established by the board.

(e) “ Institution of higher education ” means an eligible educational institution as defined in Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , as amended, or any other applicable federal law.

(f) “ Tuition ” means the quarter, semester or term charges and all required fees imposed by an institution of higher education as a condition of enrollment by all students.

(g) “ Board ” means the Board of Directors of the College Savings Plans of Mississippi Trust Funds established under Section 37-155-7 .

(h) “ Payor ” means a person, corporation, trust, charitable organization or other such entity which contributes money or makes a payment to either a savings trust account established pursuant to this article or a prepaid tuition account established under Sections 37-155-1 through 37-155-27 on behalf of a beneficiary.

(i) “ Savings trust account ” means an account established by an account owner pursuant to this article on behalf of a beneficiary in order to apply distributions from the account toward qualified higher education expenses at eligible educational institutions, as defined in Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , as amended, or other applicable federal law.

(j) “ Savings trust agreement ” means the agreement entered into between the board and the account owner establishing a savings trust account.

(k) “ Qualified higher education expense ” means any higher education expense, as defined in Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , as amended, or other applicable federal law.

( l ) “ Qualified withdrawal ” means a withdrawal by an account owner or beneficiary for qualified higher education expenses or as otherwise permitted under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , as amended, without a penalty required under the Internal Revenue Code.