Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-6 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 17-6
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-6
Status: in_force

(1) The State Board of Education, acting through the Commission on School Accreditation, shall establish and implement a permanent performance-based accreditation system, and all noncharter public elementary and secondary schools shall be accredited under this system.

(2) School districts shall be required to provide school classroom space that is air-conditioned as a minimum requirement for accreditation.

(3)(a) The State Board of Education, acting through the Commission on School Accreditation, shall require that school districts employ certified school librarians according to the following formula:

Number of Students

Number of Certified

Per School Library

School Librarians

0--499 Students 1 / 2

Full-time Equivalent

Certified Librarian

500 or More Students

1 Full-time Certified

Librarian

(b) The State Board of Education, however, may increase the number of positions beyond the above requirements.

(c) The assignment of certified school librarians to the particular schools shall be at the discretion of the local school district. No individual shall be employed as a certified school librarian without appropriate training and certification as a school librarian by the State Department of Education.

(d) School librarians in the district shall spend at least fifty percent (50%) of direct work time in a school library and shall devote no more than one-fourth ( 1 / 4 ) of the workday to administrative activities that are library related.

(e) Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit any school district from employing more certified school librarians than are provided for in this section.

(f) Any additional millage levied to fund school librarians required for accreditation under this subsection shall be included in the tax increase limitation set forth in Sections 37-57-105 and 37-57-107 and shall not be deemed a new program for purposes of the limitation.

(4) [Deleted]

(5)(a) The State Department of Education, acting through the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation, shall implement a single “A” through “F” school and school district accountability system complying with applicable federal and state requirements in order to reach the following educational goals:

(i) To mobilize resources and supplies to ensure that all students exit third grade reading on grade level;

(ii) To reduce the student dropout rate to ten percent (10%) by 2015; and

(iii) To have sixty percent (60%) of students scoring proficient and advanced on assessments.

(b) The State Department of Education shall combine the state school and school district accountability system with the federal system in order to have a single system.

(c) The State Department of Education shall establish five (5) performance categories (“A,” “B,” “C,” “D” and “F”) for the accountability system based on the following criteria:

(i) Student Achievement: the percent of students proficient and advanced on the current state assessments;

(ii) Individual student growth: the percent of students making one (1) year's progress in one (1) year's time on the state assessment, with an emphasis on the progress of the lowest twenty-five percent (25%) of students in the school or district;

(iii) Four-year graduation rate: the percent of students graduating with a standard high school diploma in four (4) years, as defined by federal regulations;

(iv) The system shall include the federally compliant four-year graduation rate in school and school district accountability system calculations. Graduation rate will apply to high school and school district accountability ratings as a compensatory component. The system shall discontinue the use of the High School Completer Index (HSCI);

(v) The school and school district accountability system shall incorporate a standards-based growth model, in order to support improvement of individual student learning;

(vi) The State Department of Education shall determine feeder patterns of schools that do not earn a school grade because the grades and subjects taught at the school do not have statewide standardized assessments needed to calculate a school grade. Upon determination of the feeder pattern, the department shall notify schools and school districts prior to the release of the school grades. Feeder schools will be assigned the accountability designation of the school to which they provide students;

(vii) Standards for student, school and school district performance will be increased when student proficiency is at a seventy-five percent (75%) and/or when sixty-five percent (65%) of the schools and/or school districts are earning a grade of “B” or higher, in order to raise the standard on performance after targets are met; and

(viii) The system shall include student performance on the administration of a career-readiness assessment, such as, but not limited to, the ACT WorkKeys Assessment, deemed appropriate by the State Department of Education working in coordination with the Office of Workforce Development.

(6) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to require a nonpublic school that receives no local, state or federal funds for support to become accredited by the State Board of Education.

(7) The State Board of Education shall create an accreditation audit unit under the Commission on School Accreditation to determine whether schools are complying with accreditation standards.

(8) The State Board of Education shall be specifically authorized and empowered to withhold allocations from the total funding formula funds as provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 to any public school district for failure to timely report student, school personnel and fiscal data necessary to meet state and/or federal requirements.

(9) [Deleted]

(10) The State Board of Education shall establish, for those school districts failing to meet accreditation standards, a program of development to be complied with in order to receive state funds, except as otherwise provided in subsection (15) of this section when the Governor has declared a state of emergency in a school district or as otherwise provided in Section 206, Mississippi Constitution of 1890 . The state board, in establishing these standards, shall provide for notice to schools and sufficient time and aid to enable schools to attempt to meet these standards, unless procedures under subsection (15) of this section have been invoked.

(11) The State Board of Education shall be charged with the implementation of the program of development in each applicable school district as follows:

(a) Develop an impairment report for each district failing to meet accreditation standards in conjunction with school district officials;

(b) Notify any applicable school district failing to meet accreditation standards that it is on probation until corrective actions are taken or until the deficiencies have been removed. The local school district shall develop a corrective action plan to improve its deficiencies. For district academic deficiencies, the corrective action plan for each such school district shall be based upon a complete analysis of the following: student test data, student grades, student attendance reports, student dropout data, existence and other relevant data. The corrective action plan shall describe the specific measures to be taken by the particular school district and school to improve: (i) instruction; (ii) curriculum; (iii) professional development; (iv) personnel and classroom organization; (v) student incentives for performance; (vi) process deficiencies; and (vii) reporting to the local school board, parents and the community. The corrective action plan shall describe the specific individuals responsible for implementing each component of the recommendation and how each will be evaluated. All corrective action plans shall be provided to the State Board of Education as may be required. The decision of the State Board of Education establishing the probationary period of time shall be final;

(c) Offer, during the probationary period, technical assistance to the school district in making corrective actions. Subject to appropriations, the State Department of Education shall provide technical and/or financial assistance to all such school districts in order to implement each measure identified in that district's corrective action plan through professional development and on-site assistance. Each such school district shall apply for and utilize all available federal funding in order to support its corrective action plan in addition to state funds made available under this paragraph;

(d) Assign department personnel or contract, in its discretion, with the institutions of higher learning or other appropriate private entities with experience in the academic, finance and other operational functions of schools to assist school districts;

(e) Provide for publication of public notice at least one time during the probationary period, in a newspaper published within the jurisdiction of the school district failing to meet accreditation standards, or if no newspaper is published therein, then in a newspaper having a general circulation therein. The publication shall include the following: declaration of school system's status as being on probation; all details relating to the impairment report; and other information as the State Board of Education deems appropriate. Public notices issued under this section shall be subject to Section 13-3-31 and not contrary to other laws regarding newspaper publication.

(12)(a) If the recommendations for corrective action are not taken by the local school district or if the deficiencies are not removed by the end of the probationary period, the Commission on School Accreditation shall conduct a hearing to allow the affected school district to present evidence or other reasons why its accreditation should not be withdrawn. Additionally, if the local school district violates accreditation standards that have been determined by the policies and procedures of the State Board of Education to be a basis for withdrawal of school district's accreditation without a probationary period, the Commission on School Accreditation shall conduct a hearing to allow the affected school district to present evidence or other reasons why its accreditation should not be withdrawn. After its consideration of the results of the hearing, the Commission on School Accreditation shall be authorized, with the approval of the State Board of Education, to withdraw the accreditation of a public school district, and issue a request to the Governor that a state of emergency be declared in that district.

(b)(i) If the State Board of Education and the Commission on School Accreditation determine that an extreme emergency situation exists in a school district that jeopardizes the safety, security or educational interests of the children enrolled in the schools in that district and that emergency situation is believed to be related to a serious violation or violations of accreditation standards or state or federal law, the State Board of Education may request the Governor to declare a state of emergency in that school district. For purposes of this paragraph, the declarations of a state of emergency district's impairments are related to a lack of financial may include the school district's serious failure to meet minimum academic standards, as evidenced by a continued pattern of poor student performance, or impairments related to a lack of financial resources.

(ii) If the State Board of Education determines that a public school or district in the state which, during each of two (2) consecutive school years or during two (2) of three (3) consecutive school years, receives an “F” designation by the State Board of Education under the accountability rating system or has been persistently failing as defined by the State Board of Education; or if the State Board of Education determines that a public school or district in the state which, during each of four (4) consecutive school years, receives a “D” or “F” designation by the State Board of Education under the accountability rating system or has been persistently failing as defined by the State Board of Education; or if more than fifty percent (50%) of the schools within a school district are designated as Schools-At-Risk in any one (1) year, then the board may place such school or district into a District of Transformation. The State Board of Education shall take over only the number of schools and districts for which it has the capacity to serve. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations governing any additional requirements for placement into a District of Transformation and the operation thereof. School districts or schools that are eligible to be placed into a District of Transformation due to poor academic performance but are not absorbed due to the capacity of the State Board of Education, shall develop and implement a district improvement plan with prescriptive guidance and support from the Mississippi Department of Education, with the goal of helping the district improve student achievement. Failure of the school board, superintendent and school district staff to implement the plan with fidelity and participate in the activities provided as support by the department shall result in the school district retaining its eligibility for placement into a District of Transformation.

(iii) If the State Board of Education determined that a school district is impaired with a serious lack of financial resources, the State Board of Education may place the school district into a District of Transformation. If a school district is placed into a District of Transformation for financial reasons, the school district shall be required to reimburse the state for any costs incurred by the state on behalf of the school district.

(c) Whenever the Governor declares a state of emergency in a school district in response to a request made under paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection, or when the State Board of Education places a school district into a District of Transformation due to poor academic performance or financial reasons, the State Board of Education may take one or more of the following actions:

(i) Declare a state of emergency, under which some or all of state funds can be escrowed except as otherwise provided in Section 206, Constitution of 1890 , until the board determines corrective actions are being taken or the deficiencies have been removed, or that the needs of students warrant the release of funds. The funds may be released from escrow for any program which the board determines to have been restored to standard even though the state of emergency may not as yet be terminated for the district as a whole;

(ii) Override any decision of the local school board or superintendent of education, or both, concerning the management and operation of the school district, or initiate and make decisions concerning the management and operation of the school district;

(iii) Assign an interim superintendent, or in its discretion, contract with a private entity with experience in the academic, finance and other operational functions of schools and school districts, who will have those powers and duties prescribed in subsection (15) of this section;

(iv) Grant transfers to students who attend this school district so that they may attend other accredited schools or districts in a manner that is not in violation of state or federal law;

(v) For states of emergency declared under paragraph (a) only, if the accreditation deficiencies are related to the fact that the school district is too small, with too few resources, to meet the required standards and if another school district is willing to accept those students, abolish that district and assign that territory to another school district or districts. If the school district has proposed a voluntary consolidation with another school district or districts, then if the State Board of Education finds that it is in the best interest of the pupils of the district for the consolidation to proceed, the voluntary consolidation shall have priority over any such assignment of territory by the State Board of Education;

(vi) For actions taken pursuant to paragraph (b) only, reduce local supplements paid to school district employees, including, but not limited to, instructional personnel, assistant teachers and extracurricular activities personnel, if the district's impairment is related to a lack of financial resources, but only to an extent that will result in the salaries being comparable to districts similarly situated, as determined by the State Board of Education;

(vii) For actions taken pursuant to paragraph (b) only, the State Board of Education may take any action as prescribed in Section 37-17-13 .

(d) At the time that satisfactory corrective action has been taken in a school district in which a state of emergency has been declared, the State Board of Education may request the Governor to declare that the state of emergency no longer exists in the district.

(e) The parent or legal guardian of a school-age child who is enrolled in a school district whose accreditation has been withdrawn by the Commission on School Accreditation and without approval of that school district may file a petition in writing to a school district accredited by the Commission on School Accreditation for a legal transfer. The school district accredited by the Commission on School Accreditation may grant the transfer according to the procedures of Section 37-15-31(1)(b) . In the event the accreditation of the student's home district is restored after a transfer has been approved, the student may continue to attend the transferee school district. The per pupil amount of the total funding formula allotment for the student's home school district shall be transferred monthly to the school district accredited by the Commission on School Accreditation that has granted the transfer of the school-age child.

(f) Upon the declaration of a state of emergency for any school district in which the Governor has previously declared a state of emergency, the State Board of Education may either:

(i) Place the school district into district transformation, in which the school district shall remain until it has fulfilled all conditions related to district transformation. If the district was assigned an accreditation rating of “D” or “F” when placed into district transformation, the district shall be eligible to return to local control when the school district has attained a “C” rating or higher for three (3) consecutive years;

(ii) Abolish the school district and administratively consolidate the school district with one or more existing school districts;

(iii) Reduce the size of the district and administratively consolidate parts of the district, as determined by the State Board of Education. However, no school district which is not in district transformation shall be required to accept additional territory over the objection of the district; or

(iv) Require the school district to develop and implement a district improvement plan with prescriptive guidance and support from the State Department of Education, with the goal of helping the district improve student achievement. Failure of the school board, superintendent and school district staff to implement the plan with fidelity and participate in the activities provided as support by the department shall result in the school district retaining its eligibility for district transformation.

(13) Upon the declaration of a state of emergency in a school district under subsection (12) of this section, or upon the State Board of Education's placement of a school district into a District of Transformation for academic or financial reasons, the Commission on School Accreditation shall be responsible for public notice at least once a week for at least three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper published within the jurisdiction of the school district failing to meet accreditation standards, or if no newspaper is published therein, then in a newspaper having a general circulation therein. The size of the notice shall be no smaller than one-fourth ( 1 / 4 ) of a standard newspaper page and shall be printed in bold print. If an interim superintendent has been appointed for the school district, the notice shall begin as follows: “By authority of Section 37-17-6, Mississippi Code of 1972 , as amended, adopted by the Mississippi Legislature during the 1991 Regular Session, this school district (name of school district) is hereby placed under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Education acting through its appointed interim superintendent (name of interim superintendent).”

The notice also shall include, in the discretion of the State Board of Education, any or all details relating to the school district's emergency status, including the declaration of a state of emergency in the school district and a description of the district's impairment deficiencies, conditions of any district transformation status and corrective actions recommended and being taken. Public notices issued under this section shall be subject to Section 13-3-31 and not contrary to other laws regarding newspaper publication.

Upon termination of a school district in a District of Transformation, the Commission on School Accreditation shall cause notice to be published in the school district in the same manner provided in this section, to include any or all details relating to the corrective action taken in the school district that resulted in the termination of the state of emergency.

(14) The State Board of Education or the Commission on School Accreditation shall have the authority to require school districts to produce the necessary reports, correspondence, financial statements, and any other documents and information necessary to fulfill the requirements of this section.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to grant any individual, corporation, board or interim superintendent the authority to levy taxes except in accordance with presently existing statutory provisions.

(15)(a) Whenever the Governor declares a state of emergency in a school district in response to a request made under subsection (12) of this section, or when the State Board of Education places a school district into a District of Transformation for academic or financial reasons, the State Board of Education, in its discretion, may assign an interim superintendent to the school district, or in its discretion, may contract with an appropriate private entity with experience in the academic, finance and other operational functions of schools and school districts, who will be responsible for the administration, management and operation of the school district, including, but not limited to, the following activities:

(i) Approving or disapproving all financial obligations of the district, including, but not limited to, the employment, termination, nonrenewal and reassignment of all licensed and nonlicensed personnel, contractual agreements and purchase orders, and approving or disapproving all claim dockets and the issuance of checks; in approving or disapproving employment contracts of superintendents, assistant superintendents or principals, the interim superintendent shall not be required to comply with the time limitations prescribed in Sections 37-9-15 and 37-9-105 ;

(ii) Supervising the day-to-day activities of the district's staff, including reassigning the duties and responsibilities of personnel in a manner which, in the determination of the interim superintendent, will best suit the needs of the district;

(iii) Reviewing the district's total financial obligations and operations and making recommendations to the district for cost savings, including, but not limited to, reassigning the duties and responsibilities of staff;

(iv) Attending all meetings of the district's school board and administrative staff;

(v) Approving or disapproving all athletic, band and other extracurricular activities and any matters related to those activities;

(vi) Maintaining a detailed account of recommendations made to the district and actions taken in response to those recommendations;

(vii) Reporting periodically to the State Board of Education on the progress or lack of progress being made in the district to improve the district's impairments during the state of emergency; and

(viii) Appointing a parent advisory committee, comprised of parents of students in the school district that may make recommendations to the interim superintendent concerning the administration, management and operation of the school district.

The cost of the salary of the interim superintendent and any other actual and necessary costs related to district transformation status paid by the State Department of Education shall be reimbursed by the local school district from funds other than total funding formula funds as provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 . In the alternative, the local school district may pay the cost of the salary of the interim superintendent. The department shall submit an itemized statement to the superintendent of the local school district for reimbursement purposes, and any unpaid balance may be withheld from the district's funding formula funds.

At the time that the Governor, in accordance with the request of the State Board of Education, declares that the state of emergency no longer exists in a school district, the interim superintendent assigned to the district shall remain in place for a period of two (2) years and shall work alongside the newly reconstituted school board. A new superintendent may be hired by the newly reconstituted board after the one (1) year state of emergency no longer exists, but he or she shall serve as deputy to the interim superintendent while the interim superintendent is assigned to the district.

(b) In order to provide loans to school districts under a state of emergency or in district transformation status that have impairments related to a lack of financial resources, the School District Emergency Assistance Fund is created as a special fund in the State Treasury into which monies may be transferred or appropriated by the Legislature from any available public education funds. Funds in the School District Emergency Assistance Fund up to a maximum balance of Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) annually shall not lapse but shall be available for expenditure in subsequent years subject to approval of the State Board of Education. Any amount in the fund in excess of Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) at the end of the fiscal year shall lapse into the State General Fund or the Education Enhancement Fund, depending on the source of the fund.

The State Board of Education may loan monies from the School District Emergency Assistance Fund to a school district that is under a state of emergency or in district transformation status, in those amounts, as determined by the board, that are necessary to correct the district's impairments related to a lack of financial resources. The loans shall be evidenced by an agreement between the school district and the State Board of Education and shall be repayable in principal, without necessity of interest, to the School District Emergency Assistance Fund by the school district from any allowable funds that are available. The total amount loaned to the district shall be due and payable within five (5) years after the impairments related to a lack of financial resources are corrected. If a school district fails to make payments on the loan in accordance with the terms of the agreement between the district and the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education, in accordance with rules and regulations established by the State Board of Education, may withhold that district's total funding formula funds in an amount and manner that will effectuate repayment consistent with the terms of the agreement; the funds withheld by the department shall be deposited into the School District Emergency Assistance Fund.

The State Board of Education shall develop a protocol that will outline the performance standards and requisite timeline deemed necessary for extreme emergency measures. If the State Board of Education determines that an extreme emergency exists, simultaneous with the powers exercised in this subsection, it shall take immediate action against all parties responsible for the affected school districts having been determined to be in an extreme emergency. The action shall include, but not be limited to, initiating civil actions to recover funds and criminal actions to account for criminal activity. Any funds recovered by the State Auditor or the State Board of Education from the surety bonds of school officials or from any civil action brought under this subsection shall be applied toward the repayment of any loan made to a school district hereunder.

(16) [Deleted]

(17) [Deleted]

(18) The State Board of Education, acting through the Commission on School Accreditation, shall require each school district to comply with standards established by the State Department of Audit for the verification of fixed assets and the auditing of fixed assets records as a minimum requirement for accreditation.

(19) [Deleted]

(20) [Deleted]

(21) If a local school district is determined as failing and placed into district transformation status for reasons authorized by the provisions of this section, the interim superintendent appointed to the district shall, within forty-five (45) days after being appointed, present a detailed and structured corrective action plan to move the local school district out of district transformation status to the deputy superintendent. A copy of the interim superintendent's corrective action plan shall also be filed with the State Board of Education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-111-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 111-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-111-13
Status: in_force

The State Board of Institutions of Higher Learning shall study the fire safety of private fraternity and sorority houses located on state property. Such study shall include the feasibility of fire sprinkler systems and the evaluation of fire safety procedures. The board shall report its written findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate and House Insurance Committees on or before January 1, 2006.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-2 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 41-2
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-2
Status: in_force

(a) It shall be unlawful for any individual, other than a student scheduled to be a passenger upon that particular bus, a member of the public school administration or faculty, or a law enforcement official, to directly or indirectly interfere in any way with passenger ingress and egress or the operation, including unauthorized boarding thereof, of a bus used in public school student transportation unless permission has been obtained as prescribed by pertinent rules and regulations promulgated by the state board of education or the local school authorities.

(b) Upon conviction of violation of any provision of this section, such individual shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00), imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed six (6) months, or both. Any person under the age of seventeen (17) who violates any provision of this section shall be treated as delinquent within the jurisdiction of the youth court.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-65 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 101-65
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-65
Status: in_force

All bonds issued by an educational building corporation may be executed and delivered at any time and from time to time, may be in such form and denominations, may be of such tenor, may be payable in such installments and at such time or times not exceeding thirty (30) years from their date, may be payable at such place or places, may bear interest at such rate or rates payable at such place or places and evidenced in such manner, and may contain such provisions not inconsistent herewith, all as may be provided by resolution of its board of directors. The bonds issued by any such corporation shall be signed by the chairman of its board of directors or other chief executive officer and attested by its secretary, and the seal of such corporation shall be affixed thereto. Any such bonds may be sold at public or private sale in such manner and from time to time as may be determined by the board of directors to be most advantageous, and the corporation may pay all expenses, premiums and commissions which its board of directors may deem necessary or advantageous in connection with the authorization, sale and issuance thereof. All such bonds shall be construed to be negotiable instruments, despite the fact that they are payable solely from a specified source.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-104.3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 7-104.3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-104.3
Status: in_force

(1) In Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, in which are located, as of January 1, 2013, two (2) school districts, there shall be an administrative consolidation of all of those school districts in the county into one (1) new countywide municipal separate school district to be designated as Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District which shall consist of the territory of the former Oktibbeha County School District and the Starkville School District, effective on July 1, 2015. Until June 30, 2015, preceding the effective date of the required administrative consolidation of school districts in the county, the Oktibbeha County School District shall remain in conservatorship, under the authority and control of the Mississippi Recovery School District of the State Department of Education. At such time that the administrative consolidation becomes effective, the central administrative office of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District shall be located in Starkville, Mississippi.

(2)(a) On or before July 1, 2014, the State Board of Education shall serve the local school board of the Starkville School District with notice and instructions regarding the timetable for action to be taken to comply with the administrative consolidation required in this section.

(b) In the new consolidated school district there shall be a countywide municipal separate school district board of trustees, which shall consist of the existing members of the Board of Trustees of the Starkville School District. However, upon the first occurrence of a vacancy on the board as a result of an expired term of an appointed board member, that vacancy shall become an elected position and shall be filled by the election of a board member as follows: the 2016 expiring term board member shall remain in office until January 1, 2017. In November 2016, an election will be held for a board member who resides outside of the incorporated municipal limits in the manner prescribed in Section 37-7-203 , and the elected board member will take office for a five-year term beginning January 1, 2017. Subsequent board members shall be selected in the manner prescribed in Section 37-7-203 . The Board of Supervisors of Oktibbeha County shall publish notice of the school board elections in some newspaper of general circulation in the county for at least three (3) consecutive weeks.

(c) Any school district affected by the required administrative consolidation in the county that does not voluntarily consolidate as ordered by the State Board of Education shall be administratively consolidated by the State Board of Education, to be effective immediately upon action of the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall promptly move on its own motion to administratively consolidate a school district which does not voluntarily consolidate in order to enable the affected school districts to reasonably accomplish the resulting administrative consolidation into one (1) consolidated school district by July 1 following the motion to consolidate. The affected school districts shall comply with any consolidation order issued by the State Board of Education.

(3) On July 1, 2015, following the motion of the State Board of Education to consolidate school districts in Oktibbeha County, the Oktibbeha County School District shall be abolished. All real and personal property which is owned or titled in the name of the school district located in such former school district shall be transferred to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District as of July 1, 2015. The Conservator of the Oktibbeha County School District is authorized and directed to execute and record all documents and conveyances necessary to convey title to all real and personal property of the Oktibbeha County School District to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. The conservator is further authorized and directed to sign all documents and to take all actions necessary to assign contracts and other property, contract rights and obligations of the Oktibbeha County School District to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. The Board of Trustees of the Starkville School District shall be responsible for establishing the contracts for operations, teachers, principals, clerical and administrative staff personnel for the 2015-2016 school year prior to July 1, 2015, and shall consult with the conservator for the establishment of contracts for teachers, principals, clerical and administrative staff personnel located in the former Oktibbeha County School District for the 2015-2016 school year. In order to prepare for the efficient staffing of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, the Conservator of the Oktibbeha County School District and the Superintendent of the Starkville School District shall have full authority to nonrenew the employment contract of any teacher, principal, clerical or administrative staff located within their respective school districts for the 2015-2016 school year. The superintendent and assistant superintendent(s) of schools of the former Starkville School District shall continue to serve in like administrative capacities of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, but in no instance shall the administrative leadership of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District exceed three (3) assistant superintendents to be appointed by the superintendent of the former Starkville School District. No superintendent serving in the former Oktibbeha County School District shall be eligible for appointment as a superintendent or assistant superintendent in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. Likewise, no trustee serving in the former Oktibbeha County School District shall be eligible for election to the new Board of Trustees of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. It shall be the responsibility of the board of trustees to prepare and approve the budget of the respective new reorganized district, and the board of trustees may use staff from the former school district to prepare the budget. Any transfer of the assets, real or personal property of the Oktibbeha County School District mandated by this section shall be final and conclusive for the purposes of the transfer of property required by this section to effectuate the administrative consolidation.

(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the closing of any school or school facility, unless the facility is an unneeded administrative office located within a school district which has been abolished under the provisions of this section. All administrative consolidations under this section shall be accomplished so as not to delay or in any manner negatively affect the desegregation of another school district in the county pursuant to court order.

(5) The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations to facilitate the administrative consolidation of the school districts in Oktibbeha County pursuant to the requirements of this section. Beginning with the insurance cafeteria plan year of November 1, 2014, the consolidated districts shall fall under all insurance plans and policies elected by the Starkville Public School District, including the group term life insurance described in Section 25-15-9(7) .

(6) For the initial three (3) years following the administrative consolidation required by this section, the State Department of Education shall grant a waiver of accountability and state assessment requirements to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, subject to the approval of the State Board of Education.

(7) As soon as practicable after March 31, 2015, the Conservator of the Oktibbeha County School District shall initiate the issuance of notes or certificates of indebtedness of the Oktibbeha County School District for the purpose of purchasing school buses, textbooks, computers and software and other equipment and fixtures for school facilities, and for any purposes enumerated in Section 37-59-3, Mississippi Code of 1972 , and making repairs, alterations, utility upgrades and additions to two (2) elementary school buildings located in the Oktibbeha County School District in order to meet the same physical and educational standards as the elementary school buildings in Starkville, and to contribute funds to the Starkville School District for capital improvements to accommodate county school district students and increase capacity for the consolidation. The contribution of such funds to the Starkville School District is hereby authorized. Said notes or certificates of indebtedness shall be issued under the authority of Sections 37-59-101 through 37-59-115, Mississippi Code of 1972 , including all notice requirements, however, the resolution as to the necessity for the issuance of the notes and the execution of the documents shall be made by the Conservator of the Oktibbeha County School District. The term of any notes or certificates of indebtedness issued under this section may not exceed the useful life of the financed project as determined according to the upper limit of useful life and depreciation guidelines established under the United States Internal Revenue Code and regulations. The levying authority for the Oktibbeha County School District, and after July 1, 2015, the levying authority for the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, shall annually levy a special tax on all taxable property of the former Oktibbeha County School District, and after July 1, 2015, on all taxable property of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on such negotiable notes or certificates of indebtedness as the same shall respectively mature and accrue. Said tax shall be levied as provided in Section 37-59-107, Mississippi Code of 1972 , except that the levy shall not exceed three (3) mills on the dollar for the payment of all notes that are subject to the levy under Section 37-59-107 . Any notes or certificates of indebtedness issued pursuant to this subsection (7) shall become indebtedness of the new Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District from and after July 1, 2015, and the mandatory special ad valorem tax levied to pay the notes or certificates of indebtedness by the levying authority pursuant to Section 37-59-107, Mississippi Code of 1972 , shall be levied upon all of the taxable property within the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District.

(8) For a period beginning July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015, the Conservator of the Oktibbeha County School District shall issue negotiable bonds of the Oktibbeha County School District for the purpose of purchasing school buses, textbooks, computers and software and other equipment and fixtures for school facilities, and making repairs, alterations and additions and utility upgrades, and for any purposes allowed by Section 37-59-3, Mississippi Code of 1972 , to school facilities in the Oktibbeha County School District and in the Starkville School District to accommodate students in the former Oktibbeha County School District who will be attending school in the new Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and the increased capacity needs under the consolidation. Said bonds shall be issued under the authority of Sections 37-59-1 through 37-59-45 , however, any resolutions as to the necessity for the issuance of any bonds and execution of the documents may be made periodically by the Conservator of the Oktibbeha County School District. Provided further, that the conservator shall publish each resolution of necessity and intent to issue any bonds once each week for at least three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the Oktibbeha County School District, with the first publication thereof to be made not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the date upon which the conservator is to take final action upon the question of authorizing the issuance of said bonds. If no petition requesting an election is filed prior to the date and time of the meeting at which the conservator is to take final action on the issuance of said bonds, then the conservator shall authorize the issuance of the bonds. If at any time prior to the date and time of the meeting at which the conservator is to take final action upon the question of issuing such bonds a petition signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) of the qualified electors of the Oktibbeha County School District shall be filed with the Conservator of the Oktibbeha County School District requesting that an election be called on the question of issuing the bonds, then the conservator shall either rescind the applicable resolution of intent or adopt a resolution calling an election to be held within the territory of the Oktibbeha County School District upon such question. The election shall be called and held, and notice thereof shall be given, in the same manner for elections upon the question of bond issues under Sections 37-59-11 , 37-59-13 , 37-59-15 and 37-59-17 , and the results thereof shall be certified by the Oktibbeha County Election Commission to the Conservator of the Oktibbeha County School District. If three-fifths ( 3 / 5 ) of the qualified electors of the Oktibbeha County School District who voted in such election vote in favor of the issuance of such bonds, then the conservator shall authorize the Oktibbeha County School District to issue such bonds. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, the Oktibbeha County School District may issue bonds pursuant to this subsection (8) in an amount which, when added to all of the Oktibbeha County School District's then outstanding bonded indebtedness, shall not result in the imposition on any of the property in said district of an indebtedness for school purposes of more than twenty percent (20%) of the assessed value of the taxable property within said district, according to the then last completed assessment for taxation. Any bonds issued pursuant to this subsection (8) shall become indebtedness of the new Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District from and after July 1, 2015, and the mandatory special ad valorem tax to be levied by the levying authority pursuant to Section 37-59-23, Mississippi Code of 1972 , to pay the bonds shall be levied upon all taxable property within the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District.

(9) For a period beginning July 1, 2015, and ending July 1, 2027, the new Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees may periodically issue negotiable bonds in one or more series of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District for the purpose of purchasing school buses, textbooks, computers and software and other equipment and fixtures for school facilities and for any purposes enumerated in Section 37-59-3, Mississippi Code of 1972 . The term of any such bonds may not exceed the useful life of the financed project as determined according to the upper limit of useful life and depreciation guidelines established under the United States Internal Revenue Code and regulations. Said bonds shall be issued under the authority of Sections 37-59-1 through 37-59-45 , including all notice and publication requirements, however, the necessity for the issuance of the bonds shall be made pursuant to a reverse referendum procedure to be followed by the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees as follows: the board of trustees shall publish each resolution of necessity and intent to issue bonds once each week for at least three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, with the first publication thereof to be made not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the date on which the board of trustees is to take final action authorizing the issuance of the bonds. If no petition requesting an election is filed prior to the date and time of the meeting at which the board of trustees is to take final action on the issuance of the bonds, the board of trustees shall authorize the issuance of the bonds. If at any time prior to the date and time of the meeting at which the board of trustees is to take final action authorizing the issuance of the bonds a petition signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) of the qualified electors of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District shall be filed with the Board of Trustees of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District requesting that an election be called on the question of issuing the bonds, then the board of trustees shall, not later than its next regular meeting, adopt a resolution calling an election to be held within the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District upon such question. The election shall be called and held, and notice thereof shall be given, in the same manner for elections upon the question of bond issues under Sections 37-59-11 , 37-59-13 , 37-59-15 and 37-59-17 , and the results thereof shall be certified to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees, as the case may be. If three-fifths ( 3 / 5 ) of the qualified electors of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District who voted in such election vote in favor of the issuance of such bonds, then the board of trustees shall issue such bonds. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District may issue bonds pursuant to this subsection (9) in an amount which, when added to all of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District's then outstanding bonded indebtedness, shall not result in the imposition on any of the property in said district of an indebtedness for school purposes of more than twenty percent (20%) of the assessed value of the taxable property within said district, according to the then last completed assessment for taxation. Any bonds issued pursuant to this subsection (9) shall be indebtedness of the new Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. The mandatory special ad valorem tax to be levied by the levying authority pursuant to Section 37-59-23, Mississippi Code of 1972 , shall be levied on all taxable property of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District.

(10) Notwithstanding any law or any provision of any law to the contrary, from and after July 1, 2015, all outstanding debt of the former Oktibbeha County School District and the former Starkville School District shall be assumed by and become the debt of the new Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. Any debt assumed by the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District secured by a special ad valorem tax shall become secured by and payable from a mandatory, special ad valorem tax which shall be levied on all taxable property in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District by the levying authority of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. All debt secured by a pledge by either district of its education enhancement funds pursuant to Section 37-61-33, Mississippi Code of 1972, or by a pledge of its Mississippi Adequate Education Program funds will continue to be secured by and payable from the same funds after the debt is assumed by the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District as of July 1, 2015. It is the intent of the Legislature that any such pledges will remain in effect and that the pledged funds will be available to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District to pay its debt to which the funds are pledged.

(11) It shall be the responsibility of the Board of Supervisors of Oktibbeha County to provide office, furnishing and utilities for the administrative Office of the Superintendent of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District.

(12) The new Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District is authorized and encouraged to develop a partnership with Mississippi State University to create a model rural education school to serve all sixth- and seventh-grade students from Oktibbeha County and a model prekindergarten program which shall also serve as a model for the education of teachers and administrators. The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and Mississippi State University are authorized and empowered, in each's discretion, to enter into an agreement for the purpose of designing, constructing, maintaining and operating a model rural education school to serve all sixth- and seventh-grade students from Oktibbeha County. The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and Mississippi State University are further authorized and empowered, in each's discretion, 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.

(13) The Board of Supervisors of Oktibbeha County shall be the “levying authority” for the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-105-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 105-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-105-5
Status: in_force

Violation of any rules or regulations promulgated under the authority granted in Section 37-105-1 shall constitute a misdemeanor. Any person charged with a violation of such rules or regulations may be charged with such violation in the justice court of the county in which such violation occurred. Any person convicted of a violation of any such rule or regulation may be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or by imprisonment not exceeding thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-26-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 26-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-26-9
Status: in_force

(1) It shall be the duty of the clerk of any court to promptly collect the costs imposed pursuant to the provisions of Section 37-26-3 . In all cases the clerk shall monthly deposit all such costs so collected with the State Treasurer either directly or by other appropriate procedures. All such deposits shall be clearly marked for the State Court Education Fund and the State Prosecutor Education Fund. Upon receipt of such deposits, the State Treasurer shall credit seventy-five percent (75%) of any amounts so deposited to the State Court Education Fund created pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, and shall credit the remaining twenty-five percent (25%) of any amounts so deposited to the State Prosecutor Education Fund created pursuant to subsection (3) of this section.

(2) Such assessments as are collected under Section 99-19-73 shall be deposited in a special fund hereby created in the State Treasury and designated the “State Court Education Fund.” Monies deposited in such fund shall be expended by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning as authorized and appropriated by the Legislature to defray the cost of providing: (i) education and training for the courts of Mississippi and related personnel; (ii) technical assistance for the courts of Mississippi and related personnel; and (iii) current and accurate information for the Mississippi Legislature pertaining to the needs of the courts of Mississippi and related personnel.

(3) Such assessments as are collected under Section 99-19-73 shall be deposited in a special fund hereby created in the State Treasury and designated the “State Prosecutor Education Fund.” Monies deposited in such fund shall be expended by the Attorney General of the State of Mississippi as authorized and appropriated by the Legislature to defray the cost of providing: (i) education and training for district attorneys, county prosecuting attorneys and municipal prosecuting attorneys; (ii) technical assistance for district attorneys, county prosecuting attorneys and municipal prosecuting attorneys; and (iii) current and accurate information for the Mississippi Legislature pertaining to the needs of district attorneys, county prosecuting attorneys and municipal prosecuting attorneys.

(4) A supplemental fund is hereby created in the State Treasury and designated the State Court Constituents Fund. Monies deposited in such fund shall be for the education and training of judges and related court personnel other than those specified in Section 37-26-1(b) . In addition to any other fees or costs now or as may hereafter be provided by law, there is hereby charged in all civil cases in the chancery, circuit, county, justice and municipal courts of this state a supplemental court education and training cost in the amount of Fifty Cents (50¢), except in justice court cases where the amount sued for is less than Fifteen Dollars ($15.00); and in all criminal cases in the circuit, county, justice and municipal courts of this state, except in cases where the fine is less than Ten Dollars ($10.00). Such costs shall be charged and collected as provided by Sections 37-26-3 and 37-26-5 .

After the transfer to the State Prosecutor Education Fund of twenty-five percent (25%) of the money provided for in subsection (1) of this section, there shall then be transferred into the State Court Education Fund the money on deposit in the State Court Constituents Fund.

(5) A special fund is created in the State Treasury and designated the “State Court Security Systems Fund.” Monies deposited in such fund shall be expended for general courtroom security as well as the maintenance and operation of security surveillance and detection devices for the courtrooms of each court of the State of Mississippi specified in Section 37-26-1(2) . The Administrative Office of Courts shall conduct a study to assess and determine the security needs of the courts and is authorized to expend monies in the fund for the purposes of the fund as authorized and appropriated by the Legislature.

(6) From and after July 1, 2017, the expenses of the State Court Education Fund, the State Prosecutors Education Fund, the State Court Constituents Fund and the State Court Security Systems Fund shall be defrayed by appropriation from the State General Fund and all user charges and fees authorized under this section shall be deposited into the State General Fund as authorized by law and as determined by the State Fiscal Officer.

(7) From and after July 1, 2016, no state agency shall charge another state agency a fee, assessment, rent or other charge for services or resources received by authority of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-105-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 105-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-105-7
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is hereby authorized and empowered to prevent or regulate the running at large of animals of all kinds on the campus and the streets of any state institution of higher learning under the supervision of such board, and to cause such animals as may be running at large to be impounded and a charge made against the owner to discharge the cost and expenses of keeping the same. If the owner of any such animal does not pay such cost within the time prescribed by the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, such impounded animal may be sold to discharge the cost and expense of impounding and selling the same.

If the owner of any such animal does not pay such cost within the time prescribed by the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning and if such impounded animal cannot be sold to discharge the cost and expense of impounding and selling the same, such impounded animal may be sold or donated to research organizations.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-31 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 45-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-31
Status: in_force

The commission, or the chairman thereof, at any regular or recessed meeting, or the chairman in vacation, or the executive secretary in vacation pursuant to the direction of the chairman made at any time, is hereby empowered to issue under the seal of the commission and in its name, subpoenas for witnesses to require their attendance and the giving of testimony before the commission at any hearing or proceeding conducted by the commission and to require the production of such books, papers and records in any proceeding before the commission as may be material upon questions before or brought by the commission. Such subpoenas for witnesses or subpoenas duces tecum shall be directed to the sheriff or other lawful officer of the county of the residence of the witness named in the subpoena and shall be served and returned by the sheriff or other officer authorized by law to serve and return process in this state as in the chancery courts of this state and shall be obeyed just as process in said chancery court. The time and place for the appearance of the witness and the production of any documents, as the case may be, shall be specified in such subpoena.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-103-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 103-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-103-5
Status: in_force

A person who has entered the State of Mississippi from another state and enters an educational institution is considered a nonresident. Even though he may have been legally adopted by a resident of Mississippi, or may have been a qualified voter, or a landowner, or may otherwise have sought to establish legal residence, except as otherwise provided in Section 37-103-25(2) , such a person will still be considered as being a nonresident of Mississippi if he has entered this state for the purpose of enrolling in an educational institution.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-31 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 33-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-31
Status: in_force

The State Treasurer is designated as the custodian of all funds received by the state from appropriations made by the Congress of the United States or from other sources for the purpose of carrying out any state or federal statutes pertaining to vocational rehabilitation. The State Treasurer is authorized to receive and provide for the proper custody of such funds and to establish such special funds and accounts as may be necessary. He shall make disbursements therefrom for vocational rehabilitation purposes upon requisition by the executive director or when so authorized by the director on behalf of the executive director and upon the issuance of warrants thereunder by the State Fiscal Officer.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-163 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 29-163
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-163
Status: in_force

It is hereby declared to be the intent of the legislature that those funds appropriated to the state building commission for the junior college vocational and technical training fund shall be expended to expand immediately and improve existing programs, to institute new programs and to provide adequate equipment and facilities for existing and new programs for vocational and technical training individually or collectively within the public junior colleges of the state. The legislature further declares its intent to be that the presently existing physical facilities of the junior colleges shall be utilized in the development and implementation of such vocational and technical training programs where possible.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 153-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-11
Status: in_force

(1) There are created workforce development centers to provide assessment, training and placement services to individuals needing retraining, training and upgrading for small business and local industry. Each workforce development center shall be affiliated with a separate public community or junior college district and shall coordinate with the Office of Workforce Development.

(2) Each workforce development center shall be staffed and organized locally by the affiliated community college. The workforce development center shall serve as staff to the affiliated district council.

(3) Each workforce development center, working in concert with its affiliated district council, shall offer and arrange services to accomplish the purposes of this article, including, but not limited to, the following:

(a) For individuals needing training and retraining:

(i) Recruiting, assessing, counseling and referring to training or jobs;

(ii) Preemployment training for those with no experience in the private enterprise system;

(iii) Basic literacy skills training and high school equivalency education;

(iv) Vocational and technical training, full-time or part-time; and

(v) Short-term skills training for educationally and economically disadvantaged adults in cooperation with federally established employment and training programs;

(b) For specific small businesses, industries or firms within the district:

(i) Job analysis, testing and curriculum development;

(ii) Development of specific long-range training plans;

(iii) Industry or firm-related preemployment training;

(iv) Workplace basic skills and literacy training;

(v) Customized skills training;

(vi) Assistance in developing the capacity for total quality management training;

(vii) Technology transfer information and referral services to business of local applications of new research in cooperation with the University Research Center, the state's universities and other laboratories; and

(viii) Development of business plans;

(c) For public schools within the district technical assistance to secondary schools in curriculum coordination, development of tech prep programs, instructional development and resource coordination; and

(d) For economic development, a local forum and resource center for all local industrial development groups to meet and promote regional economic development.

(4) Each workforce development center shall compile and make accessible to the Office of Workforce Development and Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board necessary information for use in evaluating outcomes of its efforts and in improving the quality of programs at each community college, and shall include information on literacy initiatives. Each workforce development center shall, through an interagency management information system, maintain records on new small businesses, placement, length of time on the job after placement and wage rates of those placed in a form containing such information as established by the state council.

(5) The Mississippi Community College Board is authorized to designate one or more workforce development centers at the request of affiliated community or junior colleges to provide skills training to individuals to enhance their ability to be employed in the motion picture industry in this state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-55 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / 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. § 37-151-201 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 151-201
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-201
Status: in_force

The following words and phrases have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(a) “ Base amount ” or “ student base amount ” means the student base funding level that is established in the funding formula as the estimated cost of educating a student with no additional measured needs or special factors.

(b) “ Career and technical education course ” or “ CTE course ” means a credit-bearing course that has been approved and classified by the department as a career and technical education, or CTE, course.

(c) “ Charter school ” means a public school that is established and operating under the terms of a charter contract pursuant to Chapter 28, Title 37, Mississippi Code of 1972 .

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

(e) “ English Language Learner ” or “ ELL ” means a student identified in accordance with federal law as entitled to English as a second language or bilingual services on the basis of the student's English language proficiency.

(f) “ Final weighted enrollment ” means the final product of applying weights to the net enrollment of a school district or charter school after accounting for the sparsity of a school district or charter school, as determined in Section 37-151-205 .

(g) “ Gifted student ” means a student identified as eligible to participate in a gifted education program for the instruction of intellectually or academically gifted children, as defined and provided for in Sections 37-23-171 through 37-23-181 .

(h) “ Local contribution ” means the amount of local tax money that school districts or charter schools must contribute to the cost of the funding formula for their district or charter school in a given fiscal year, as determined under Section 37-151-211 .

(i) “ Local minimum tax effort ” means the amount in taxes that the local levying authority for each school district must raise on behalf of the school districts and charter schools in its geographic boundaries, as determined under Section 37-151-211 .

(j) “ Low income student ” means a student who has been identified by the department, through inclusion in the identified student percentage, as having been approved for free meals based on documentation of:

(i) Receipt of benefits from the following federally funded programs:

1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

2. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF);

3. Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR); or

4. Medicaid, where applicable, as approved by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct matching with Medicaid data to identify children eligible for free meals; or

(ii) The inclusion of students who are identified as homeless children, migrant children, runaway children or Head Start children, who are approved for free school meals without application and not subject to verification, which includes foster children certified for free meals through means other than an application for free and reduced price school meals.

(k) “ Net enrollment ” means the average of the total aggregate student enrollment of a school district or charter school on the last day of months two (2) and three (3) of the previous school year. The total aggregate student enrollment for each day may be determined by calculating the total number of students enrolled plus or minus the total number of new student enrollments or withdrawals, respectively, with the resulting amount being considered the total aggregate student enrollment on a given day. However, if a local school board or the governing board of a charter school adopts a class schedule that operates throughout the year for any or all schools in the district or the charter school, net enrollment must be computed by the State Department of Education so that the resulting net enrollment will not be higher or lower than if the local school board or the governing board had not adopted a year-round schedule.

(l) “ Preliminary weighted enrollment ” means the initial product of applying weights to the net enrollment of a school district or charter school, as determined in Section 37-151-205 .

(m) “ School board ” means a governmental board exercising management and control over a school district and the schools of that district pursuant to the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 and state statutes.

(n) “ School district ” or “ district ” means a governmental entity that establishes and supervises one or more public schools within its geographical limits pursuant to state statutes.

(o) “ Sparsely populated district or charter school ” means a school district or charter school with a density of less than eight (8) students per square mile, as determined by dividing the net enrollment of a district or charter school by the square mileage within its geographic boundaries. For the purpose of determining the sparsity of a charter school, the square mileage of a charter school is equivalent to the square mileage within the geographic boundaries of the school district in which the charter school is located.

(p) “ Special education program ” means a program that provides services for exceptional children, as defined and authorized by Chapter 23, Title 37, Mississippi Code of 1972 .

(q) “ State share ” means the amount the state contributes to the funding formula for the annual operating funding of each school district or charter school.

(r) “ Superintendent ” means the administrative head of a school district.

(s) “ Total funding formula ” means the formula used to determine annual operating funding for public schools, as prescribed in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 .

(t) “ Weight ” or “ weighting ” means a multiplier used to adjust the preliminary weighted enrollment and final weighted enrollment to support the additional costs of educating students in defined student populations or in a defined geographic context.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 104-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-13
Status: in_force

The governing board of any private institution of higher learning is hereby authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to declare by resolution to the Authority the need for an educational facility project at said private institution of higher learning and for the issuance of revenue bonds to finance or refinance said educational facility project.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 141-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-1
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as “The University Research Center Act of 1988.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 113-21
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-21
Status: in_force

(1) Agriculture is the primary industry of Mississippi and it is to the interest of said state agriculture that research in the fields of livestock products, pastures and forage crops, poultry, herd and flock management, horticulture, farm mechanization, soil conservation, forestry, disease and insect and parasite control, the testing of plants and livestock under different conditions, farm enterprises for different sized farms under different soil and climatic conditions and market locations, and other important phases of Mississippi's agricultural economy, be expanded in the manner provided for in this section.

(2) There is hereby authorized a branch experiment station to be known as the Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station, which is to be located on a part of that tract of land owned by the State of Mississippi and formerly operated as the Oakley Penitentiary and known as the Oakley Youth Development Center, same to be selected in accordance with Laws, 1954, Chapter 159, Section 3, and used as an agricultural experiment station. This property is to be supplied with necessary buildings, equipment, and other facilities; and title to such Oakley Penitentiary Farm, now known as the Oakley Youth Development Center, is to be transferred to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning for the use of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Station as the site of, and to be used for said Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station in accordance with Laws, 1954, Chapter 159, Section 3.

There is hereby authorized a branch experiment station to be known as the Coastal Plain Branch Experiment Station to be located on a suitable tract of approximately nine hundred (900) acres to be purchased in the upper coastal plain or short leaf pine area of east central Mississippi and to be supplied with necessary buildings, equipment, and other facilities.

The enlargement of the Holly Springs Branch Experiment Station, hereafter to be known as the North Mississippi Branch Experiment Station, is hereby authorized, by the purchase of approximately five hundred (500) acres of additional land adjacent to or in the vicinity of either of the two (2) farms now operated by said branch stations, and by the provision of the necessary buildings, equipment, and other facilities, and the sale as, hereinafter provided, of that farm of said branch station which is not adjacent to the additional land to be purchased.

There is hereby authorized the reactivation of the former McNeil Branch Experiment Station to be operated as a part of the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station at Poplarville, and to be supplied with necessary buildings, equipment, and other facilities.

There is hereby authorized a branch experiment station to be known as the Black Belt Branch Experiment Station to be located on a suitable tract of approximately six hundred forty (640) acres of land to be purchased in Noxubee County, Mississippi, and to be supplied with the necessary buildings, equipment, and other facilities.

There is hereby authorized a branch experiment station to be known as the Northeast Mississippi Branch Experiment Station to be located on a suitable tract of approximately two hundred (200) acres of land to be purchased in Lee County, Mississippi. Said station shall be primarily devoted to the development of the dairy industry and shall be supplied with necessary buildings, equipment, and other facilities.

There is hereby authorized the expansion of the office and laboratory building at the Delta Branch Experiment Station at Stoneville and of the office and laboratory and dwellings for station workers at the Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station at Crystal Springs.

(3) The governing authorities of any municipality, town, or county in the state may, in their discretion, donate land, money or other property to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in furtherance of the purposes of this section.

For the purpose of securing funds to carry out this subsection, the governing authorities of such municipality, town, or county are hereby authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to issue bonds or negotiate notes for the purpose of acquiring by purchase, gift, or lease real estate for the purpose herein authorized. Such issuance of bonds or notes shall be issued in an amount not to exceed the limitation now or hereafter imposed by law on counties, municipalities and towns, and shall be issued in all respects including interest rate, maturities and other details as is now or may hereafter be provided by general law regulating the issuance of bonds or notes by the governing authorities of such municipality, town, or county.

(4) Any person, firm or corporation may contribute or donate real or other property to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in furtherance of the purpose of this section.

(5) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning is hereby authorized, upon recommendation of the Director of the Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Station at the Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, which recommendation is approved by and transmitted to said board by the president of said university, to carry out the provisions of this section with particular reference to the establishment, reactivation, expansion, and the discontinuance of branch stations as herein provided, to receive and accept title to any land or property or money herein authorized, to buy or sell and dispose of any real or personal property herein authorized, to make available for carrying into effect the provisions of this section all money received from such sale or sales, and to do any and all things necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section. One-half ( 1 / 2 ) interest in and to all oil, gas and other minerals shall be retained under any lands sold hereunder.

(6) A gift of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), authorized by the general education board of the Rockefeller Foundation for the development of agricultural research, with particular reference to expanding the branch experiment stations and conditioned upon a general program of expansion substantially, as herein provided, is hereby accepted. The Director of the Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Station at the Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science is authorized and instructed to control and expend such fund in the same manner as other funds appropriated to carry out the provisions of this section.

(7) The experiment station in Clay County, Mississippi, shall not be affected by this section.

(8) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning is hereby authorized, upon recommendation of the Director of the Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Station at the Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science or the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences at Alcorn State University, which recommendation is approved by and transmitted to said board by the president of said university, to enter into contracts, leases and other arrangements for terms not to exceed thirty (30) years, with the option for two (2) ten-year lease extensions, with any persons or business entity for the development of a solar installation at any branch research station operated by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Station or Alcorn State University College of Agriculture Extension and Research Centers.

(9) If all or any portion of the property described in subsection (8) of this section is leased, Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences or Alcorn State University, with the approval of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, is authorized to negotiate all aspects of any lease or sublease and any terms and ancillary agreements pertaining to any lease or sublease as may be reasonably necessary to effectuate the intent and purposes of subsection (8) of this section and to ensure a fair and equitable return to the state. All proceeds derived or received from the agreements and leases entered into under subsection (8) of this section shall be deposited into a special fund to be expended only for the use and benefit of Mississippi State University or into a special fund to be expended only for the use and benefit of Alcorn State University, respectively. At the end of the lease term provided in subsection (8) of this section, the property leased under the authority provided herein shall revert to Mississippi State University or Alcorn State University, respectively. The State of Mississippi shall retain all mineral rights to the real property leased under subsection (8) of this section.

(10) The lease provided for in subsection (8) of this section shall include a provision that requires that at the expiration or termination of the lease, and/or abandonment of the project, as applicable, the lessee shall:

(a) Remove all leasehold improvements from the property; and

(b) Be obligated to pay all costs to return the property to its same or similar condition at the time of lease execution.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-97-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 97-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-97-1
Status: in_force

(1) Interscholastic or intramural athletic teams or sports that are sponsored by a public primary or secondary school or any school that is a member of the Mississippi High School Activities Association or public institution of higher education or any higher education institution that is a member of the NCAA, NAIA or NJCCA shall be expressly designated as one of the following based on biological sex:

(a) “Males,” “men” or “boys”;

(b) “Females,” “women” or “girls”; or

(c) “Coed” or “mixed.”

(2) Athletic teams or sports designated for “females,” “women” or “girls” shall not be open to students of the male sex.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-111 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 59-111
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-111
Status: in_force

All indebtedness incurred under the provisions of this article shall be evidenced by the negotiable notes or certificates of indebtedness of the school district on whose behalf the money is borrowed. Said notes or certificates of indebtedness shall be signed by the president of the school board and superintendent of schools of such school district. Such notes or certificates of indebtedness shall not bear a greater overall maximum interest rate to maturity than the rates now or hereafter authorized under the provisions of Section 19-9-19 . No such notes or certificates of indebtedness shall be issued and sold for less than par and accrued interest. All such notes or certificates of indebtedness shall mature according to the following:

(a) All notes or certificates of indebtedness issued for purposes authorized under Section 37-59-101 , with the exception of the financing of school buses and transportation equipment, shall mature in approximately equal installments of principal and interest over a period not to exceed twenty (20) years from the date of issuance thereof. Provided, however, that if negotiable notes used to finance other such capital improvements are outstanding from not more than one (1) previous issue authorized under the provisions of this article, then the schedule of payments for a new or supplementary issue may be so adjusted that the schedule of maturities of all notes or series of notes hereunder shall, when combined, mature in approximately equal installments of principal and interest over a period of twenty (20) years from the date of the new or supplementary issue, or if a lower interest rate will be secured on notes previously issued and outstanding, a portion of the proceeds of any issue authorized hereunder may be used to refund the balance of the indebtedness previously issued under the authority of this article.

(b) All notes or certificates of indebtedness for purposes of financing of school buses and transportation equipment shall mature in approximately equal installments of principal and interest over a period not to exceed ten (10) years from the date of issuance thereof. Provided, however, that if negotiable notes used to finance such noncapital improvements are outstanding from not more than one (1) previous issue authorized under the provisions of this article, then the schedule of payments for a new or supplementary issue may be so adjusted that the schedule of maturities of all notes or series of notes hereunder shall, when combined, mature in approximately equal installments of principal and interest over a period of ten (10) years from the date of the new or supplementary issue, or if a lower interest rate will thereby be secured on notes previously issued and outstanding, a portion of the proceeds of any issue authorized hereunder may be used to refund the balance of the indebtedness previously issued under the authority of this article.

Such notes or certificates of indebtedness shall be issued in such form and in such denominations as may be determined by the school board, and same may be made payable at the office of any bank or trust company selected by the school board, and, in such case, funds for the payment of principal and interest due thereon shall be provided in the same manner provided by law for the payment of the principal and interest due on bonds issued by the taxing districts of this state.

Any school district in Mississippi may borrow money from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development agency under any provision of state or federal law that provides for the borrowing of money by school districts.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-103 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 33-103
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-103
Status: in_force

The Executive Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services, through the Director of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, may, within budgetary limitations, purchase and operate motor vehicles for the purpose of transporting material, products and clients, and may employ program coordinating, supervising, support and production personnel to properly effectuate the purposes for which community rehabilitation programs are established under Section 37-33-101 . The director may designate a member of his or her staff to execute and enter into, on behalf of the office, contracts and subcontracts with any industry, manufacturer or other party for the production and the manufacture of goods or provision of services in the community rehabilitation program; however, the director must approve the general terms and conditions thereof. The director may authorize community rehabilitation programs to manufacture items and/or provide services for sale to jobbers or directly to the general public.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 25-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-3
Status: in_force

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the school board of any school district maintaining a secondary school which includes any of the grades nine (9) through twelve (12) inclusive, shall establish and maintain driver education and training programs for pupils enrolled in the day secondary schools in that district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-73 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 29-73
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-73
Status: in_force

The board of trustees is authorized to execute oil, gas and mineral leases on any of the property owned by the board of trustees of the district, but such leases shall not extend for a term beyond five years unless oil, gas or other minerals shall be in production under said leases at the expiration of said period. The terms and conditions of said lease, within the limitations above set out, shall be for the determination and within the discretion of the board of trustees.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / 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. § 37-19-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 19-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-19-9
Status: in_force

(1) There is established a Pilot-Performance-Based Compensation System for school years 2013-2015.

(a) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, a pilot study will be conducted in Lamar County, Clarksdale, Gulfport and Rankin County School Districts as outlined in subsection (2) of this section. Measures of effective instruction, instrumentation, student learning growth and performance evaluation results will be collected. Reporting data from the pilot study will be disseminated to all school districts.

(b) The results of the pilot study in the four (4) districts in combination with Teacher Improvement Fund (TIF), School Improvement Grant (SIG), and Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Districts will be collected and analyzed by the Mississippi State University Research and Curriculum Unit and reported to the Department of Education for policy recommendations.

Effective with the 2014-2015 school year, the school districts participating in the Pilot Performance-Based Compensation System pursuant to this section may award additional teacher and administrator pay based thereon.

(c) Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, the Department of Education will develop proposed legislation based on pilot results for statewide implementation of a Performance-Based Compensation System.

(d) Recommended legislation will be reported to the Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees and the Governor by November 30, 2015, for consideration during the 2016 Regular Session of the Legislature.

(2) The statewide performance compensation system for instructional personnel and school administrators must:

(a) Contain a qualitative measure of teacher effectiveness, a quantitative measure of student performance and a quantitative measure of student learning growth.

(b) Be designed by districts to support achievement of district goals in line with realization of the district's vision.

(c) Include individual, school and district achievement goals and measures.

(d) Be designed to support effective instruction and student learning growth and use performance evaluation results when developing district and school level improvement plans.

(e) Provide appropriate instruments, procedures and criteria for continuous quality improvement of the professional skills of instructional personnel and school administrators and use performance evaluation results when identifying professional development.

(f) Include a mechanism to examine performance data from multiple sources, including opportunities for parents to provide input into employee performance evaluations when appropriate.

(g) Identify those teaching fields for which special evaluation procedures and criteria are necessary.

(h) Differentiate among four (4) levels of performance as follows:

(i) Highly effective.

(ii) Effective.

(iii) Needs improvement or, for instructional personnel in the first three (3) years of employment who need improvement, developing.

(iv) Unsatisfactory.

(i) Provide for training programs that are based upon guidelines provided by the department to ensure that all individuals with evaluation responsibilities understand the proper use of the evaluation criteria and procedures.

(j) Include a process for monitoring and evaluating the effective and consistent use of the evaluation criteria by employees with evaluation responsibilities.

(k) Include a process for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the system itself in improving instruction and student learning. In addition, each district school board may establish a peer assistance process. This process may be a part of the regular evaluation system or used to assist employees placed on performance probation, newly hired classroom teachers, or employees who request assistance.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-111-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 111-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-111-7
Status: in_force

Organizations of the character designated in Section 37-111-1 shall be permitted to hold their regular meetings for academic, social or business purposes in such places as the authorities may agree upon. Such organizations shall not be permitted to purchase, lease, or as an organization live within a domicile especially set apart for their purpose at any time, except under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-111-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 111-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-111-7
Status: in_force

Organizations of the character designated in Section 37-111-1 shall be permitted to hold their regular meetings for academic, social or business purposes in such places as the authorities may agree upon. Such organizations shall not be permitted to purchase, lease, or as an organization live within a domicile especially set apart for their purpose at any time, except under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-135-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 135-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-135-1
Status: in_force

The following compact of the southern states for the purpose of operating regional educational institutions in the southern states be, and the same is, hereby ratified and approved:

Whereas, the states who are parties hereto have during the past several years conducted careful investigation looking toward the establishment and maintenance of jointly owned and operated regional educational institutions in the southern states in the professional, technological, scientific, literary and other fields, so as to provide greater educational advantages and facilities for the citizens of the several states who reside within such region, and

Whereas, Meharry Medical College of Nashville, Tennessee, has proposed that its lands, buildings, equipment, and the net income from its endowment be turned over to the southern states, or to an agency acting in their behalf, to be operated as a regional institution for medical, dental and nursing education upon terms and conditions to be hereafter agreed upon between the southern states and Meharry Medical College, which proposal, because of the present financial condition of the institution, has been approved by the said states who are parties, hereto, and

Whereas, the said states desire to enter into a compact with each other providing for the planning and establishment of regional educational facilities;

Now therefore, in consideration of the mutual agreements, covenants and obligations assumed by the respective states who are parties hereto (hereinafter referred to as “states”), the said several states do hereby form a geographical district or region consisting of the areas lying within the boundaries of the contracting states which, for the purposes of this compact, shall constitute an area for regional education supported by public funds derived from taxation by the constituent states for the establishment, acquisition, operation and maintenance of regional educational schools and institutions for the benefit of citizens of the respective states residing within the region so established as may be determined from time to time in accordance with the terms and provisions of this compact.

(a) The states do further hereby establish and create a joint agency which shall be known as the Board of Control for Southern Regional Education (hereinafter referred to as the “board”), the members of which board shall consist of the governor of each state, ex officio, and four (4) additional citizens of each state to be appointed by the governor thereof, at least one (1) of whom shall be selected from the field of education, and at least one (1) of whom shall be a member of the legislature of that state. In making his appointments, the governor shall appoint persons as broadly representative as possible of the variety of higher education at institutions in the state. The governor shall continue as a member of the board during his tenure of office as governor of the state but the members of the board appointed by the governor shall hold office for a period of four (4) years, except that in the original appointment one (1) board member so appointed by the governor shall be designated at the time of his appointment to serve an initial term of three (3) years, but thereafter his successor shall serve the full term of four (4) years. Vacancies on the board caused by death, resignation, refusal or inability to serve, shall be filled by appointment by the governor for the unexpired portion of the term. The officers of the board shall be a chairman, a vice chairman, a secretary, a treasurer and such additional officers as may be created by the board from time to time.

(b) It shall be the duty of the board to submit plans and recommendations to the states from time to time for their approval and adoption by appropriate legislative action for the development, establishment, acquisition, operation and maintenance of educational schools and institutions within the geographical limits of the regional area of the states, of such character and type and for such educational purposes, professional, technological, scientific, literary or otherwise, as they may deem and determine to be proper, necessary or advisable. Title to all such educational institutions when so established by appropriate legislative actions of the states and to all properties and facilities used in connection therewith shall be vested in said board as the agency of and for the use and benefit of the said states and the citizens thereof, and all such educational institutions shall be operated, maintained and financed in the manner herein set out, subject to any provisions or limitations which may be contained in the legislative acts of the states authorizing the creation, establishment and operation of such educational institutions.

(c) In addition to the power and authority heretofore granted, the board shall have the power to enter into such agreements or arrangements with any of the states and with educational institutions or agencies, as may be required in the judgment of the board, to provide adequate services and facilities for the graduate, professional, and technical education for the benefit of the citizens of the respective states residing within the region.

(d) The board shall have such additional and general power and authority as may be vested in it by the states from time to time by legislative enactments of the said states.

(e) Any two (2) or more states who are parties of this compact shall have the right to enter into supplemental agreements providing for the establishment, financing and operation of regional educational institutions for the benefit of citizens residing within an area which constitutes a portion of the general region herein created, such institutions to be financed exclusively by such states and to be controlled exclusively by the members of the board representing such states, provided such agreement is submitted to and approved by the board prior to the establishment of such institutions.

Each state agrees that, when authorized by the legislature, it will from time to time make available and pay over to said board such funds as may be required for the establishment, acquisition, operation and maintenance of such regional educational institutions as may be authorized by the states under the terms of this compact, the contribution of each state at all times to be in the proportion that its population bears to the total combined population of the states who are parties hereto as shown from time to time by the most recent official published report of the bureau of census of the United States of America or upon such other basis as may be agreed upon.

(f) This compact shall not take effect or be binding upon any state unless and until it shall be approved by proper legislative action of as many as six (6) or more of the states whose governors have subscribed hereto within a period of eighteen (18) months from the date hereof. When and if six (6) or more states shall have given legislative approval to this compact within said eighteen (18) months period, it shall be and become binding upon such six (6) or more states sixty (60) days after the date of legislative approval by the sixth state and the governors of such six (6) or more states shall forthwith name the members of the board from their states as hereinabove set out, and the board shall then meet on call of the governor of any state approving this compact, at which time the board shall elect officers, adopt bylaws, appoint committees and otherwise fully organize. Other states whose names are subscribed hereto shall thereafter become parties hereto upon approval of this compact by legislative action within two (2) years from the date hereof, upon such conditions as may be agreed upon at the time.

(g) After becoming effective this compact shall thereafter continue without limitation of time, provided, however, that it may be terminated at any time by unanimous action of the states and provided, further, that any state may withdraw from this compact if such withdrawal is approved by its legislature, such withdrawal to become effective two (2) years after written notice thereof to the board accompanied by a certified copy of the requisite legislative action, but such withdrawal shall not relieve the withdrawing state from its obligations hereunder accruing up to the effective date of such withdrawal. Any state so withdrawing shall ipso facto cease to have any claim to or ownership of any of the property held or vested in the board or to any of the funds of the board held under the terms of this compact.

If any state shall at any time become in default in the performance of any of its obligations assumed herein or with respect to any obligation imposed upon said state as authorized by and in compliance with the terms and provisions of this compact, all rights, privileges and benefits of such defaulting state, its members on the board and its citizens shall ipso facto be and become suspended from and after the date of such default. Unless such default shall be remedied and made good within a period of one (1) year immediately following the date of such default this compact may be terminated with respect to such defaulting state by an affirmative vote of three-fourths ( 3 / 4 ) of the members of the board (exclusive of the members representing the state in default), from and after which time such state shall cease to be a party to this compact and shall have no further claim to or ownership of any of the property held by or vested in the board or to any of the funds of the board held under the terms of this compact, but such termination shall in no manner release such defaulting state from any accrued obligation or otherwise affect this compact or the rights, duties, privileges or obligations of the remaining states thereunder.

(h) In witness whereof this compact has been approved and signed by the governors of the several states, subject to the approval of their respective legislatures in the manner hereinabove set out, as of the __________ day of __________, 1948.

State of Florida,

State of Tennessee,

By __________________________________________

By __________________________________________

Governor

Governor

State of Maryland,

Commonwealth of Virginia,

By __________________________________________

By __________________________________________

Governor

Governor

State of Georgia,

State of Arkansas,

By __________________________________________

By __________________________________________

Governor

Governor

State of Louisiana,

State of North Carolina,

By __________________________________________

By __________________________________________

Governor

Governor

State of Alabama,

State of South Carolina,

By __________________________________________

By __________________________________________

Governor

Governor

State of Mississippi,

State of Texas,

By __________________________________________

By __________________________________________

Governor

Governor

Commonwealth of Kentucky,

State of Oklahoma,

By __________________________________________

By __________________________________________

Governor

Governor

State of West Virginia,

By ________________________________

Governor
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 144-21
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-21
Status: in_force

This chapter may not be construed as granting the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program or its governing commission any governing or administrative authority over any program administered by any college, university, medical school or residency program in this state or any other program established by state law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-211 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 33-211
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-211
Status: in_force

(1) The Office of Special Disability Programs shall assist individuals with the most severe disabilities determined to be eligible and in carrying out the purposes of the Rehabilitation Act is authorized among other things:

(a) To cooperate with other departments, agencies and institutions, both public and private, in providing rehabilitation services, in studying the problems involved therein, and in establishing, programs and services as may be necessary or desirable; and

(b) To conduct research and compile statistics relating to the provision of rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.

(2) The Office of Special Disability Programs shall utilize federal grant money through Title VII of the most current amendment of the federal Rehabilitation Act to assist those individuals with the most severe disabilities. The office will work to provide medical equipment, home modifications, vehicle modifications and other independent living services to assist those individuals determined to be eligible according to the regulations of Title VII of the most current amendment of the Rehabilitation Act to remain in or return to mainstream society.

(3) The State Attendant Care Program created by the Mississippi Legislature in 1985 to provide personal care services for people who are severely disabled may function under the Office of Special Disability Programs. Personal care services will be provided to those individuals determined to be eligible by the office in accordance with policies established by the department.

(4) The Office of Special Disability Programs shall provide special disability services through programs developed with other state and federal agencies. The individuals and services provided shall be in conformity with any program policies and eligibility categories established by the programs.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-16-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 16-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-16-17
Status: in_force

(1) Purpose.(a) The purpose of this section is to create a quality option in Mississippi's high schools for students not wishing to pursue a baccalaureate degree, which shall consist of challenging academic courses and modern career-technical studies. The goal for students pursuing the career technical education pathways is to graduate from high school with a standard diploma and credit toward a community college certification in a career-technical field. These students also shall be encouraged to take the national assessment in the career-technical field in which they become certified.

(b) The State Board of Education shall develop and adopt course and curriculum requirements for career technical education pathways offered by local public school boards in accordance with this section. The Mississippi Community College Board and the State Board of Education jointly shall determine course and curriculum requirements for the career technical education pathways. The State Board of Education shall require school districts to provide notice to all incoming middle school students and junior high students of the career technical education pathways offered by local school boards. Such notice shall include the career technical education pathways available, the course requirements of each pathway, how to enroll in the pathway and any other necessary information as determined by the State Board of Education.

(2) Career technical education pathway; description; curriculum.(a) A career technical education pathway shall provide a student with greater technical skill and a strong academic core and shall be offered to each high school student enrolled in a public school district. The career technical education pathway shall be linked to postsecondary options and shall prepare students to pursue either a degree or certification from a postsecondary institution, an industry-based training or certification, an apprenticeship, the military, or immediate entrance into a career field. The career technical education pathway shall provide students with alternatives to entrance into a four-year university or college after high school graduation.

(b) Students pursuing a career technical education pathway shall be afforded the opportunity to dually enroll in a community or technical college or to participate in a business internship or work-study program, when such opportunities are available and appropriate.

(c) Each public school district shall offer a career technical education pathway approved by the State Board of Education.

(d) Students in a career technical education pathway shall complete an academic core of courses and a career and technical sequence of courses.

(e) Students pursuing a career technical education pathway must complete the twenty-four (24) course unit requirements for a regular high school diploma, which may include, but not be limited to the following course content:

(i) English I;

(ii) English II;

(iii) Technical writing;

(iv) Computer programming;

(v) Algebra I;

(vi) Personal Finance;

(vii) Advanced technical mathematics;

(viii) Computer Science;

(ix) Biology;

(x) Earth and Space Science;

(xi) U.S. History;

(xii) Mississippi Studies/U.S. Government;

(xiii) Health;

(xiv) Physical Education;

(xv) Soft skills, which include, but are not limited to, communication ability, language skills, time management, teamwork and leadership traits;

(xvi) Career technical education pathway courses; and

(xvii) Integrated technology.

Academic courses within the career technical education pathway of the standard diploma shall provide the knowledge and skill necessary for proficiency on the state subject area tests.

(f) The courses provided in paragraph (e) of this subsection may be tailored to the individual needs of the school district as long as the amendments align with the basic course requirements of paragraph (e).

(3) Nothing in this section shall disallow the development of a dual enrollment program with a technical college so long as an individual school district, with approval from the State Department of Education, agrees to implement such a program in connection with a technical college and the agreement is also approved by the proprietary school's commission.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-38 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 15-38
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-38
Status: in_force

(1) The following phrases have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

(a) A dual enrolled student is a student who is enrolled in a community or junior college or state institution of higher learning while enrolled in high school.

(b) A dual credit student is a student who is enrolled in a community or junior college or state institution of higher learning while enrolled in high school and who is receiving high school and college credit for postsecondary coursework.

(2) A local school board, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board shall establish a dual enrollment system under which students in the school district who meet the prescribed criteria of this section may be enrolled in a postsecondary institution in Mississippi while they are still in school.

(3) Dual credit eligibility. Before credits earned by a qualified high school student from a community or junior college or state institution of higher learning may be transferred to the student's home school district, the student must be properly enrolled in a dual enrollment program.

(4) Admission criteria for dual enrollment in community and junior college or university programs. The Mississippi Community College Board and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning may recommend to the State Board of Education admission criteria for dual enrollment programs under which high school students may enroll at a community or junior college or university while they are still attending high school and enrolled in high school courses. Students may be admitted to enroll in community or junior college courses under the dual enrollment programs if they meet that individual institution's stated dual enrollment admission requirements.

(5) Tuition and cost responsibility. Tuition and costs for university-level courses and community and junior college courses offered under a dual enrollment program may be paid for by the postsecondary institution, the local school district, the parents or legal guardians of the student, or by grants, foundations or other private or public sources. Payment for tuition and any other costs must be made directly to the credit-granting institution.

(6) Transportation responsibility. Any transportation required by a student to participate in the dual enrollment program is the responsibility of the parent, custodian or legal guardian of the student. Transportation costs may be paid from any available public or private sources, including the local school district.

(7) School district net enrollment credit. When dually enrolled, the student may be counted, for total funding formula purposes, in the net enrollment of the public school district in which the student attends high school.

(8) High school student transcript transfer requirements. Grades and college credits earned by a student admitted to a dual credit program must be recorded on the high school student record and on the college transcript at the university or community or junior college where the student attends classes. The transcript of the university or community or junior college coursework may be released to another institution or applied toward college graduation requirements.

(9) Determining factor of prerequisites for dual enrollment courses. Each university and community or junior college participating in a dual enrollment program shall determine course prerequisites. Course prerequisites shall be the same for dual enrolled students as for regularly enrolled students at that university or community or junior college.

(10) Process for determining articulation of curriculum between high school, university, and community and junior college courses. All dual credit courses must meet the standards established at the postsecondary level. Postsecondary level developmental courses may not be considered as meeting the requirements of the dual credit program. Dual credit memorandum of understandings must be established between each postsecondary institution and the school district implementing a dual credit program.

(11) [Deleted]

(12) Eligible courses for dual credit programs. Courses eligible for dual credit include, but are not necessarily limited to, foreign languages, advanced math courses, advanced science courses, performing arts, advanced business and technology, and career and technical courses. Distance Learning Collaborative Program courses approved under Section 37-67-1 shall be fully eligible for dual credit. All courses being considered for dual credit must receive unconditional approval from the superintendent of the local school district and the chief instructional officer at the participating community or junior college or university in order for college credit to be awarded. A university or community or junior college shall make the final decision on what courses are eligible for semester hour credits.

(13) High school Carnegie unit equivalency. One (1) three-hour university or community or junior college course is equal to one (1) high school Carnegie unit.

(14) Course alignment. The universities, community and junior colleges and the State Department of Education shall periodically review their respective policies and assess the place of dual credit courses within the context of their traditional offerings.

(15) Maximum dual credits allowed. It is the intent of the dual enrollment program to make it possible for every eligible student who desires to earn a semester's worth of college credit in high school to do so. A qualified dually enrolled high school student must be allowed to earn an unlimited number of college or university credits for dual credit.

(16) Dual credit program allowances. A student may be granted credit delivered through the following means:

(a) Examination preparation taught at a high school by a qualified teacher. A student may receive credit at the secondary level after completion of an approved course and passing the standard examination, such as an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course through which a high school student is allowed CLEP credit by making a three (3) or higher on the end-of-course examination.

(b) College or university courses taught at a high school or designated postsecondary site by a qualified teacher who is an employee of the school district and approved as an instructor by the collaborating college or university.

(c) College or university courses taught at a college, university or high school by an instructor employed by the college or university and approved by the collaborating school district.

(d) Online courses of any public university, community or junior college in Mississippi.

(17) Qualifications of dual credit instructors. A dual credit academic instructor must meet the requirements set forth by the regional accrediting association (Southern Association of College and Schools). University and community and junior college personnel have the sole authority in the selection of dual credit instructors.

A dual credit career and technical education instructor must meet the requirements set forth by the Mississippi Community College Board in the qualifications manual for postsecondary career and technical personnel.

(18) Guidance on local agreements. The Chief Academic Officer of the State Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Chief Instructional Officers of the Mississippi Community College Board and the State Department of Education, working collaboratively, shall develop a template to be used by the individual community and junior colleges and institutions of higher learning for consistent implementation of the dual enrollment program throughout the State of Mississippi.

(19) Mississippi Works Dual Enrollment-Dual Credit Option . A local school board and the local community colleges board shall establish a Mississippi Works Dual Enrollment-Dual Credit Option Program under which potential or recent student dropouts may dually enroll in their home school and a local community college in a dual credit program consisting of high school completion coursework and a community college credential, certificate or degree program. Students completing the dual enrollment-credit option may obtain their high school diploma while obtaining a community college credential, certificate or degree. The Mississippi Department of Employment Security shall assist students who have successfully completed the Mississippi Works Dual Enrollment-Dual Credit Option in securing a job upon the application of the student or the participating school or community college. The Mississippi Works Dual Enrollment-Dual Credit Option Program will be implemented statewide in the 2012-2013 school year and thereafter. The State Board of Education, local school board and the local community college board shall establish criteria for the Dual Enrollment-Dual Credit Program. Students enrolled in the program will not be eligible to participate in interscholastic sports or other extracurricular activities at the home school district. Tuition and costs for community college courses offered under the Dual Enrollment-Dual Credit Program shall not be charged to the student, parents or legal guardians. When dually enrolled, the student shall be counted, for total funding formula purposes, in the net enrollment of the public school district in which the student attends high school. Any transportation required by the student to participate in the Dual Enrollment-Dual Credit Program is the responsibility of the parent or legal guardian of the student, and transportation costs may be paid from any available public or private sources, including the local school district. Grades and college credits earned by a student admitted to this Dual Enrollment-Dual Credit Program shall be recorded on the high school student record and on the college transcript at the community college and high school where the student attends classes. The transcript of the community college coursework may be released to another institution or applied toward college graduation requirements. Any course that is required for subject area testing as a requirement for graduation from a public school in Mississippi is eligible for dual credit, and courses eligible for dual credit shall also include career, technical and degree program courses. All courses eligible for dual credit shall be approved by the superintendent of the local school district and the chief instructional officer at the participating community college in order for college credit to be awarded. A community college shall make the final decision on what courses are eligible for semester hour credits and the local school superintendent, subject to approval by the Mississippi Department of Education, shall make the final decision on the transfer of college courses credited to the student's high school transcript.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-232 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 29-232
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-232
Status: in_force

(1) For the purposes of this section:

(a) “ Health care professional/vocational technical academic program ” means an academic program in medicine, nursing, dentistry, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social services, nutrition services, speech therapy, or other allied-health professional whose purpose is to prepare professionals to render patient care services.

(b) “ Health care professional/vocational technical student ” means a student enrolled in a health care professional/vocational technical academic program.

(2) The dean or director of the health care professional/vocational technical academic program is authorized to ensure that criminal history record checks and fingerprinting are obtained on their students before the students begin any clinical rotation in a licensed health care entity and that the criminal history record check information and registry checks are on file at the academic institution. In order to determine the student's suitability for the clinical rotation, the student shall be fingerprinted. If no disqualifying record is identified at the state level, the fingerprints shall be forwarded by the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Health, or any other legally authorized entity to the FBI for a national criminal history record check. The fee for the fingerprinting and criminal history record check shall be paid by the applicant, not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00); however, the academic institution in which the student is enrolled, in its discretion, may elect to pay the fee for the fingerprinting and criminal history record check on behalf of any applicant. Under no circumstances shall the academic institution representative or any individual other than the subject of the criminal history record checks disseminate information received through any such checks except insofar as required to fulfill the purposes of this section.

(3) If the fingerprinting or criminal history record checks disclose a felony conviction, guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere to a felony of possession or sale of drugs, murder, manslaughter, armed robbery, rape, sexual battery, sex offense listed in Section 45-33-23(h) , child abuse, arson, grand larceny, burglary, gratification of lust or aggravated assault, or felonious abuse and/or battery of a vulnerable adult that has not been reversed on appeal or for which a pardon has not been granted, the student shall not be eligible to be admitted to the health care professional/vocational technical academic program of study. Any preadmission agreement executed by the health care professional/vocational technical academic program shall be voidable if the student receives a disqualifying criminal history record check. However, the administration of the health care professional/vocational technical academic program may, in its discretion, allow any applicant aggrieved by the admissions decision under this section to appear before an appeals committee or before a hearing officer designated for that purpose, to show mitigating circumstances that may exist and allow the student to be admitted to or continue in the program of study. The health care professional/vocational technical academic program may grant waivers for those mitigating circumstances, which shall include, but not be limited to: (a) age at which the crime was committed; (b) circumstances surrounding the crime; (c) length of time since the conviction and criminal history since the conviction; (d) work history; (e) current employment and character references; (f) other evidence demonstrating the ability of the student to perform the clinical responsibilities competently and that the student does not pose a threat to the health or safety of patients in the licensed health care entities in which they will be conducting clinical experiences. The health care professional/vocational technical academic program shall provide assurance to the licensed health care entity in which the clinical rotation is planned that the results of a health care professional/vocational technical student's criminal history record check would not prohibit the student from being able to conduct his or her clinical activities in the facility, institution, or organization. The criminal history record check shall be valid for the course of academic study, provided that annual disclosure statements are provided to the health care professional/vocational technical academic program regarding any criminal activity that may have occurred during the student's tenure with the health care professional/vocational technical academic program. The criminal history record check may be repeated at the discretion of the health care professional/vocational technical academic program based on information obtained during the annual disclosure statements. In extenuating circumstances, if a criminal history record check is initiated and the results are not available at the time the clinical rotation begins, the academic institution in which the student is enrolled, at its discretion, may require a signed affidavit from the student assuring compliance with this section. The affidavit will be considered void within sixty (60) days of its signature.

(4) Criminal history record checks that are done as part of the requirements for participation in the health care professional/vocational technical academic program may not be used for any other purpose than those activities associated with their program of study. Students who may be employed as health care professionals outside of their program of study may be required to obtain additional criminal history record checks as part of their employment agreement.

(5) No health care professional/vocational technical academic program or academic program employee shall be held liable in any admissions discrimination suit in which an allegation of discrimination is made regarding an admissions decision authorized under this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-123 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 155-123
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-123
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any state law to the contrary, no monies on deposit in either the MACS or MPACT Programs shall be considered an asset of the parent, guardian or student for purposes of determining an individual's eligibility for a need-based grant, need-based scholarship or need-based work opportunity offered or administered by any state agency except as may be required by the funding source of such financial aid.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 175-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-1
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(c) “ Speech-language impairment ,” as defined under IDEA, means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child's educational performance, which include:

(i) Articulation disorders: difficulties producing sounds in syllables or saying words incorrectly to the point that listeners cannot understand what is being said;

(ii) Fluency disorders: problems in which the flow of speech is interrupted by abnormal stoppages, repetitions, prolonged sounds and syllables or avoided, and where there may be silent blocks or inappropriate inhalation, exhalation or phonation patterns;

(iii) Resonance or voice disorders: problems with abnormal pitch, volume, resonance or quality of the voice, which may also cause pain or discomfort when speaking;

(iv) Receptive language disorders: difficulties understanding or processing language; and

(v) Expressive language disorders: difficulty putting words together, limited vocabulary or inability to use language in a socially appropriate manner.

(d) “ Speech-language therapy ” means an appropriate specialized speech-language instructional program that is delivered by a speech-language pathologist which is scientific and research-based. These components shall be taught using instructional approaches that include explicit, direct instruction which is systematic, sequential and cumulative, individualized to meet the specific learning needs of each individual student.

(e) “ Speech-language pathologist ” means a professional who has met the requirements and acquired a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, or who has completed training in a department approved American Speech-Language-Hearing Association based speech-language pathology training program attaining a AA license in speech-language pathology.

(f) “ Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship for Students with Speech-Language Impairments Program ” means a scholarship to provide the option to provide a scholarship to a nonpublic school of choice, for students in kindergarten through Grade 6 or its equivalent with an eligibility ruling of a speech-language impairment in order to receive comprehensive multimodality speech-language therapy delivered by holders of an appropriate license and clinical certification in speech-language pathology issued by the department and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

(g) “ School ” means any state accredited nonpublic special purpose school that is organized to provide and emphasizes instruction in speech-language therapy and intervention as the primary purpose of the school and provides a specific learning environment that provides comprehensive speech-language therapy instruction delivered by speech-language pathologists licensed by the department providing highly qualified education and intervention services to children with a primary eligibility ruling of speech-language impairment.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-41 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 47-41
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-41
Status: in_force

All state school bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter shall be signed by the governor, or by his facsimile signature, and attested by the secretary of state. The great seal of the State of Mississippi shall be affixed to or impressed upon each of them. Coupons attached to such bonds may bear only the facsimile signatures of both the governor and secretary of state. Subject to the provisions of this chapter the state bond commission shall have full discretion in providing for the issuance of such bonds and in fixing the terms and details thereof. Said state bond commission may provide for the issuance of such bonds in such form, either coupon or registered, with such registration privileges, and executed in such manner and payable in such medium and at such place or places, and containing such terms, covenants and provisions as the state bond commission may, by resolution or resolutions, provide. All or any part of the bonds issued under the authority of this chapter may be made optional for redemption prior to maturity in the discretion of the state bond commission, and in such case such bonds shall specify the manner in and premiums at which the bonds shall be so redeemable. Such bonds shall not be redeemable before maturity unless same expressly so provide.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 138-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-27
Status: in_force

(1) Any person found by the commission to have violated any of the provisions of this chapter or any rule or regulation or written order of the commission in pursuance thereof or any certificate issued pursuant to this chapter shall be subject to (a) a civil penalty of not more than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) for each violation, such penalty to be assessed and levied by order of the commission after notice and hearing in accordance with subsection (5) below of this section, and (b) a reprimand or a suspension or revocation of any certificate issued to the person pursuant to this chapter, such reprimand, suspension or revocation to be assessed and levied by order of the commission after notice and hearing as provided in subsection (5) below of this section.

(2) In lieu of, or in addition to, the penalty provided for in subsection (1)(a) of this section, the commission shall have power to institute and maintain in the name of the state any and all proceedings necessary or appropriate to enforce the provisions of this chapter, rules and regulations enforced pursuant thereto, and orders and certificates issued pursuant to this chapter in the appropriate circuit, chancery, county or justice court of the county in which venue may lie. The commission may obtain mandatory or prohibitory injunctive relief, either temporary or permanent, and it shall not be necessary in such cases that the state plead or prove: (a) that irreparable damage would result if the injunction did not issue; (b) that there is no adequate remedy at law; or (c) that a written complaint or commission order has first been issued for the alleged violation.

(3) Any person who knowingly submits false or inaccurate information in support of an application for issuance or renewal of a certificate under this chapter or who willfully fails to comply with the conditions of the certificate issued by the commission or who willfully violates this chapter, or any rule, regulation or written order of the commission or emergency order issued by the director in pursuance thereof shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) within the discretion of the court. Each day in which such violation exists or continues shall constitute a separate offense.

(4) In addition to or in lieu of filing a criminal complaint for such willful misconduct described in subsection (3) of this section, the commission may impose a civil penalty in accordance with subsection (1)(a) of this section, and shall impose a reprimand or a suspension or revocation of any certificate in accordance with subsection (1)(b) of this section.

(5) All proceedings and hearings before the commission regarding violations of this chapter or any rule or regulation, written order of the commission, emergency order of the director or certificate issued or renewed by the commission in pursuance thereof or any certificate issued pursuant to this chapter and all appeals therefrom shall be conducted in accordance with Sections 49-17-31 through 49-17-41, Mississippi Code of 1972 .

(6) All fines, penalties and other sums recovered or collected by the commission for and on behalf of the state under this section shall be deposited in the Pollution Emergency Fund established under Section 49-17-68, Mississippi Code of 1972 , and the commission is authorized to receive and accept, from any funds and all available sources whatsoever, additional funds to be deposited in such fund and expended for the purpose of remedial, clean-up, or abatement actions involving pollution of the land, air or waters of the state in violation of Sections 49-17-1 through 49-17-43, Mississippi Code of 1972 , any rule or regulation or written order of the commission in pursuance thereof, or any condition or limitation of a permit.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-309 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 101-309
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-309
Status: in_force

Such bonds shall be signed by the Chairman of the State Bond Commission, or by his facsimile signature, and the official seal of the State Bond Commission shall be affixed thereto, attested by the Secretary of the State Bond Commission. The interest coupons, if any, to be attached to such bonds may be executed by the facsimile signatures of such officers. Whenever any such bonds shall have been signed by the officials herein designated to sign the bonds, who were in office at the time of such signing but who may have ceased to be such officers prior to the sale and delivery of such bonds, or who may not have been in office on the date such bonds may bear, the signatures of such officers upon such bonds and coupons shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes and have the same effect as if the person so officially signing such bonds had remained in office until the delivery of the same to the purchaser, or had been in office on the date such bonds may bear. Provided, however, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, such bonds may be issued as provided in the Registered Bond Act of the State of Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 138-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-19
Status: in_force

(1) It is unlawful for an individual who does not possess a valid inspector certificate to work as an asbestos inspector.

(2) To qualify for an inspector certificate, an applicant shall:

(a) Have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent;

(b) Satisfactorily complete a commission-approved training course for inspectors, except that an inspector training course approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency satisfactorily completed shall be sufficient to meet this requirement; and

(c) Demonstrate to the satisfaction of the commission that the applicant is familiar with and capable of complying with all federal and state laws and regulations.

(3) Any certificate issued by the commission pursuant to this section and requirements (b) and (c) of subsection (2) of this section shall be renewed on an annual basis.

(4) Applicants for an inspector certificate shall submit to the commission, on forms prepared by the commission, an application for issuance or renewal of the certificate, whichever is applicable, and a certificate that shows satisfactory completion of the training course(s) specified in subsection (2)(b) above and shall pay the applicable annual fee.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-6 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 113-6
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-6
Status: in_force

The lands and property of Mississippi State University shall not be subject to state, county or municipal taxation. The buildings and improvements that are or may be erected on any land belonging to the university that has been or may be leased to private entities for the purpose of affording affordable board to the students attending the institution shall not be subject to taxation.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 145-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-11
Status: in_force

The board of trustees shall serve as the direct lender of the non-subsidized student loans authorized under this chapter and in such capacity shall:

(a) Accept and review each loan application;

(b) Determine the applicant's eligibility and continued eligibility;

(c) Collect any balance which may become due as a result of default on any loan, for which purpose the board of trustees shall have all the same authority as they have for the guaranteed student loan program; and

(d) Provide by rule for:

(i) A mechanism for informing students of the availability of the loans;

(ii) The creation of all applications, forms, promissory notes and other instruments necessary for the administration of the program; and

(iii) Any other items necessary for the administration of the program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-15 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 59-15
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-15
Status: in_force

Such election shall be held upon order of the school board, as far as is practicable, in the same manner as other elections are held in such county or municipality. At such election, all qualified electors of such school district may vote. The ballots used at such election shall have printed thereon a brief statement of the amount and the purpose of the proposed bond issue, and the words “FOR THE BOND ISSUE,” and “AGAINST THE BOND ISSUE.” The voter shall vote by placing a cross (X) or check mark (✓) opposite his choice on the proposition.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-209 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / 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. § 37-104-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 104-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-7
Status: in_force

There is hereby created a body politic and corporate to be known as the “Mississippi Educational Facilities Authority for Private, Nonprofit Institutions of Higher Learning,” hereinafter referred to as “the Authority.” The Authority is constituted a public agency and instrumentality of the State of Mississippi and the exercise by the Authority of the powers conferred by this chapter shall be deemed and held to be the performance of an essential public function of the State of Mississippi. The administration of the powers and functions of the Authority shall be conducted by the State Bond Advisory Division, Office of the Governor, subject to the direction and approval of the members of the Authority.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-23 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 155-23
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-23
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. § 37-9-211 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 9-211
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-211
Status: in_force

(1) The selection, nature and extent of duties of mentor teachers shall be determined by the school district. The following guidelines shall apply:

(a) No teacher shall be designated as a mentor teacher unless willing to perform in that role;

(b) No mentor teacher shall participate in the evaluation of beginning teachers;

(c) Each mentor teacher shall complete successfully a training workshop provided or approved by the Mississippi Teacher Center prior to participating in the beginning teacher support program; and

(d) If a mentor teacher receives additional release time to support a beginning teacher, it is expected that the total workload of other teachers regularly employed by the school district should not increase in any substantial manner.

(2) A district may: (a) compensate mentor teachers from any available funds for additional duties to support a beginning teacher which are performed after regular school hours; (b) grant additional release time to mentor teachers for additional duties to support a beginning teacher which are performed after regular school hours; and (c) employ and compensate substitute teachers from any available funds for assuming the regular teaching duties of mentor teachers who are participating in the beginning teacher program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-6 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 21-6
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-6
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Early Childhood Education Program shall be the kindergarten program implemented by local school districts.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-157 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 33-157
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-157
Status: in_force

The Department of Rehabilitation Services shall provide the rehabilitation services authorized by law and by the rules, regulations and policies of the board to every individual determined to be eligible therefor, and in carrying out the purposes of this chapter the department is authorized, when consistent with the rules, regulations and policies of the State Board of Rehabilitation Services:

(a) To expend funds received either by appropriation or directly from federal or private sources.

(b) To cooperate with other departments, agencies and institutions, both public and private, in providing the services authorized by this chapter to disabled individuals, in studying the problems involved therein, and in establishing, developing and providing in conformity with the purposes of this chapter, such programs, facilities and services as may be necessary or desirable.

(c) To enter into reciprocal agreements with other states to provide for the services authorized by this chapter to residents of the states concerned.

(d) To conduct research and compile statistics relating to the provision of services to or the need of services by disabled individuals.

(e) To enter into contractual arrangements with the federal government and with other authorized public agencies or persons for performance of services related to rehabilitation.

(f) To contract with schools, hospitals and other agencies, and with doctors, optometrists, nurses, technicians and other persons, for training, physical restoration, transportation and other rehabilitation services.

(g) To take such action as may be necessary to enable the department to apply for, accept and receive for the state and its residents the full benefits available under the federal Vocational Rehabilitation Act, and any amendments thereto, and under any other federal legislation or program having as its purpose the providing of, improvement or extension of, vocational rehabilitation services.

(h) To establish an Office on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to provide services and activities authorized under Section 37-33-171 .

(i) To own in the name of the State of Mississippi certain real property described in Section 7 of Chapter 512, Laws of 2005, and to construct, renovate or repair under the supervision of the Department of Finance and Administration any buildings on such property.

(j) To borrow money from the Mississippi Development Bank or other financial institution for the purpose of construction, repair and renovation, furnishing or equipping facilities owned or under the supervision of the department; however, the department shall certify the following to the Mississippi Development Bank or other financial institution prior to entering into any loan:

(i) The available revenue that the department intends to utilize to repay the loan; and

(ii) That the department does not intend to request an additional appropriation from state source funding to pay debt service on any loan entered into under this paragraph.

(k) To fingerprint and perform a current criminal history record check, child abuse registry check, sex offender registry check, and vulnerable adult abuse or neglect check on any person performing services for or on behalf of the department including, but not limited to, every employee, volunteer, contractual worker, and independent contractor.

(l) To use the results of the fingerprinting and background checks performed under paragraph (k) for the purposes of employment decisions and/or actions and service provision to consumers of the department's services. The department and its agents, officers, employees, attorneys and representatives shall be exempt from liability for any findings, recommendations or actions taken under this paragraph.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 59-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-1
Status: in_force

The word “bonds” as used in this article shall be deemed to mean and include bonds, notes, or certificates of indebtedness.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-87 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / 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. § 37-29-465 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 29-465
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-465
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of the Copiah-Lincoln Junior College District shall have the authority to purchase property, make capital improvements, and lease or use private or public facilities at either the Copiah-Lincoln or Natchez Campuses, in the discretion of the board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 9-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-27
Status: in_force

The superintendent of any school district, before entering upon the duties of his office, shall furnish a good and sufficient surety bond in the penal sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), with sufficient surety. Such bond shall be filed and recorded in the office of the clerk of the chancery court in which the school district is located, and shall be payable, conditioned and approved in the manner provided by law. The premium on said bond shall be paid out of the school district maintenance fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-89 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 13-89
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-89
Status: in_force

(1) In each school district within the state, there shall be employed the number of school attendance officers determined by the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement to be necessary to adequately enforce the provisions of the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law; however, this number shall not exceed one hundred fifty-three (153) school attendance officers at any time. From and after July 1, 1998, all school attendance officers employed pursuant to this section shall be employees of the State Department of Education. The State Department of Education shall employ all persons employed as school attendance officers by district attorneys before July 1, 1998, and shall assign them to school attendance responsibilities in the school district in which they were employed before July 1, 1998. The first twelve (12) months of employment for each school attendance officer shall be the probationary period of state service.

(2)(a) The State Department of Education shall obtain current criminal records background checks and current child abuse registry checks on all persons applying for the position of school attendance officer after July 2, 2002. The criminal records information and registry checks must be kept on file for any new hires. In order to determine an applicant's suitability for employment as a school attendance officer, the applicant must be fingerprinted. If no disqualifying record is identified at the state level, the Department of Public Safety shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for a national criminal history record check. The applicant shall pay the fee, not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00), for the fingerprinting and criminal records background check; however, the State Department of Education, in its discretion, may pay the fee for the fingerprinting and criminal records background check on behalf of any applicant. Under no circumstances may a member of the State Board of Education, employee of the State Department of Education or any person other than the subject of the criminal records background check disseminate information received through any such checks except insofar as required to fulfill the purposes of this subsection.

(b) If the fingerprinting or criminal records check discloses a felony conviction, guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere to a felony of possession or sale of drugs, murder, manslaughter, armed robbery, rape, sexual battery, sex offense listed in Section 45-33-23(h) , child abuse, arson, grand larceny, burglary, gratification of lust or aggravated assault which has not been reversed on appeal or for which a pardon has not been granted, the applicant is not eligible to be employed as a school attendance officer. Any employment of an applicant pending the results of the fingerprinting and criminal records check is voidable if the new hire receives a disqualifying criminal records check. However, the State Board of Education, in its discretion, may allow an applicant aggrieved by an employment decision under this subsection to appear before the board, or before a hearing officer designated for that purpose, to show mitigating circumstances that may exist and allow the new hire to be employed as a school attendance officer. The State Board of Education may grant waivers for mitigating circumstances, which may include, but are not necessarily limited to: (i) age at which the crime was committed; (ii) circumstances surrounding the crime; (iii) length of time since the conviction and criminal history since the conviction; (iv) work history; (v) current employment and character references; and (vi) other evidence demonstrating the ability of the person to perform the responsibilities of a school attendance officer competently and that the person does not pose a threat to the health or safety of children.

(c) A member of the State Board of Education or employee of the State Department of Education may not be held liable in any employment discrimination suit in which an allegation of discrimination is made regarding an employment decision authorized under this section.

(3) Each school attendance officer shall possess a college degree with a major in a behavioral science or a related field or shall have no less than three (3) years combined actual experience as a school teacher, school administrator, law enforcement officer possessing such degree, and/or social worker; however, these requirements shall not apply to persons employed as school attendance officers before January 1, 1987. School attendance officers also shall satisfy any additional requirements that may be established by the State Personnel Board for the position of school attendance officer.

(4) It shall be the duty of each school attendance officer to:

(a) Cooperate with any public agency to locate and identify all compulsory-school-age children who are not attending school;

(b) Cooperate with all courts of competent jurisdiction;

(c) Investigate all cases of nonattendance and unlawful absences by compulsory-school-age children not enrolled in a nonpublic school;

(d) Provide appropriate counseling to encourage all school-age children to attend school until they have completed high school;

(e) Attempt to secure the provision of social or welfare services that may be required to enable any child to attend school;

(f) Contact the home or place of residence of a compulsory-school-age child and any other place in which the officer is likely to find any compulsory-school-age child when the child is absent from school during school hours without a valid written excuse from school officials, and when the child is found, the officer shall notify the parents and school officials as to where the child was physically located;

(g) Contact promptly the home of each compulsory-school-age child in the school district within the officer's jurisdiction who is not enrolled in school or is not in attendance at public school and is without a valid written excuse from school officials; if no valid reason is found for the nonenrollment or absence from the school, the school attendance officer shall give written notice to the parent, guardian or custodian of the requirement for the child's enrollment or attendance;

(h) Collect and maintain information concerning absenteeism, dropouts and other attendance-related problems, as may be required by law or the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement; and

(i) Perform all other duties relating to compulsory school attendance established by the State Department of Education or district school attendance supervisor, or both.

(5) While engaged in the performance of his duties, each school attendance officer shall carry on his person a badge identifying him as a school attendance officer under the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement of the State Department of Education and an identification card designed by the State Superintendent of Public Education and issued by the school attendance officer supervisor. Neither the badge nor the identification card shall bear the name of any elected public official.

(6) The State Personnel Board shall develop a salary scale for school attendance officers as part of the variable compensation plan. The various pay ranges of the salary scale shall be based upon factors including, but not limited to, education, professional certification and licensure, and number of years of experience. School attendance officers shall be paid in accordance with this salary scale. The minimum salaries under the scale shall be no less than the following:

(a) For school attendance officers holding a bachelor's degree or any other attendance officer who does not hold such a degree, the annual salary shall be based on years of experience as a school attendance officer or related field of service or employment, no less than as follows:

Years of Experience

Salary

0--4 years

$

24,528.29

5--8 years

26,485.29

9--12 years

28,050.89

13--16 years

29,616.49

Over 17 years

31,182.09

(b) For school attendance officers holding a license as a social worker, the annual salary shall be based on years of experience as a school attendance officer or related field of service or employment, no less than as follows:

Years of Experience

Salary

0--4 years

$

25,558.29

5--8 years

27,927.29

9--12 years

29,822.49

13--16 years

31,717.69

17--20 years

33,612.89

Over 21 years

35,415.39

(c) For school attendance officers holding a master's degree in a behavioral science or a related field, the annual salary shall be based on years of experience as a school attendance officer or related field of service or employment, no less than as follows:

Years of Experience

Salary

0--4 years

$

26,382.29

5--8 years

29,008.79

9--12 years

31,109.99

13--16 years

33,211.19

17--20 years

35,312.39

Over 21 years

37,413.59

(7)(a) Each school attendance officer employed by a district attorney on June 30, 1998, who became an employee of the State Department of Education on July 1, 1998, shall be awarded credit for personal leave and major medical leave for his continuous service as a school attendance officer under the district attorney, and if applicable, the youth or family court or a state agency. The credit for personal leave shall be in an amount equal to one-third ( 1 / 3 ) of the maximum personal leave the school attendance officer could have accumulated had he been credited with such leave under Section 25-3-93 during his employment with the district attorney, and if applicable, the youth or family court or a state agency. The credit for major medical leave shall be in an amount equal to one-half ( 1 / 2 ) of the maximum major medical leave the school attendance officer could have accumulated had he been credited with such leave under Section 25-3-95 during his employment with the district attorney, and if applicable, the youth or family court or a state agency. However, if a district attorney who employed a school attendance officer on June 30, 1998, certifies, in writing, to the State Department of Education that the school attendance officer had accumulated, pursuant to a personal leave policy or major medical leave policy lawfully adopted by the district attorney, a number of days of unused personal leave or major medical leave, or both, which is greater than the number of days to which the school attendance officer is entitled under this paragraph, the State Department of Education shall authorize the school attendance officer to retain the actual unused personal leave or major medical leave, or both, certified by the district attorney, subject to the maximum amount of personal leave and major medical leave the school attendance officer could have accumulated had he been credited with such leave under Sections 25-3-93 and 25-3-95 .

(b) For the purpose of determining the accrual rate for personal leave under Section 25-3-93 and major medical leave under Section 25-3-95 , the State Department of Education shall give consideration to all continuous service rendered by a school attendance officer before July 1, 1998, in addition to the service rendered by the school attendance officer as an employee of the department.

(c) In order for a school attendance officer to be awarded credit for personal leave and major medical leave or to retain the actual unused personal leave and major medical leave accumulated by him before July 1, 1998, the district attorney who employed the school attendance officer must certify, in writing, to the State Department of Education the hire date of the school attendance officer. For each school attendance officer employed by the youth or family court or a state agency before being designated an employee of the district attorney who has not had a break in continuous service, the hire date shall be the date that the school attendance officer was hired by the youth or family court or state agency. The department shall prescribe the date by which the certification must be received by the department and shall provide written notice to all district attorneys of the certification requirement and the date by which the certification must be received.

(8)(a) School attendance officers shall maintain regular office hours on a year-round basis; however, during the school term, on those days that teachers in all of the school districts served by a school attendance officer are not required to report to work, the school attendance officer also shall not be required to report to work. (For purposes of this subsection, a school district's school term is that period of time identified as the school term in contracts entered into by the district with licensed personnel.) A school attendance officer shall be required to report to work on any day recognized as an official state holiday if teachers in any school district served by that school attendance officer are required to report to work on that day, regardless of the school attendance officer's status as an employee of the State Department of Education, and compensatory leave may not be awarded to the school attendance officer for working during that day. However, a school attendance officer may be allowed by the school attendance officer's supervisor to use earned leave on such days.

(b) The State Department of Education annually shall designate a period of six (6) consecutive weeks in the summer between school years during which school attendance officers shall not be required to report to work. A school attendance officer who elects to work at any time during that period may not be awarded compensatory leave for such work and may not opt to be absent from work at any time other than during the six (6) weeks designated by the department unless the school attendance officer uses personal leave or major medical leave accrued under Section 25-3-93 or 25-3-95 for such absence.

(9) The State Department of Education shall provide all continuing education and training courses that school attendance officers are required to complete under state law or rules and regulations of the department.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-8 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 61-8
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-8
Status: in_force

The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations prescribing the method by which school district ending fund balances are examined for fiscal stability. Failure to comply with any of the rules and regulations established by the State Board of Education with regard to ending fund balances shall constitute a violation of the Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-553 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 29-553
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-553
Status: in_force

The Coahoma Community College District shall be under the executive direction of a president elected by the board of trustees of the district for a term not to exceed four (4) years.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-121-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 121-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-121-19
Status: in_force

The lands and property of Alcorn State University shall not be subject to state, county or municipal taxation. The buildings and improvements that are or may be erected on any land belonging to the university that has been or may be leased to private entities for the purpose of affording affordable board to the students attending the institution shall not be subject to taxation.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-37 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 104-37
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-37
Status: in_force

All revenue bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter shall be legal investments for trustees, other fiduciaries, savings banks, trust companies, and insurance companies organized under the laws of the State of Mississippi; and such revenue bonds shall be legal securities which may be deposited with and shall be received by all public officers and bodies of this state and all municipalities and public subdivisions for the purpose of securing the deposit of public funds.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-269 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 29-269
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-269
Status: in_force

Nothing in Sections 37-29-1 through 37-29-273 shall be construed to repeal any statute relating to county agricultural high schools, and it is expressly provided that such schools may be operated in conjunction with junior colleges. However, when so operated they shall be under control of the president and boards of trustees of the junior college districts.

Any agricultural high school which is not located on or adjacent to an existing junior college shall continue to be operated as heretofore and shall in no way be affected by the provisions of Sections 37-29-1 through 37-29-273 .

When a junior college through the agricultural high school provides high school facilities of any school district, then the pupils from that district may be enumerated as other pupils in the common schools and the school district or county superintendent may pay to the junior college tuition such as determined by the state department of education for any other schools, and no agricultural high school funds shall be disbursed for pupils for whom such tuition is paid.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-123 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 33-123
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-123
Status: in_force

For the purposes of Sections 37-33-121 through 37-33-131 , a community rehabilitation program means a program that provides directly or facilitates the provision of services to individuals with disabilities to enable them to maximize their opportunities for employment. These specialized programs provide paid, time-limited work experiences to clients with disabilities through the manufacture of goods or provision of services sold to industry or other parties as the primary means in rendering realistic work based evaluation and training services designed to enable clients with disabilities to attain the necessary work skills, habits, behaviors, and experience required to successfully obtain and maintain competitive employment. Additional services provided by the community rehabilitation program to enhance and facilitate the employability of clients with disabilities include, but are not limited to, vocational evaluation/career exploration and planning, counseling and guidance, job readiness and job seeking skills training, on the job evaluation and other therapeutic or work training services that support or contribute to the ultimate employment of clients with disabilities.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-151 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 33-151
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-151
Status: in_force

The following terms shall have the meanings ascribed herein, unless the context shall otherwise require:

(a) “Board” means the State Board of Rehabilitation Services.

(b) “Executive Director” means the Executive Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services.

(c) “Department” means the State Department of Rehabilitation Services.

(d) “Director” means the administrative head of an office.

(e) “Office” means an administrative subdivision of the department.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-73 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 33-73
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-73
Status: in_force

Budget estimates of the amount of appropriations needed each fiscal year for vocational rehabilitation services for the blind and for the administration of said program shall be submitted in such manner as may be provided by law, and sufficient funds for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind Law shall be appropriated by the Legislature. In the event federal funds are available to the State of Mississippi for vocational rehabilitation purposes, the department is authorized to comply with such requirements as may be necessary to obtain said federal funds in the maximum amount and most advantageous proportion possible insofar as this may be done without violating other provisions of the state law and constitution. In the event the national Congress fails in any year to appropriate funds for grants-in-aid to the state for vocational rehabilitation purposes, the State Legislature shall appropriate such funds as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of said law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-43 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 28-43
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-43
Status: in_force

(1) A charter school may not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, disability, national origin or any other category that would be unlawful if done by a noncharter public school.

(2) A charter school may not engage in any sectarian practices in its educational program, admissions or employment policies or operations.

(3) A charter school may not discriminate against any student on the basis of national origin, minority status or limited proficiency in English. Consistent with federal civil rights laws, charter schools must provide limited English proficient students with appropriate services designed to teach them English and the general curriculum.

(4) A charter school may not charge tuition.

(5) The terms of each charter school must include a transportation plan for students attending the charter school.

(6) Subject to the approval of the authorizer, a charter school may contract with an accredited online course provider for the delivery of virtual courses to students enrolled in the charter school.

(7) Except to the extent authorized under paragraph (c) of Section 37-28-41 , the powers, obligations and responsibilities set forth in the charter contract may not be delegated or assigned by either party.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-51 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 153-51
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-51
Status: in_force

The provisions of this article shall be known and may be cited as the “American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Workforce Development and Retention Act.” Under this article, the Legislature creates the Accelerate Mississippi Workforce Development Program and the Mississippi Health Sciences Training Infrastructure Grant Program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-161-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 161-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-161-3
Status: in_force

(1) The Legislature finds and declares the following:

(a) Meeting the educational needs of children in our state's schools is of the greatest importance to the future welfare of the State of Mississippi;

(b) Closing the achievement gap between high-performing students, including the achievement gap among at-risk students, is a significant and present challenge;

(c) Providing a broader range of educational options to parents and utilizing existing resources, along with technology, may help students in the state improve their academic achievement; and

(d) Many of the state's school districts currently lack the capacity to provide other public school choices for students whose schools are low performing.

(2) There is created the Mississippi Virtual Public School Program, which is the responsibility of the State Department of Education. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Mississippi Virtual Public School established under this section provides Mississippi families with an alternative choice to access additional educational resources in an effort to improve academic achievement. The Mississippi Virtual Public School must be recognized as a public school and provide equitable treatment and resources as are other public schools in the state. Private providers, overseen by the State Department of Education, may be selected by the State Board of Education to administer, manage or operate virtual school programs in this state, including the total operation of the Mississippi Virtual Public School Program. Any private provider chosen to provide services under the provisions of this subsection shall be chosen through the Mississippi Online Course Application Process.

(3) Nothing in this section may be interpreted as precluding the use of computer- and Internet-based instruction for students in a virtual or remote setting utilizing the Mississippi Virtual Public School.

(4) As used in this section, the following words and phrases have the meanings respectively ascribed unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

(a) “ Mississippi Virtual Public School ” means a public school in which the state uses technology in order to deliver instruction to students via the Internet in a virtual or remote setting.

(b) “ Sponsor ” means the public school district is responsible for the academic process for each student, including, but not limited to, enrollment, awarding of credit and monitoring progress.

(5)(a) The State Board of Education shall establish the Mississippi Virtual Public School beginning in school year 2006-2007.

(b) Students who enroll in the Mississippi Virtual Public School may reside anywhere in the State of Mississippi.

(6) Subject to appropriation, the Mississippi Virtual Public School shall provide to each student enrolled in the school all necessary instructional materials. Subject to appropriation, the sponsored school must ensure that each student is provided access to the necessary technology, such as a computer and printer, and to an Internet connection for schoolwork purposes.

(7) The Mississippi Department of Education shall have approval authority for all coursework and policy of the Mississippi Virtual Public School.

(8) Each teacher employed by or participating in the delivery of instruction through the Mississippi Virtual Public School must meet all qualifications for licensure in the State of Mississippi.

(9) Any student who meets state residency requirements may enroll in the Mississippi Virtual Public School.

(10) Enrollment in the Mississippi Virtual Public School shall be free of charge to students. The costs associated with the operations of the virtual school must be shared by the State Department of Education, subject to appropriation, and/or the local school districts. Once the State Department of Education appropriation and the local school district budgeted funds for Mississippi Virtual Public School have been expended and students choose to enroll in online courses, the costs of the online courses may be the responsibility of the students' parents or guardians.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-73 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 23-73
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-73
Status: in_force

In the event of disapproval by the state department of education of an application for financial assistance payable from department funds, the department shall give notice to the applicant, through the parent or guardian of, or person standing in loco parentis to, the applicant, or to the public school district, by certified mail. Any applicant, through the parent or guardian of, or the person standing in loco parentis to, the applicant, or to the public school district, may, within ten (10) days after receipt of such notice, apply to the state board of education for a hearing, and shall be given a prompt and fair hearing on the question of entitlement to such financial assistance. The board shall render prompt decision upon such hearing. If the board shall affirm the previous action of disapproval of the application, notice shall be given to the applicant, through the parent or guardian of, or the person standing in loco parentis to, the applicant, or to the public school district, by certified mail. Any applicant aggrieved by the action of the board may, through the parent or guardian of, or the person standing in loco parentis to, the applicant or to the public school district within ten (10) days after receipt of such notice, file a petition in the chancery court of the county in which applicant resides for a hearing in the matter on all questions of fact and of law. The petition shall be served upon the state superintendent of public education. Within thirty (30) days after service of the petition, the board shall prepare and deposit a certified transcript of the record in the case in the office of the clerk of the court, which record shall include a copy of the application and any official findings, orders and rulings of the board in the case. The state board of education shall have thirty (30) days after the service of the petition within which to appear and file exceptions, answers or other pleadings. Additional time for preparation of the certified transcript of the record and for appearing and filing exceptions, answers or other pleadings may be granted to the board by order of the court. The court, after considering the law, the pleadings and such evidence as may be adduced in the case, may modify, affirm or reverse the findings of the board and make, issue and enter its judgment accordingly. Appeal from any such judgment shall be subject to the procedures applicable to appeals in ordinary civil actions.