Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-159 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 33-159
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-159
Status: in_force

The State Board of Rehabilitation Services shall appoint an Executive Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services, in accordance with standards established by the State Personnel Board and on the basis of his education, training, experience and demonstrated ability. The executive director shall serve as secretary and executive officer of the board, and he shall serve at the will and pleasure of the board. The salary of the executive director shall be set by the board, subject to the approval of the State Personnel Board, and shall be provided for out of any funds made available for such purpose by the Legislature, the federal government or other gifts or grants. The executive director shall be responsible to the board for the proper administration of the programs of rehabilitation provided under this chapter in conformity with the policies adopted by the board and shall be responsible for appointing directors of offices and any necessary supervisors, assistants and employees. The salary and compensation of such employees shall be subject to the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the State Personnel Board as created under Section 25-9-101 et seq.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-29 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 115-29
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-29
Status: in_force

The state building commission shall construct the buildings and all other related facilities for said medical school and teaching hospital. When such buildings shall have been constructed and made ready for occupancy, the lands so selected by the state building commission for the use of said medical school and teaching hospital, together with the buildings and other improvements erected thereon, shall be conveyed by the state building commission to the University of Mississippi, and title to said property shall be vested in the University of Mississippi. Said medical school and teaching hospital shall be operated as departments of the University of Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 146-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-7
Status: in_force

(1) The commission shall develop and implement policies and procedures designed to recruit, identify and enroll undergraduate students who demonstrate necessary interest, commitment, aptitude and academic achievement to pursue careers as dentists in rural or dentally underserved areas of Mississippi, and to develop and implement the programs designed to foster successful entry of participants into dental school, completion of dental school, and establishment and maintenance of a career in dentistry in a rural or underserved area of Mississippi.

(2) The commission shall have the authority through use of generally applicable definitions, to designate an area of the state as underserved or rural.

(3) The commission, in conjunction with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, shall have the authority to provide students selected for scholarship funding with faculty mentors and other programs designed to enhance the students' likelihood of admission to the dental school. The commission and the University of Mississippi Medical Center will develop coursework that will help provide scholarship students with the skills necessary for sustained and successful dental practice in rural Mississippi.

(4) Each applicant for admission to the program must submit an application to the commission that conforms to requirements established by the commission.

(5) In selecting participants for the program, the board may only accept an applicant if his or her academic record and other characteristics, if given consideration by the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry Admissions Committee, would be considered credible and competitive.

(6) An applicant for the program may be admitted only upon a majority vote of the members of the commission.

(7) Up to three (3) students will be admitted to the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program each year.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-2 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 101-2
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-2
Status: in_force

There is hereby established within the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning a Welfare Policy Institute at a campus location to be designated by the board of trustees. The purpose of the institute shall be to research and gather empirical information regarding the social and welfare programs authorized under Sections 37-101-2 , 43-1-8 , 43-1-10 , 43-1-30 , 43-13-115 , 43-17-1 , 43-17-5 , and 43-49-1 through 43-49-15 and to write grant proposals regarding the policy implications of such program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-29 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 106-29
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-29
Status: in_force

(1) There is established the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant Program for college or university freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors to be administered by the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board established under Section 37-106-9, Mississippi Code of 1972 , which shall set the dates and deadlines for applying for an award under this section. The board shall establish such rules and regulations as it deems necessary and proper to carry out the purposes and intent of this section.

(2) The board shall approve grants to full-time freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior Mississippi residents who meet the general requirements for student eligibility as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(3) Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grants shall be for Mississippi resident students from any Mississippi family whose prior year adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds the maximum allowed to qualify for full Pell Grant eligibility and campus-based federal aid. Those Mississippi students qualifying for less than the full Pell Grant award shall receive a Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant in an amount not to exceed the maximum Pell Grant allowable for that individual student. The award shall be applied to tuition, rooms and meals, books, materials and fees not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) for junior and senior students attending state institutions of higher learning in Mississippi or four-year regionally accredited, state-approved, nonprofit colleges and universities in Mississippi, and Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for freshmen and sophomores attending state institutions of higher learning or public community or junior colleges in Mississippi, or regionally accredited, state-approved, nonprofit two-year or four-year colleges in Mississippi, which will be prorated per term, semester or quarter of the academic year for costs of attendance, calculated according to the formula specified in subsection (8) of this section.

(4) The general requirements for initial eligibility of students for Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grants consist of the following:

(a) Member of a Mississippi family whose prior year adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds the maximum allowed to qualify for Pell Grant eligibility and campus-based federal aid.

(b) Acceptance for enrollment at any state institution of higher learning or public community or junior college located in Mississippi, or any regionally accredited, state-approved, nonprofit two-year or four-year college or university located in Mississippi and approved by the board.

(c) Completion of a secondary education as follows:

(i) Graduation from high school verified by the institution before disbursement of award with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 calculated on a 4.0 scale after seven (7) semesters as certified by the high school counselor or other authorized school official on the application; or

(ii) Attendance at a home education program during grade levels 9 through 12; or

(iii) Satisfactory completion of the High School Equivalency Diploma; or

(iv) Successful completion of the International Baccalaureate Program.

(d) A minimum score of fifteen (15) on the ACT test except that any student entering a vocational or technical program of study, or who has satisfactorily completed the High School Equivalency Diploma Test and attends a community or junior college will not be required to have a test score under the ACT unless a student enrolls in courses of academic study.

(e) Any student currently enrolled in any qualified institution shall have to only meet the same requirements as students who are applying for a renewal award.

(5) By accepting a Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant, the student is attesting to the accuracy, completeness and correctness of information provided to demonstrate the student's eligibility. Falsification of such information shall result in the denial of any pending grant and revocation of any award currently held to the extent that no further payments shall be made. Any student knowingly making false statements in order to receive a grant shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable, upon conviction thereof, by a fine of up to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), a prison sentence of up to one (1) year in the county jail, or both, and shall be required to return all Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grants wrongfully obtained.

(6) Eligibility for renewal of Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grants shall be evaluated at the end of each semester, or term, of each academic year. As a condition for renewal, a student shall:

(a) Make steady academic progress toward a certificate or degree, as outlined in the school Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards and certified by the institution's registrar.

(b) Maintain continuous enrollment for not less than two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters in each successive academic year, unless granted an exception for cause by the administering board; examples of cause may include student participation in a cooperative program, internship program or foreign study program. If a student fails to maintain continuous enrollment, and is not granted an exception for cause by the administering board, the student is ineligible to receive the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant during the following semester or trimester or term of the regular academic year.

(c) Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.50 calculated on a 4.0 scale at the end of each semester or trimester or term.

(7) Each student, each year, must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form or a Statement of Certification as designed by the administering board to determine his/her eligibility for a Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant.

(8)(a) The amount of the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant awarded to any one (1) student, up to the maximum amount provided in subsection (3) of this section, shall be the difference of the student's cost of attendance at his accredited college of choice and the amount of federal aid such student may receive, not to supplant but to supplement the amount of any federal aid awarded to the student. Cost of attendance is the tuition and fees of the applicable institution plus an allowance for room and meals and books and materials.

(b) Payment of the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant shall be made payable to the recipient and the educational institution and mailed directly to the institution, to be applied first to tuition.

(9) In order for an institution to remain eligible for its students to participate in the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant Program, the institution shall comply with the following requirements:

(a) A complete and accurate roster of the eligibility status of each awarded student shall be made to the board for each term, semester or quarter of the academic year the student receives a Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant.

(b) The institution is required to make refunds to the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant Fund for any funds which have not been disbursed to the recipient, in the case of students who have received a grant but who terminate enrollment during the academic term, semester or quarter of the academic year if an institution's refund policies permit a student to receive a refund in such instance. The recipient shall be responsible for the refund of any funds which have been disbursed by the institution in such instance.

(c) If a student drops below full-time status but does not terminate all enrollment during the term, semester or quarter of the academic year no refund will be required for that term. However, that student is ineligible to receive the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant during the following term, semester or quarter of the regular academic year.

(d) The board may conduct its own annual audits of any institution participating in the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant Program. The board may suspend or revoke an institution's eligibility to receive future monies under the program if it finds that the institution has not complied with the provisions of this section. In determining a student's initial eligibility, the number of prior semesters enrolled will not be counted against the student.

(10) No student may receive a Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant for more than the equivalent semesters or quarters required to complete one (1) baccalaureate degree or one (1) certificate or associate degree program per institution.

(11) No student receiving a Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant as provided in Section 37-106-31 shall be eligible to receive the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant pursuant to this section unless he is eligible for such award after the Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant has been considered by the board when conducting an assessment of the financial resources available to the student. In no case shall any student receive any combination of student financial aid that would exceed the cost of attendance, as defined in subsection (8)(a).

For purposes of this section, certificated shall mean, but not be limited to, all postsecondary vocational programs in eligible institutions approved by the board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-343 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 7-343
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-343
Status: in_force

The school board of a local school district may enter into contracts or agreements with persons or entities, public or private, to provide training or professional development activities, or both, for employees of the district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-81 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 41-81
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-81
Status: in_force

The local school boards of this state are hereby authorized and empowered to purchase, own and operate, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the State Board of Education, motor vehicles, electric vehicles and other equipment for the transportation of children to and from the public schools of the respective counties and school districts, and to provide for the servicing, repair, care and maintenance of such county or district-owned motor vehicles and to employ drivers for the operation thereof, and to establish, erect and equip school bus shops or garages, and purchase land therefor, all under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the State Board of Education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-205 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 9-205
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-205
Status: in_force

(1) The Mississippi Teacher Center of the State Department of Education shall establish a beginning teacher support program to provide eligible beginning teachers in this state with continued and sustained support from a formally assigned mentor teacher during the first full year of teaching.

(2) After the 1992-1993 school year, any district is eligible to participate in the beginning teacher support program.

(3) Two (2) or more districts may operate jointly a beginning teacher support program if they meet all the requirements of Sections 37-9-201 through 37-9-213 .

(4) Educational consortia established for approved teacher education programs pursuant to rules of the Mississippi Teacher Center are eligible to operate a beginning teacher support program to serve beginning teachers in a participating school district.

(5) To the extent practicable, school districts may coordinate with institutions of higher education in the design, implementation and evaluation of mentorship programs.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 59-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-9
Status: in_force

No bonds or negotiable notes issued by any school district in order to comply with the provisions of Section 37-47-15 , shall be included in computing the debt limits established in Sections 37-59-5 , 37-59-7 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-85 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 3-85
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-85
Status: in_force

(1) The Legislature finds that:

(a) Students who are serious behavior problems in school are at risk of becoming juvenile and adult offenders;

(b) Growing numbers of children live in conditions that place them at risk of school failure;

(c) The provision of school and support services to these children and their families by public and nonprofit agencies is fragmented and does not prepare these children to learn effectively and have a successful school experience;

(d) The lack of collaboration among schools, families, local agencies and other groups involved in family support and youth development activities results in the inefficient and ineffective use of resources to meet the needs of these children;

(e) Schools are dedicating an increasing amount of their time and resources to responding to disruptive and violent behavior rather than fulfilling their mission to challenge with high expectations each child to learn, to achieve and to fulfill his or her potential;

(f) Responding to the needs of students who are at risk of school failure and providing for a safe and secure learning environment are cost-effective because it enables the state to substitute preventive measures for expensive crisis intervention; and

(g) Differing local needs and local resources necessitate the development of locally generated, community-based plans that coordinate and leverage existing resources, not the imposition of uniform and inflexible, state-mandated plans.

(2) There is established within the State Department of Education the Support Our Students (S.O.S.) program. The purpose of the program is to award grants to neighborhood- and community-based organizations to establish local S.O.S. programs that provide high quality after-school mentoring activities for school-aged children and provide for comprehensive, collaborative delivery of mentoring services by public and nonpublic agencies to these children. These services shall be designed to enrich and make a positive impact on the lives of school-aged children. These after-school activities may include activities after the regular school day and activities on days that students are not required to attend school.

(3) The goals of the S.O.S. program are to:

(a) Reduce juvenile crime in local communities served by the program;

(b) Recruit community volunteers to provide positive adult role models for school-aged children and to help supervise after-school activities;

(c) Reduce the number of students who are unsupervised after school, otherwise known as “latchkey” children;

(d) Improve the academic performance of students participating in the program;

(e) Meet the physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs of students participating in the program and improve their attitudes and behavior; and

(f) Improve coordination of existing resources and enhance collaboration so as to provide services to school-aged children effectively and efficiently.

(4) As used in this section, “ school-aged children ” means children enrolled in kindergarten through the ninth grade.

(5) The State Department of Education shall develop and implement the Support Our Students (S.O.S.) program. The department shall:

(a) Sponsor a statewide conference each year for teams of interested representatives to provide background information and assistance regarding all aspects of the program;

(b) Disseminate information regarding the program to interested neighborhood and community groups;

(c) Develop and disseminate a request for applications to establish local S.O.S. programs;

(d) Provide initial technical assistance to grant applicants and ongoing technical assistance as grants are implemented;

(e) Administer funds appropriated by the Legislature;

(f) Monitor the grants funded;

(g) Revoke a grant if necessary or appropriate;

(h) Develop and implement a performance-based evaluation system to evaluate the program;

(i) Report on the program implementation to the Legislature and the Office of the Governor;

(j) Adopt any rules necessary to implement this section.

(6) A community- or neighborhood-based 501(c)(3) entity or a consortium consisting of one or more local 501(c)(3) entities and one or more local school districts may apply for a grant.

(7) Applicants for grants shall submit to the State Department of Education an application that includes the following information:

(a) Identification of one or more neighborhoods to be served by the local S.O.S. program, based on a needs assessment of existing conditions for school-aged children to be served. Data used in the needs assessment may include for each neighborhood to be served by a local program (i) dropout statistics, (ii) the number and percentage of school-aged children who participate in the federal subsidized lunch program, (iii) the number of suspensions and expulsions involving school-aged children, (iv) the number of children to be served, (v) the number and percentage of students with two (2) working parents or one (1) single parent to be served at a site; (vi) the incidence of juvenile crime in the neighborhood, and (vii) any other relevant or unique local demographic data.

Local authorities shall provide this or related information on a timely basis to local 501(c)(3) entities submitting applications to establish local S.O.S. programs;

(b) A three-year plan that addresses data used in the needs assessment and that includes proposed goals and anticipated outcomes of the local S.O.S. program. The plan shall be prepared after consultation with local after-school programs, schools, community organizations or groups which have as their purpose assisting or helping school-aged children who are at risk of failing in school or entering the juvenile justice system, or other appropriate groups. In addition, the three-year plan shall provide for regular collaborative efforts to seek input and advice from parents of the students being served and from other citizens who reflect the demographic conditions of the students being served;

(c) A statement of how grant funds would be used to address local problems and what other resources would be used to address the problems. This statement should include a list of services to be offered that are related to the goals and outcomes and should include plans for recruiting volunteers to assist in the program's activities; and

(d) A process for assessing on an annual basis the success of the local plan for addressing the goals of the local S.O.S. program.

(8) The department shall develop and disseminate a request for applications and establish procedures to be followed in developing and submitting applications to establish local S.O.S. programs and administering grants to establish local S.O.S. programs.

In reviewing grant applications, the State Superintendent of Education shall consider the prevalence of under-served students and families in low-income neighborhoods and in isolated rural areas in the area for which the grant is requested, the severity of the local problems with regard to children at risk of school failure and with regard to school discipline, whether the proposed program meets state standards, and the likelihood that the locally designed plan will deal with the problems successfully. During the review process, the superintendent may recommend modifications in grant applications to applicants. The superintendent shall submit recommendations to the State Board of Education on which applicants should receive grants and the amount they should receive.

In selecting grant recipients, the State Board of Education shall consider (a) the recommendations of the superintendent, (b) the geographic location of the applicants, and (c) the demographic profile of the applicants. After considering these factors, the State Board of Education shall give priority to grant applications that will serve areas that have a high incidence of juvenile crime and that propose different approaches that can serve as models for other communities. The State Board of Education shall select the grant recipients prior to July 1, 1995, for local programs that will be in operation at the beginning of the 1995-1996 school year, and prior to July 1 and thereafter for the appropriate school year.

A grant recipient may request a modification of a grant or additional funds to implement a grant through the grant application process. The request shall be reviewed and accepted or rejected in the same manner as a grant application.

(9) The State Department of Education shall administer the grant program under the direction of the State Board of Education. The State Department of Education shall provide technical assistance to grant applicants and recipients.

(10) All agencies of the state and local government, including departments of human services, health departments, local mental health, and intellectual disability commissions, court personnel, law enforcement agencies and cities and counties shall cooperate with the State Department of Education and local school boards that receive grants in coordinating the S.O.S. program at the state level and in implementing the S.O.S. program at the local level.

(11) The Department of Education shall develop and implement an evaluation system, under the direction of the State Board of Education, that will assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the S.O.S. program. However, private schools shall not be included under the provisions of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-97-109 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 97-109
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-97-109
Status: in_force

(1) No postsecondary educational institution or any officer, trustee, or employee of a postsecondary educational institution shall be subject to a claim for damages related to their adoption, implementation, or enforcement of any contract, rule, regulation, standard or other requirement in compliance with this chapter. This chapter is not intended to and shall not waive or diminish any applicable defenses and immunities, including, without limitation, sovereign immunity applicable to public postsecondary educational institutions.

(2) A national association, a conference or any other group or organization with authority over the sport, that promotes or regulates collegiate athletics at a postsecondary educational institution to which this chapter applies shall not:

(a) Enforce a contract term, a rule, a regulation, a standard, a bylaw, guidance, or any other requirement that penalizes the institution, the institution's intercollegiate athletics program, or student-athlete for performing, participating in, or allowing an activity required or authorized by this chapter;

(b) Prevent a postsecondary educational institution from or penalize it for establishing agreements with a third-party entity to act on the institution's behalf to identify, create, solicit, facilitate, negotiate, support, assist, and otherwise enable opportunities for a student-athlete to earn compensation from their publicity rights; or

(c) Penalize a postsecondary educational institution because an individual or entity whose purpose includes supporting and benefiting the postsecondary institution or its intercollegiate athletic programs violates any contract term, a rule, a regulation, a standard, a bylaw, guidance, or any other requirement that is in conflict with actions required or authorized by this chapter.

(3) A person or entity, regardless of residence, shall not give or promise compensation for the use of publicity rights of a student-athlete that is currently enrolled in or has signed a National Letter of Intent or other written agreement to enroll in a postsecondary educational institution within the State of Mississippi with the purpose of recruiting or inducing the student-athlete to enroll at another postsecondary educational institution.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-355 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 7-355
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-355
Status: in_force

(1) Any school district by resolution of the school board is hereby empowered, without public or competitive bidding, to sell, lease, lend, grant or convey to a corporation, individual or partnership pursuant to Sections 37-7-351 through 37-7-359 or to permit such corporation, individual or partnership to use, maintain or operate as part of any public school facility, any real or personal property which may be necessary, useful or convenient for the purposes of the school district. Any such conveyances may include sale-leaseback or lease-leaseback arrangements, without the necessity of complying with the requirements of Article 9 of Chapter 7 of Title 37, Mississippi Code of 1972, or any other general laws which might be applicable thereto, with regard to disposal of surplus property. Any such sale, lease, loan, grant, conveyance or permit may be made or given with or without consideration and for a period of time not to exceed twenty (20) years for agreements entered into under any agreement and on any terms and conditions which may be approved by such school district. Provided, however, that any such sale, lease, loan, grant, conveyance or permit executed under authority of this section shall provide that title to any real property transferred by a local school district shall revert to the school district at the expiration of the term.

(2) The resolution adopted by the school board or governing authority shall be published once each week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper having a general circulation in the school district involved, with the first publication thereof to be made not less than thirty (30) days prior to the date upon which the school board or governing authority is to take final action upon the question of sale, lease, loan, grant or conveyance to an authority. If no petition requesting an election is filed prior to such meeting as hereinafter provided, then the school board or governing authority may, in its discretion, at said meeting, by resolution spread upon its minutes, give final approval to such sale, lease, loan, grant or conveyance. If at any time prior to such meeting a petition signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1500), whichever is less, of the qualified electors of the school district involved shall be filed with the school board or governing authority requesting that an election be called on the question, then the school board or governing authority shall, not later than the next regular meeting, adopt a resolution calling an election to be held within such school district upon the question of authorizing such sale, lease, loan, grant or conveyance to an authority. Such election shall be called and held, and notice thereof shall be given, in the same manner as for elections upon the question of issuing bonds of school districts, and the results thereof shall be certified to the school board or governing authority. If at least three-fifths ( 3 / 5 ) of the qualified electors of the school district who voted in such election shall vote in favor of authorizing said action, then the school board or governing authority shall proceed to sell, lease, lend, grant or convey such property as prayed for in the original resolution of the school board or governing authority; however, unless at least three-fifths ( 3 / 5 ) of the qualified electors voting in an election vote in favor of such action, then no sale, lease, loan, grant or conveyance shall be made.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-433 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 7-433
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-433
Status: in_force

Upon being authorized by a resolution of the school board as is provided by Section 37-7-431 , the president and secretary shall be authorized and empowered to execute, for and on behalf of the school district, a conveyance of the school property for the purposes, upon the terms and conditions provided and specified by the school board, and for the consideration of the execution of a deed to the lands exchanged. It shall not be necessary or requisite that competitive bids be advertised for or received in connection with such exchange of property.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 11-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-5
Status: in_force

(1) It shall be the duty of the principals and teachers in all public school buildings to instruct the pupils in the methods of fire drills and to practice fire drills until all the pupils in the school are familiar with the methods of escape. Such fire drills shall be conducted often enough to keep such pupils well drilled. It shall be the further duty of such principals and teachers to instruct the pupils in all programs of emergency management as may be designated by the State Department of Education.

(2) It shall be the further duty of such principals and teachers to develop and conduct an active shooter drill within the first sixty (60) days of each new school semester for students, teachers and staff.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 27-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-13
Status: in_force

Any county which has contributed or may hereafter contribute funds for the purchase of lands or for the construction of buildings for an agricultural high school or schools in another county, shall be deemed to be the owner of an interest in said agricultural high school in the proportion that the amount contributed by such county bears to the whole expense of the purchase of said lands or the construction of said buildings.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-23 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 101-23
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-23
Status: in_force

(1) The Mississippi Small Farm Development Center, which shall be referred to in this section as the SFDC, is established under the management and control of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. The principal offices of the SFDC shall be located at Alcorn State University and shall be under the direction of the president of the university subject to the governance of the board of trustees. The president shall appoint a director of the SFDC who shall recommend to the president necessary professional and administrative staff of the center, all subject to the approval of the board of trustees.

(2) It shall be the function and duty of the SFDC to:

(a) Develop a system to deliver management and technical assistance to small farms utilizing the resources of local, state and federal government programs, various segments of the private sector, and universities and colleges throughout the state;

(b) Make management and technical assistance available to small farms by linking together with the above resources;

(c) Research and develop small farm opportunities for new or alternative crops;

(d) Develop a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of agricultural and economic data; and

(e) Assist small farms in developing more efficient marketing and distribution channels, including foreign trade marketing.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-4-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 4-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-4-11
Status: in_force

(1) The purpose of this section is to insure the uniform management, oversight and accountability of the state-funded Industrial Training Programs, and postsecondary Adult Short-Term Training Programs and Workforce Education Programs administered by the Mississippi Community College Board for adults provided to the citizens of Mississippi.

(2) Effective July 1, 1999, all state-funded Industrial Training Programs and postsecondary Adult Short-term Training Programs administered by and through the State Department of Education on June 30, 1999, shall be transferred to the Workforce Education Program of the Mississippi Community College Board. The Legislature shall appropriate annually to the Mississippi Community College Board funds necessary to administer these programs.

(3) Effective July 1, 1999, all funds, unexpended balances, assets, liabilities and property of the State Department of Education which are used in the delivery of postsecondary Adult Short-term Training Programs and Industrial Training Programs, excluding funds, unexpended balances, assets, liabilities and property associated with the Research and Curriculum Unit at Mississippi State University, shall be transferred to the Workforce Education Program funds of the Mississippi Community College Board. The State Department of Education also shall transfer to the Mississippi Community College Board all positions and funds employed by the State Department of Education and community colleges which render industrial training, postsecondary adult short-term training or workforce education services, including the seven (7) administrative and support positions providing support to these programs. Sufficient staff positions shall be transferred from the State Department of Education, which will have a reduction in training and educational responsibilities by virtue of this section, to the Mississippi Community College Board to assure that the transferred responsibilities will be properly managed and administered. Any funds available to the State Department of Education for Industrial Training Programs and state-funded postsecondary Adult Short-term Training Programs which are subject to carryover shall be transferred to the Work Force Carryover Fund established by Chapter 498, Laws of 1995, for use by the Mississippi Community College Board, on or before August 15, 1999.

(4) The Mississippi Community College Board shall develop an accountability system that shall report and describe all classes taught in the area of workforce education, the number of persons taught in these classes, and the location and cost of each class taught. To assess the impact of these programs, the Mississippi Community College Board also shall report:

(a) Whether the needs of industry have been met through training program offerings;

(b) Any changes in the income of trainees between the completion of training and the date of the report;

(c) The number of jobs created and the number of jobs retained through the programs; and

(d) Trainee success in passing proficiency tests, where applicable.

This information shall be reported on a fiscal year basis and shall be provided to the House and Senate Education Committees before December 15 of each year.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 21-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-7
Status: in_force

(1) This section shall be referred to as the “Mississippi Elementary Schools Assistant Teacher Program,” the purpose of which shall be to provide an early childhood education program that assists in the instruction of basic skills. The State Board of Education is authorized, empowered and directed to implement a statewide system of assistant teachers in kindergarten classes and in the first, second and third grades. The assistant teacher shall assist pupils in actual instruction under the strict supervision of a licensed teacher.

(2)(a) Except as otherwise authorized under subsection (7), each school district shall employ the total number of assistant teachers funded under subsection (6) of this section. The superintendent of each district shall assign the assistant teachers to the kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classes in the district in a manner that will promote the maximum efficiency, as determined by the superintendent, in the instruction of skills such as verbal and linguistic skills, logical and mathematical skills, and social skills.

(b) If a licensed teacher to whom an assistant teacher has been assigned is required to be absent from the classroom, the assistant teacher may assume responsibility for the classroom in lieu of a substitute teacher. However, no assistant teacher shall assume sole responsibility of the classroom for more than three (3) consecutive school days. Further, in no event shall any assistant teacher be assigned to serve as a substitute teacher for any teacher other than the licensed teacher to whom that assistant teacher has been assigned.

(3) Assistant teachers shall have, at a minimum, a high school diploma or a High School Equivalency Diploma equivalent, and shall show demonstratable proficiency in reading and writing skills. The State Department of Education shall develop a testing procedure for assistant teacher applicants to be used in all school districts in the state.

(4)(a) In order to receive funding, each school district shall:

(i) Submit a plan on the implementation of a reading improvement program to the State Department of Education; and

(ii) Develop a plan of educational accountability and assessment of performance, including pretests and posttests, for reading in Grades 1 through 6.

(b) Additionally, each school district shall:

(i) Provide annually a mandatory preservice orientation session, using an existing in-school service day, for administrators and teachers on the effective use of assistant teachers as part of a team in the classroom setting and on the role of assistant teachers, with emphasis on program goals;

(ii) Hold periodic workshops for administrators and teachers on the effective use and supervision of assistant teachers;

(iii) Provide training annually on specific instructional skills for assistant teachers;

(iv) Annually evaluate their program in accordance with their educational accountability and assessment of performance plan; and

(v) Designate the necessary personnel to supervise and report on their program.

(5) The State Department of Education shall:

(a) Develop and assist in the implementation of a statewide uniform training module, subject to the availability of funds specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature, which shall be used in all school districts for training administrators, teachers and assistant teachers. The module shall provide for the consolidated training of each assistant teacher and teacher to whom the assistant teacher is assigned, working together as a team, and shall require further periodic training for administrators, teachers and assistant teachers regarding the role of assistant teachers;

(b) Annually evaluate the program on the district and state level. Subject to the availability of funds specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature, the department shall develop: (i) uniform evaluation reports, to be performed by the principal or assistant principal, to collect data for the annual overall program evaluation conducted by the department; or (ii) a program evaluation model that, at a minimum, addresses process evaluation; and

(c) Promulgate rules, regulations and such other standards deemed necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section. Noncompliance with the provisions of this section and any rules, regulations or standards adopted by the department may result in a violation of compulsory accreditation standards as established by the State Board of Education and the Commission on School Accreditation.

(6) Each school district shall be allotted sufficient funding under the total funding formula provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 for the purpose of employing assistant teachers. No assistant teacher shall be paid less than the amount he or she received in the prior school year. No school district shall receive any funds under this section for any school year during which the aggregate amount of the local contribution to the salaries of assistant teachers by the district shall have been reduced below such amount for the previous year.

For assistant teachers, the minimum annual salary shall be as follows:

2022-2023 and Subsequent Years Minimum Salary․․․․․․․․․․ $17,000.00

In addition, for each one percent (1%) that the Sine Die General Fund Revenue Estimate Growth exceeds five percent (5%) in fiscal year 2006, as certified by the Legislative Budget Office to the State Board of Education and subject to the specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature, the State Board of Education shall revise the salary scale in the appropriate year to provide an additional one percent (1%) across-the-board increase in the base salaries for assistant teachers. The State Board of Education shall revise the salaries prescribed above for assistant teachers to conform to any adjustments made in prior fiscal years due to revenue growth over and above five percent (5%). The assistant teachers shall not be restricted to working only in the grades for which the funds were allotted, but may be assigned to other classes as provided in subsection (2)(a) of this section.

(7)(a) As an alternative to employing assistant teachers, any school district may use the funding provided under subsection (6) of this section for the purpose of employing licensed teachers for kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classes; however, no school district shall be authorized to use the funding for assistant teachers for the purpose of employing licensed teachers unless the district has established that the employment of licensed teachers using such funds will reduce the teacher:student ratio in the kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classes. All state funds for assistant teachers shall be applied to reducing teacher:student ratio in Grades K-3.

It is the intent of the Legislature that no school district shall dismiss any assistant teacher for the purpose of using the assistant teacher funding to employ licensed teachers. School districts may rely only upon normal attrition to reduce the number of assistant teachers employed in that district.

(b) Districts meeting the highest levels of accreditation standards, as defined by the State Board of Education, shall be exempted from the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 155-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-7
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

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

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

(5) A majority of the currently serving members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of conducting business and exercising its official powers and duties. Any action taken by the board shall be upon the vote of a majority of the members present.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 3-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-5
Status: in_force

The State Department of Education is hereby charged with the execution of all laws relating to the administrative, supervisory and consultative services to the public schools and agricultural high schools of the school districts throughout the State of Mississippi. The State Department of Education is also authorized to grant property to public school districts and agricultural high schools of the State of Mississippi.

Subject to the direction of the State Board of Education as provided by law, the administration, management and control of the department is hereby vested in the State Superintendent of Public Education, who shall be directly responsible for the rightful functioning thereof.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-12 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 106-12
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-12
Status: in_force

(1) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special trust fund to be known as the Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Trust Fund. The trust fund shall consist of all monies designated by the Legislature for deposit therein and any gift, donation, bequest, trust, grant, endowment, transfer of money or securities, or any other monies from any source whatsoever, designated for deposit in the trust fund.

(2) The principal of the trust fund shall remain inviolate and shall be invested by the State Treasurer in the same manner as provided by Section 27-105-33, Mississippi Code of 1972 , for the investment of excess state funds. Interest and income derived from investment of the principal of the trust fund shall be appropriated by the Legislature for expenditure as provided in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-111 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 155-111
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-111
Status: in_force

(1) There is created a Mississippi Affordable College Savings Trust Fund as an instrumentality of the state to be administered by the Treasury Department. The MACS Trust Fund shall consist of state appropriations, monies acquired from other governmental or private sources and money remitted in accordance with savings trust agreements and shall receive and hold all payments, contributions and deposits intended for it as well as gifts, bequests, endowments or federal, state or local grants and any other public or private source of funds and all earnings on the fund until disbursed as provided under this section. The amounts on deposit in the trust fund shall not constitute property of the state. Amounts on deposit in the trust fund may not be commingled with state funds, and the state may have no claim to or interest in such funds. Savings trust agreements or any other contract entered into by or on behalf of the trust do not constitute a debt or obligation of the state, and no account owner is entitled to any amounts except for those amounts on deposit in or accrued to their account.

The MACS Trust Fund shall continue in existence as long as it holds any funds belonging to an account owner or otherwise has any obligations to any person or entity until its existence is terminated by the Legislature and remaining assets on deposit in the fund are returned to account owners or transferred to the state in accordance with unclaimed property laws.

(2) There are created the following three (3) separate accounts within the MACS Trust Fund: (a) the administrative account; (b) the endowment account; and (c) the program account. The administrative account shall accept, deposit and disburse funds for the purpose of administering and marketing the program. The endowment account shall receive and deposit accounts received in connection with the sales of interests in the MACS Trust Fund other than amounts for the administrative account and other than amounts received pursuant to a savings trust agreement. Amounts on deposit in the endowment account may be applied as specified by the board for any purpose related to the program or to otherwise assist Mississippi residents to attain a postsecondary education. The program account shall receive, invest and disburse amounts pursuant to savings trust agreements.

(3) The official location of the trust fund shall be the State of Mississippi Treasury Department, and the facilities of the Treasury Department shall be used and employed in the administration of the fund, including, but without limitation to, the keeping of records, the management of bank accounts and other investments, the transfer of funds and the safekeeping of securities evidencing investments. These functions may be administered pursuant to a management agreement with a qualified entity or entities.

(4) Payments received by the board on behalf of beneficiaries from account owners, other payors or from any other source, public or private, shall be placed in the trust fund, and the board shall cause there to be maintained separate records and accounts for individual beneficiaries, as may be required under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , as amended, and any other applicable federal law.

(5) Account owners and any other payors or contributors shall be permitted only to contribute cash or any other form of payment or contribution as is permitted under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , as amended, and approved by the board. The board shall cause the program to maintain adequate safeguards against contributions in excess of what may be required for qualified higher education expenses. The MACS Trust Fund, through the Treasurer, may receive and deposit into the trust fund any gift of any nature, real or personal property, made by an individual by testamentary disposition, including, without limitation, any specific gift or bequeath made by will, trust or other disposition to the extent permitted under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , as amended. The MACS Trust Fund may receive amounts transferred from an UGMA, UTMA or other account established for the benefit of a minor if the trust beneficiary of such an account is identified as the legal owner of the MACS Trust Fund account upon attaining majority age.

(6) The account owner retains ownership of all amounts on deposit in his or her account with the program up to the date of distribution on behalf of a designated beneficiary. Earnings derived from investment of the contributions shall be considered to be held in trust in the same manner as contributions, except as applied for purposes of the designated beneficiary and for purposes of maintaining and administrating the program as provided in this article. Amounts on deposit in an account owner's account shall be available for expenses and penalties imposed by the board for the program as disclosed in the savings trust agreement.

(7) The MACS Trust Fund shall constitute a fund of an instrumentality of the state, and its property and income shall be exempt from all taxation by the state and by all of its political subdivisions.

(8) The assets of the MACS Trust Fund shall be preserved, invested and expended solely pursuant to and for the purposes of this article and shall not be loaned or otherwise transferred or used by the state for any other purpose.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-31 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 47-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-31
Status: in_force

The state bond commission now consisting of the governor, attorney general and treasurer of the State of Mississippi, each acting ex officio, is hereby continued in existence for the purpose of this chapter and with full power and authority to issue state school bonds to the extent, for the purposes, and in the manner and subject to the limitations set forth in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 59-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-105
Status: in_force

The said resolution adopted by the school board pursuant to Section 37-59-103 shall be published once each week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper having a general circulation in the school district involved, with the first publication thereof to be made not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the date upon which the school board is to take final action upon the question of authorizing the borrowing of said money. If no petition requesting an election is filed prior to such meeting, then the school board shall, at said meeting, by resolution spread upon its minutes, give final approval to the borrowing of said money and shall authorize the issuance of negotiable notes or certificates of indebtedness of the school district therefor in accordance with the provisions of this article.

If at any time prior to said meeting a petition signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) of the qualified electors of the school district involved shall be filed with the school board requesting that an election be called on the question of incurring said indebtedness, then the school board shall, not later than the next regular meeting, adopt a resolution calling an election to be held within such school district upon the question of the incurring of said indebtedness for the purposes and in the amount requested. Such election shall be called and held, and notice thereof shall be given, in the same manner provided in Article 1 of this chapter for elections upon the question of the issuance of the bonds of school districts, and the results thereof shall be certified to the school board. If three-fifths ( 3 / 5 ) of the qualified electors voting in said election shall vote in favor of incurring said indebtedness, then the school board shall proceed to issue said negotiable notes or certificates of indebtedness as prayed for in the original resolution of the school board; however, if less than three-fifths ( 3 / 5 ) of the qualified electors voting in said election vote in favor of incurring said indebtedness, then said notes or certificates of indebtedness shall not be issued.

Money may be borrowed under the provisions of this article and the negotiable notes or certificates of indebtedness evidencing same may be issued as provided in this article (1) without the necessity of being authorized in an election called for that purpose, except where a petition requesting an election is filed as provided herein and (2) without the necessity of giving notice thereof except as specifically provided herein, and specifically without the necessity of complying with the requirements of Section 31-19-25 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / 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. § 37-101-147 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 101-147
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-147
Status: in_force

All leases and conveyances of timber, trees, dead wood and stumps, and all oil, gas and mineral leases, or leases for other purposes, provided for in Sections 37-101-141 and 37-101-143 , shall be executed by the President of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and attested by the Commissioner of Higher Education, respectively, for and on behalf of the University of Mississippi, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science and Alcorn State University, as the case may be. The corporate seal of the proper institution shall be affixed to all conveyances and leases of the lands held for the use and benefit of such institutions. In all such cases such conveyances and leases shall be executed only upon the order or resolution of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in the manner and method hereinbefore set forth.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-12-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 12-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-12-5
Status: in_force

Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions. Homework and classroom assignments must be judged by ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance and against other legitimate pedagogical concerns identified by the school district. Students may not be penalized or rewarded on account of the religious content of their work. If an assignment requires a student's viewpoint to be expressed in coursework, artwork or other written or oral assignments, a public school shall not penalize or reward a student on the basis of religious content or a religious viewpoint. In such an assignment, a student's academic work that expresses a religious viewpoint shall be evaluated based on ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance to the course curriculum or requirements of the coursework or assignment.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-87 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 29-87
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-87
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(c) Where said board of trustees has adopted a resolution that such land and improvements are not needed for junior college purposes and expressing the desire to convey such land and improvements back to the county.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-53 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 21-53
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-53
Status: in_force

(1) The State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC), located in the Office of the Governor, is (a) to assist the State Department of Education with the implementation of the Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013, (b) to ensure coordination among the various agencies and programs serving preschool children in order to support school district's efforts to achieve the goal of readiness to start school, (c) to facilitate communication, cooperation and maximum use of resources and to promote high standards for all programs serving preschool children and their families in Mississippi, (d) to serve as the designated council for early childhood education and care pursuant to federal Public Law 110-134 , and (e) to carry out any responsibilities assigned to SECAC by the Governor and/or by applicable federal law.

(2) The membership of the State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC) in accordance with Public Law 110-134 , shall include the following members to be appointed by the Governor:

(a) A representative of the Mississippi Department of Human Services;

(b) A representative of the Mississippi Department of Education;

(c) A representative of local educational agencies;

(d) A representative of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Education;

(e) A representative of local providers of early childhood education and care services from each congressional district;

(f) A representative from Head Start agencies located in the state, including Indian Head Start programs and migrant and seasonal Head Start programs as available;

(g) The State Director of Head Start Collaboration;

(h) The Part C Coordinator and/or the Section 619 Coordinator of programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 20 USC 1419 , 1431 et seq. );

(i) A representative of the Mississippi Department of Health;

(j) A representative of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health; and

(k) Representatives of other entities deemed relevant by the Governor.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-22 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 59-22
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-22
Status: in_force

Whenever a school district lies in two (2) or more counties of the State of Mississippi before any money shall be borrowed under the provisions of this chapter, the school board of the school district shall adopt a resolution declaring the necessity for borrowing such money, declaring its intention to borrow such money and to issue the negotiable bonds of the school district as evidence of same, specifying the approximate amount to be so borrowed, and how such indebtedness is to be evidenced. Such resolution shall also set forth the nature and approximate cost of the alterations, additions and repairs to be made, and shall declare in said resolution that no funds are available in the school funds of the district or from any other source with which to make such repairs, alterations, additions, purchases, erections or improvements.

Whenever a resolution is adopted by the school board as provided in this paragraph, or a petition signed by not less than ten percent (10%) of the qualified electors of a school district, fixing the maximum amount of such school bonds and the purpose or purposes for which they are to be issued, the school board shall adopt a resolution calling an election to be held within such school district for the purpose of submitting to the qualified electors thereof the question of the issuance of bonds in the amount and for the purpose or purposes as set forth in such resolution or petition. The resolution calling such election shall designate the date upon which the election shall be held and the place or places within such district at which such election shall be held, which place or places may or may not be the schoolhouse or schoolhouses in such district.

The board of supervisors of the county which authorizes the issuance of the bonds shall annually levy upon all the taxable property within such district, without regard to county lines, a special tax, which shall be sufficient to provide for the payment of the principal of and interest on such bonds according to the terms thereof. Such board shall annually certify to the board of supervisors of the other county or counties in which a portion of the district is situated, the rate of taxation so fixed, and it shall be the duty of such other board or boards to cause such rate of taxation to be levied upon all the taxable property within the boundaries of such district situated within their respective counties. The taxes shall be collected and deposited as other taxes are collected and deposited in such county or counties, and the board of supervisors thereof shall thereupon cause such taxes to be remitted to the county depository for the county in which the bonds were issued.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-61 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 145-61
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-61
Status: in_force

The company shall have the power to contract with the holders of any of its bonds as to the custody, collection, securing, investment and payment of any money of the company, and of any money held in trust or otherwise for the payment of bonds, and to carry out such contract. Money held in trust or otherwise for the payment of bonds or in any way to secure bonds and deposits of money may be secured in the same manner as money of the company, and all banks and trust companies are authorized to give security for the deposits.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 144-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-3
Status: in_force

(1) The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program shall be administered by a commission to be known as the “Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Commission.” The commission shall be directed by a board composed of the following members:

(a) Two (2) generalist physicians appointed by and from the membership of the Mississippi State Medical Association, the term of which shall be three (3) years and may be reappointed for one (1) additional term;

(b) One (1) generalist physician appointed by and from the membership of each of the following organizations, the term of which shall be three (3) years and may be reappointed for one (1) additional term:

(i) Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians;

(ii) Mississippi Chapter, American College of Physicians;

(iii) Mississippi Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics;

(iv) Mississippi Chapter, American College of OB-GYN;

(v) Mississippi Psychiatric Association;

(vi) Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association;

(vii) Mississippi Osteopathic Association;

(c) Two (2) designees of the Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine whose terms are at the discretion of the dean, at least one (1) of whom is a member of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine Admissions Committee;

(d) Two (2) medical students, one (1) of whom shall be selected yearly through a process developed by the Dean of the School of Medicine in consultation with the Chairs of the Departments of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, OB-GYN and Pediatrics, and one (1) of whom shall be nominated for a one-year term by the Mississippi Chapter of the Student National Medical Association and approved by the Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine;

(e) A member of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning;

(f) The Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine; and

(g) A licensed psychiatrist appointed by the Mississippi Chapter of the American Psychiatric Association.

(2) The premedical advisors from the accredited four-year colleges and universities in the state and the directors or designees of the primary care generalist training programs in the State of Mississippi shall comprise an advisory committee to the commission to assist the commission in its administration of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program.

(3) Vacancies on the commission must be filled in a manner consistent with the original appointments.

(4) All appointments to the commission must be made no later than September 1, 2024. After the members are appointed, the Chair of the Department of Family Medicine shall set a date for the organizational meeting that is mutually acceptable to the majority of the commission members. The organizational meeting shall be for the purposes of organizing the commission and establishing rules for transacting its business. A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum at all commission meetings. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting shall be required in the adoption of rules, reports and in any other actions taken by the commission. At the organizational meeting, the commission shall elect a chair and vice chair from the members appointed according to paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (1). The chair shall serve for a term of two (2) years, upon the expiration of which the vice chair shall assume the office of chair.

(5) After the organizational meeting, the commission shall hold no less than two (2) meetings annually.

(6) The commission may form an executive committee for the purpose of transacting business that must be conducted before the next regularly scheduled meeting of the commission. All actions taken by the executive committee must be ratified by the commission at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

(7) Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed, subject to the availability of funding, for mileage and actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the commission.

(8) Funding for the establishment and continued operation of the program and commission shall be appropriated out of any money in the General Fund not already appropriated to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-127-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 127-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-127-1
Status: in_force

A body politic and corporate is hereby created by the name of the “Mississippi Valley State College” to have perpetual succession, with power to contract and be contracted with, to receive by any legal method of transfer or conveyance, property of any description, to have, hold, and employ the same, to make and use a corporate seal, with power to break or change the same, and to adopt bylaws, rules and regulations for the government of its members, official agents, and employees. However, the name of said “Mississippi Valley State College” is hereafter changed to “Mississippi Valley State University,” without interference with the rights, powers and prerogatives of said college which continue in all respects. Whenever the name “Mississippi Valley State College” appears, the same is construed to denote “Mississippi Valley State University.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 175-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-3
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship for Students with Speech-Language Impairments Program, which may also be cited as the Nate Rogers Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program, is established to provide a scholarship to a nonpublic school of choice, for students with an eligibility ruling of a speech-language impairment. Students in kindergarten through Grade 6 or its equivalent who have been properly evaluated and received an eligibility ruling of speech-language impairment shall be eligible to receive scholarship assistance under this program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-49 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 3-49
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-49
Status: in_force

(1) The State Department of Education shall provide an instructional program and establish guidelines and procedures for managing such program in the public schools within the school districts throughout the state as part of the State Program of Educational Accountability and Assessment of Performance as prescribed in Section 37-3-46 . Public school districts may (a) elect to adopt the instructional program and management system provided by the State Department of Education, or (b) elect to adopt an instructional program and management system which meets or exceeds criteria established by the State Department of Education for such. This provision shall begin with the courses taught in Grades K-8 which contain skills tested through the Mississippi Basic Skills Assessment Program and shall proceed through all secondary school courses mandated for graduation and all secondary school courses in the Mississippi end-of-course testing program. Other state core objectives must be included in the district's instructional program as they are provided by the State Department of Education along with instructional practices, resources, evaluation items and management procedures. Districts are encouraged to adapt this program and accompanying procedures to all other instructional areas. The department shall provide that such program and guidelines, or a program and guidelines developed by a local school district which incorporates the core objectives from the curriculum structure are enforced through the performance-based accreditation system. It is the intent of the Legislature that every effort be made to protect the instructional time in the classroom and reduce the amount of paperwork which must be completed by teachers. The State Department of Education shall take steps to insure that school districts properly use staff development time to work on the districts' instructional management plans.

(2) The State Department of Education shall provide such instructional program and management guidelines which shall require for every public school district that:

(a) All courses taught in Grades K-8 which contain skills which are tested through the Mississippi Basic Skills Assessment Program, all secondary school courses mandated for graduation, and all courses in the end-of-course testing program shall include the State Department of Education's written list of learning objectives.

(b) The local school board must adopt the objectives that will form the core curriculum which will be systematically delivered throughout the district.

(c) The set of objectives provided by the State Department of Education must be accompanied by suggested instructional practices and resources that would help teachers organize instruction so as to promote student learning of the objectives. Objectives added by the school district must also be accompanied by suggested instructional practices and resources that would help teachers organize instruction. The instructional practices and resources that are identified are to be used as suggestions and not as requirements that teachers must follow. The goal of the program is to have students to achieve the desired objective and not to limit teachers in the way they teach.

(d) Standards for student performance must be established for each core objective in the local program and those standards establish the district's definition of mastery for each objective.

(e) There shall be an annual review of student performance in the instructional program against locally established standards. When weaknesses exist in the local instructional program, the district shall take action to improve student performance.

(3) The State Board of Education and the board of trustees of each school district shall adopt policies to limit and reduce the number and length of written reports that classroom teachers are required to prepare.

(4) This section shall not be construed to limit teachers from using their own professional skills to help students master instructional objectives, nor shall it be construed as a call for more detailed or complex lesson plans or any increase in testing at the local school district level.

(5) Districts meeting the highest levels of accreditation standards, as defined by the State Board of Education, shall be exempted from the provisions of subsection (2) of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-405 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 29-405
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-405
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College District shall be under the executive direction of a president elected by the board of trustees of said district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-241 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 101-241
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-241
Status: in_force

(1) There is hereby created the Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation. Said commission shall be composed of the Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board, the Commissioner of Higher Education, or their designees, and three (3) additional members, one (1) of whom shall be selected by the foregoing two (2) members and who shall represent the private colleges within the state, and two (2) of whom shall be selected by the Mississippi Association of Colleges. The latter three (3) members shall each serve for a term of three (3) years.

(2) The commission shall meet and organize by electing from among its membership a chairman, a vice chairman and a secretary. The commission shall keep full and complete minutes and records of all its proceedings and actions.

(3) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall appoint staff as may be required for the performance of the commission's duties and provide necessary facilities, support, equipment, supplies, travel and other expenses required to properly manage the duties of the commission.

(4) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning may charge the commission for the actual cost incurred by the board to assist in the performance of the commission's duties.

(5) The commission shall have the power and authority, and it shall be its duty, to authorize and maintain an approved list of all public and private postsecondary, academic degree-granting institutions or any other entities domiciled, incorporated or otherwise located in the State of Mississippi which offer postsecondary academic degrees, programs or coursework. For purposes of this chapter, “ domiciled ” shall mean conducting postsecondary academic activity, including field placements, within the State of Mississippi. Postsecondary academic degrees include, but are not limited to, associate, bachelor, masters and doctorate degrees. The commission shall adopt standards which are in keeping with the best educational practices in accreditation and receive reports from the institutions seeking to be placed on the approved list.

(6) The above-described community, junior and senior colleges and universities or other entities must be approved annually by the commission in order to grant diplomas of graduation, degrees or offer instruction.

(7) The commission shall petition the chancery court of the county in which a person or agent offers one or more postsecondary academic degrees subject to the provisions of this chapter or advertises for the offering of such degrees without having first obtained approval by the commission, for an order enjoining such offering or advertising. The court may grant such injunctive relief upon a showing that the respondent named in the petition is offering or advertising one or more postsecondary academic degrees without having obtained prior approval of the commission. The Attorney General or the district attorney of the district, including the county in which such action is brought, shall, upon request of the commission, represent the commission in bringing any such action.

(8) The provisions of subsection (5) shall not apply to community, junior and senior colleges and universities with the main campus in Mississippi that were chartered, authorized or approved by the commission prior to July 1, 1988.

(9) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the proprietary schools and colleges subject to regulation under Section 75-60-1 et seq.

(10) The Commission on College Accreditation may promulgate rules and regulations and establish appropriate fees for the implementation of this section.

(11) The commission shall have the power and authority, and it shall be its duty, to execute site visits when deemed necessary by the commission. The members of the commission and commission-appointed evaluation teams shall receive reasonable traveling expenses and other authorized expenses incurred in the performance of commission duties, together with other expenses of the operation of the commission. The members of the Commission on College Accreditation shall serve without salary compensation but shall receive a per diem and mileage as authorized by law including time of going to and returning from site visits of said commission, together with actual travel and hotel expenses incident to the site visits of the commission, and in the discharge of duties prescribed by the commission.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-131 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 29-131
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-131
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of any community or junior college is hereby authorized and empowered to enter into lease agreements or service contracts with any governmental agency or political subdivision, corporation, partnership, joint venture, or individual under which the college may acquire by lease, lease-purchase or service contract for a primary term not to exceed thirty-five (35) years lands, buildings and related facilities which the board may determine necessary to provide additional facilities, services or educational opportunities to the college, its students, faculty and the community.

Any machinery, furnishings, fixtures and equipment for these facilities and use by the college may be acquired by lease or lease purchase provided that the primary term of such lease shall not exceed the estimated useful economic life of such machinery or equipment.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 145-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-27
Status: in_force

All general obligation bonds of the State of Mississippi and interest coupons issued under the provisions of Sections 37-145-23 through 37-145-41 shall have and are hereby declared to have all the qualities and incidents of negotiable instruments under the negotiable instruments law of the State of Mississippi. Such bonds and the income therefrom shall be exempt from all taxation within the State of Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-107 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 155-107
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-107
Status: in_force

In addition to those powers granted to the board by Sections 37-155-1 through 37-155-27 and any other provisions of this article, the board shall have the powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes and provisions of this article, the purposes and objectives of the trust fund, and the powers delegated by any other law or executive order of this state, including, but not limited to, the following express powers:

(a) To adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary to implement this article, subject to applicable federal laws and regulations, including rules regarding transfers of funds between accounts established under prepaid tuition contracts and savings trust agreements;

(b) To impose reasonable requirements for residency for beneficiaries or account owners at the time of purchase of the savings trust agreement;

(c) To contract for necessary goods and services, to employ necessary personnel, and to engage the services of consultants and other qualified persons and entities for administrative and technical assistance in carrying out the responsibilities of the trust funds under terms and conditions that the board deems reasonable, including contract terms for periods up to ten (10) years at which time a contract may be terminated, extended or renewed for a term determined by the board, not to exceed a term of ten (10) years at any one time;

(d) To solicit and accept gifts, including bequests or other testamentary gifts made by will, trust or other disposition grants, loans and other aids from any personal source or to participate in any other way in any federal, state or local governmental programs in carrying out the purposes of this article;

(e) To define the terms and conditions under which payments may be withdrawn or refunded from the trust fund established under this article to impose reasonable charges for a withdrawal or refund;

(f) To impose reasonable time limits on the use of savings trust account distributions provided by the MACS Program;

(g) To regulate the receipt of contributions or payments to the MACS Trust Fund;

(h) To segregate contributions and payments to the MACS Trust Fund into various accounts and funds;

(i) To require and collect administrative fees and charges in connection with any transaction and to impose reasonable penalties for withdrawal of funds for nonqualified higher educational expenses or for entering into a savings trust agreement on a fraudulent basis;

(j) To procure insurance against any loss in connection with the property, assets and activities of the MACS Trust Fund or the board;

(k) To require that account owners of savings trust agreements or purchasers of Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (MPACT) contracts under Sections 37-155-1 through 37-155-27 verify, under oath, any requests for contract conversions, substitutions, transfers, cancellations, refund requests or contract changes of any nature;

( l ) To solicit proposals and to contract for the marketing of the MACS Program, provided that: (i) any materials produced by a marketing contractor for the purpose of marketing the program must be approved by the board before being made available to the public; and (ii) neither the state nor the board shall be liable for misrepresentation of the program by a marketing contractor;

(m) To delegate responsibility for administration of the comprehensive investment plan to a contractor or contractors or a consultant or consultants that the board determines is qualified;

(n) To make all necessary and appropriate arrangements with colleges and universities or other entities in order to fulfill its obligations under savings trust agreements;

( o ) To establish other policies, procedures and criteria necessary to implement and administer this article; and

(p) To authorize the Treasury Department or the State Treasurer, or both, to carry out any or all of the powers and duties enumerated in this section for efficient and effective administration of the MACS Program and MACS Trust Fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-115 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 59-115
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-115
Status: in_force

The indebtedness incurred under the authority of this article shall not be included in computing the statutory limitation upon the indebtedness which may be incurred by school districts as provided in Article 1 of this chapter, or any other statute, but shall be in addition thereto. The only limitation upon the amount of indebtedness which may be incurred under the provisions of this article shall be that provided in Section 37-59-107 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-329 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 101-329
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-329
Status: in_force

Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 shall be deemed to be full and complete authority for the exercise of the powers herein granted, but Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 shall not be deemed to repeal or to be in derogation of any existing law of this state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 41-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-3
Status: in_force

Pupils of legal school age, which shall include kindergarten pupils, and in actual attendance in the public schools who live a distance of one (1) mile or more by the nearest traveled road from the school to which they are assigned by the school district in which they are enrolled shall be entitled to transportation within the meaning of this chapter. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to bar any child from such transportation where he or she lives less than one (1) mile and is on the regular route of travel of a school bus and space is available in such bus for such transportation. No state funds shall be paid for the transportation of children living within one (1) mile of the school, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, and such children shall not be included in transportation reports. In the development of route plans, economy shall be a prime consideration. There shall be no duplication of routes except in circumstances where it is totally unavoidable. The State Department of Education shall have authority to investigate school bus routing when there is reason to believe the provisions of this statute are being violated. The State Board of Education shall have authority to withhold transportation funds when school districts fail to correct unnecessary route duplication. Provided further, that all school districts are hereby authorized to lease or contract with any public or private individual, partnership, corporation, association, agency or other organization for the implementation of transportation of pupils as provided for in this section.

The school boards may provide transportation to such crippled and physically handicapped children as may be designated by such boards, when the failure to do so would result in undue hardship, even though the children are not otherwise entitled to transportation under the provisions of this chapter. The State Department of Education shall require all school districts during the 1993-1994 school year to equip school buses with properly designed seat belts to protect such physically handicapped children, and school districts are authorized to expend funds therefor from nonminimum program or other sources.

Where space is available, students attending junior colleges shall be allowed transportation on established routes in district-owned buses. However, no additional funds shall be allocated or expended for such purposes, and such persons shall not be included in transportation reports.

Children enrolled in special or alternative programs approved by school boards may be provided transportation even though such children are not otherwise entitled to transportation under the provisions of this chapter. No additional funds shall be allocated or expended for such purpose, and such children shall not be included in transportation reports.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-89 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 27-89
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-89
Status: in_force

All funds placed to the credit of the county common school fund, under the provisions of Sections 37-27-83 , 37-27-87 , shall be distributed in the same manner as is provided for the distribution of the county common school funds, and shall be used for the support and maintenance of the public schools of the county.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-121 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 33-121
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-121
Status: in_force

The purpose of Sections 37-33-121 through 37-33-131 is to improve rehabilitation services for severely disabled individuals in Mississippi by providing for the development and continuation of community rehabilitation programs.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 25-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-27
Status: in_force

Funds expended under authority of this chapter shall be paid by the state treasurer out of the driver training penalty assessment fund or other funds used in administering this chapter, upon warrants issued by the state auditor of public accounts. The said auditor shall issue his warrant upon requisition signed by the proper person, officer or officers in the manner provided by law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-272 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 29-272
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-272
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of any community college district in the state maintaining and operating an agricultural high school on July 1, 1994, is hereby authorized to transfer the control, maintenance and operation of said agricultural high school, including the transfer of title to all real and personal property used for agricultural high school purposes, to the county board of education of the county in which the school is located. Upon the acceptance by the county board of education and before an order authorizing such transfer shall be entered, the board of trustees of the community college district and the county board of education in which such school is located shall by joint resolution agree in writing on the terms of such transfer, the extent of the rights of use and occupancy of the school and grounds, and the control, management, preservation and responsibility of transportation of students to such premises, to be spread upon the minutes of each governing authority. Upon such transfer, the county board of education may abolish the agricultural high school as a distinct school, and merge its activities, programs and students into the regular high school curricula of the school district. When a community college has transferred operation of an agricultural high school as provided herein, the pupils attending such school shall be reported, accounted for allocation of total funding formula funds and entitled to school transportation as though such pupils were attending the schools of the school district in which they reside, as provided in Sections 37-27-53 and 37-27-55 . When any agricultural high school is transferred by the board of trustees of a community college to the county board of education as provided in this section, all laws relating to agricultural high school tax levies for the support or retirement of bonded indebtedness for agricultural high schools shall continue in full force and effect for the transferring community college district until current obligations on all bonded indebtednesses related to agriculture high schools have been satisfied and retired.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 138-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-13
Status: in_force

(1) It is unlawful for any person who does not possess a valid project designer certificate to specify engineering methods and work practices under an asbestos project to another person.

(2) To qualify for a project designer certificate, an applicant shall:

(a)(i) Have attained a Bachelor of science degree in engineering or its equivalent from an accredited university and be licensed by the Mississippi Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors as a registered professional engineer or, (ii) have attained a Bachelor of Science degree in architecture or its equivalent from an accredited university and be licensed as an architect by the Mississippi Board of Architecture or, (iii) have satisfactorily completed prior to April 1, 1990, either a project designer training course or an asbestos abatement contractor training course and a supervisor's training course, each approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and any applicable annual refresher training courses approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency such that applicable training has been continuously current and is current as of April 1, 1990, for the purpose of satisfying this paragraph (a) only; however, this subparagraph (iii) shall apply only to applicants applying for a certificate prior to November 1, 1991;

(b) Satisfactorily complete a commission-approved training course for project designers, except that a project designer 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 and applicant's employees and agents are familiar with and capable of complying with all applicable 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) Each applicant for a project designer certificate shall, on an annual basis, 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. § 37-31-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 31-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-7
Status: in_force

The State Board of Education shall have all necessary authority to cooperate with the federal board for vocational education in the administration of the “Smith-Hughes Act” and all subsequent federal vocational education and training acts, to administer any legislation pursuant thereto enacted by the State of Mississippi, and to administer the funds provided by the federal government and the State of Mississippi under the provisions of Sections 37-31-1 through 37-31-15 for the promotion of vocational and technical education not terminating in a bachelors degree. It shall have full authority to formulate plans for the promotion of vocational and technical education in such subjects as are an essential and integral part of the public school system of education in the State of Mississippi, to provide for the preparation of teachers of such subjects, and to escrow funds for students participating in recognized articulated business/industry specific worksite learning programs. It shall have authority to fix the compensation of such officials and assistants as may be necessary to administer the “Smith-Hughes Act” and Sections 37-31-1 through 37-31-15 for the State of Mississippi and to pay such compensation and other necessary expenses of administration from funds appropriated under provisions of said sections. It shall have authority to make studies and investigations relating to vocational and technical education in such subjects; to publish the results of such investigations and to issue other publications as seem necessary by the board; to promote and aid in the establishment by local communities of schools, departments or classes giving training in such subjects; to cooperate with local communities in the maintenance of such schools, department or classes; to prescribe qualifications for the teachers, directors and supervisors of such subjects, and to have full authority to provide for the licensure and renewal of licenses of such teachers, directors and supervisors; to cooperate in the maintenance of classes supported and controlled by the public for the preparation of teachers, directors and supervisors of such subjects or to maintain such classes under its own direction and control; and to establish and determine by general regulations the qualifications to be possessed by persons engaged in the training of vocational and technical teachers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-80.1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 13-80.1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-80.1
Status: in_force

(1) The State Board of Education shall implement a Middle School Dropout Prevention and Recovery Pilot Program in select “D” and “F” rated school districts selected by the State Board of Education. The purpose of the pilot program is to reengage students and increase the graduation rates in Mississippi through an educational program that provides vocational technology, flexible scheduling and a blended learning environment with individualized and self-paced learning options.

(2) Under the pilot program, the educational services and programming shall be provided by an education partner that is a nonprofit or for-profit entity approved by the State Board of Education. The local school board of the districts selected to participate in the pilot program shall be responsible for reporting enrollment to the State Department of Education, working with the education partner to align graduation requirements. The participating schools district shall be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as an indicator of quality instructional programming.

(3) The pilot program shall provide at least the following:

(a) Facilities that are easily accessible to the students being served;

(b) Flexible scheduling, including at least two (2) different program schedules;

(c) Differentiated instruction that shall include individualized, group and online instructional components;

(d) The capacity for assessing, recording and responding to the students' academic progress on a daily basis using assessments that are aligned with state and local standards and requirements;

(e) A focus on serving a defined population of at-risk students who have dropped out or are likely to drop out of school in the foreseeable future without some type of intervention;

(f) Support services, including social workers and crisis intervention professionals who are trained to assist students in removing barriers to attending school and graduating;

(g) Vocational technology and other instructional models that are self-paced and mastery-based; and

(h) Individualized graduation plans to guide students to graduation with a standard high school diploma.

(4) Before the State Board of Education approves an applicant as an education partner, the applicant must demonstrate the following:

(a) A history providing dropout recovery services to high school students in public schools;

(b) At least two (2) years of relevant experience operating and providing services to brick-and-mortar public schools;

(c) At least two (2) years of relevant experience providing comprehensive online learning or vocational technology programs;

(d) Relevant experience serving diverse student populations, including socioeconomically disadvantaged students;

(e) An explanation of the steps taken by the applicant to ensure that its proposed instructional content is aligned with state standards;

(f) A plan for the recruitment and hiring of state-certified teachers, including hiring criteria;

(g) A plan for the recruitment and hiring of qualified administrators, including hiring criteria;

(h) A detailed description of the applicant's plan to work with the participating local school districts and the State Board of Education to identify students who need to be served, to reengage those students, and to provide alternative education options for students at risk of dropping out. Students at risk of dropping out from their current schools may be transferred into the pilot program; and

(i) An operational plan that includes the following:

(i) The number and physical location of proposed sites and a list of the equipment required;

(ii) A proposed program calendar and daily schedule and an explanation of how the calendar and schedule meet the needs of prospective students. The schedule must include at least four (4) hours per school day of on-site learning at a physical location;

(iii) The student-to-teacher ratio;

(iv) A description of each of the instructional methods to be used and number of hours per day for each method;

(v) A plan for differentiated instruction that must include individualized, group, and online instructional components;

(vi) Capacity for assessing, recording, and responding to students' academic progress on a daily basis using standard assessments;

(vii) A detailed one-year budget;

(viii) A system of competency-based credit; and

(ix) A plan for aggregation and reporting of student performance data and reporting of financial activity.

(5)(a) The State Board of Education shall develop and implement an alternative student performance accountability method to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of pilot program school districts that solely provide dropout prevention services and dropout recovery programs to at-risk students who have dropped out of or are likely to drop out of their base high school. Data and student results collected and compiled from the pilot program districts shall inform the State Board of Education in developing an alternative accountability method to apply statewide and in evaluating the success of the pilot program as a whole.

(b) The alternative accountability method shall only measure academic growth of students who have been continuously enrolled for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days. Students shall be assessed by pre-testing and post-testing at the beginning and end of the one hundred twenty-day enrollment period to measure student growth and shall apply beginning with the 2014-2015 school year.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 51-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-7
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the commission to receive and pass upon, allow or disallow, all applications for loans made by students who desire to receive a secular education in any of the grades one through twelve in any school in this state constituting a bona fide school as defined in a general regulation of the commission, other than in the free public school system of this state, and who are acceptable for enrollment in any approved nonfree school system. The commission may make such investigation into the financial status of the parents of such students who apply for loans as it deems advisable, to determine the extent of the need for said loan. The commission may prescribe such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary and proper to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

The commission shall have the authority to grant loans from the “state educational loan fund” to such applicants as are qualified to receive them and on such terms as may be prescribed by regulation of the commission and by this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-47 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 27-47
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-47
Status: reserved

All such land, buildings or other property to be sold pursuant to the authority granted in Section 37-27-43 , shall be sold only after the receipt of sealed bids therefor after the time and place of making such sale shall have been duly advertised in some newspaper having a general circulation in the county in which the property is located once each week for three consecutive weeks with the first publication to be made not less than fifteen days prior to the date upon which such bids are to be received and opened. The property shall be sold to the highest and best bidder for cash, but the board of trustees shall have the right to reject any and all bids. If the property be not sold pursuant to such advertisement, the board of trustees may, by resolution, set a date for an open meeting of said board of trustees to be held within sixty days after the date upon which the bids were opened. At the meeting held pursuant to such resolution the board of trustees may sell by auction the said property for a consideration not less than the highest sealed bid previously received pursuant to said advertisement. At the meeting called pursuant to said resolution any interested party may bid for cash and the property shall be sold to the highest and best bidder for cash, but the board of trustees shall have the right to reject any and all bids. The board of trustees may require a written confirmation of bids received at such called meeting before selling the property at auction, but it shall not be necessary that sealed bids be received before conducting the auction. When the sale of such property shall be authorized and approved by the board of trustees the president of the board of trustees shall be authorized and empowered to execute a conveyance of said property upon the terms and for the consideration fixed by the board. Said board of trustees shall reserve unto said agricultural high school at least an undivided one-half nonparticipating royalty interest in all oil, gas and minerals in, on or under said land, and all proceeds derived from royalties upon said reserved mineral interests shall be used as provided by Section 37-27-49 . If the mineral interests of the school shall be less than the full and undivided ownership, the undivided royalty interest reserved shall be reduced proportionately.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-317 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 101-317
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-317
Status: in_force

The State Treasurer is hereby authorized, without further process of law, to certify to the Fiscal Management Board the necessity for warrants, and the board is hereby authorized and directed to issue such warrants payable out of any funds authorized by Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 for such purpose, in such amounts as may be necessary to pay when due the principal of and interest on all bonds issued under the provisions of Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 ; and the State Treasurer shall forward the necessary amount to the designated place or places of payment of such bonds in ample time to discharge such bonds, or the interest thereon, on the due dates thereof.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-69 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 29-69
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-69
Status: in_force

Any junior college district is hereby authorized and empowered to operate junior college attendance centers at existing sites of junior college plants and facilities and at such other places within the district, subject to the approval of the Mississippi Community College Board, as the board of trustees shall determine to be in the best interest of the district.

Two (2) or more boards of trustees may cooperate in establishing, operating and maintaining attendance centers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-147 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 101-147
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-147
Status: in_force

All leases and conveyances of timber, trees, dead wood and stumps, and all oil, gas and mineral leases, or leases for other purposes, provided for in Sections 37-101-141 and 37-101-143 , shall be executed by the President of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and attested by the Commissioner of Higher Education, respectively, for and on behalf of the University of Mississippi, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science and Alcorn State University, as the case may be. The corporate seal of the proper institution shall be affixed to all conveyances and leases of the lands held for the use and benefit of such institutions. In all such cases such conveyances and leases shall be executed only upon the order or resolution of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in the manner and method hereinbefore set forth.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-41 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 59-41
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-41
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of any agricultural high school shall have the power and authority to borrow money for the current expenses of such agricultural high school in anticipation of the collection of ad valorem taxes for the current fiscal year. The money so borrowed shall bear interest at a rate not greater than that allowed in Section 75-17-105, Mississippi Code of 1972 , and shall be repaid not later than the following March 15 out of the first moneys collected by reason of the tax levy or levies in anticipation of which such money is borrowed. The money so borrowed shall be used for no other purpose than the payment of the current expenses of such agricultural high school. The amount borrowed under the provisions of this section shall in no event exceed fifty percent (50%) of the anticipated, but then uncollected, revenue to accrue to such agricultural high school by the tax levy or levies against which such money is borrowed.

In borrowing money under the provisions of this section, it shall not be necessary to publish notice of intention so to do or to secure the consent of the qualified electors, either by election or otherwise. Money may be borrowed under the provisions of this section by authority of a resolution of said board of trustees, and shall be evidenced by a negotiable note or notes, signed and executed in such form as may be prescribed in such resolution. Money may be borrowed in anticipation of ad valorem taxes under the provisions of this section, regardless of whether such borrowing shall create an indebtedness in excess of the statutory limitations.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-65 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 29-65
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-65
Status: in_force

(1) Except as provided in this section and in Sections 37-29-409 , 37-29-457 and 37-29-505 , there shall be five (5) trustees from each county of the junior college district which originally entered into and gave financial aid in establishing the junior college. On June 30, 1992, the offices of the six (6) trustees from each of the original counties in the Northwest Community College District shall stand vacated. The board of supervisors of those respective counties shall appoint two (2) members on July 1, 1992, to serve full terms of office as provided in this section. The board of supervisors of those respective counties shall appoint one (1) member who is a qualified elector from each supervisors district to serve as a member, either of which may be the county superintendent of education if he or she resides in a respective supervisors district. Counties which subsequent to the establishment of the junior college joined the district shall have only one (1) trustee. However, the board of trustees so constituted, by appropriate resolution, may enlarge its number to six (6) trustees from each county. The board of trustees shall also be authorized within its discretion to reduce its number to two (2) trustees at large from each county. In any case in which there is an equal number of trustees the board of trustees may appoint another person to membership.

(2) The county superintendent, if appointed by the county board of supervisors, may, in his discretion, choose not to serve as a member of such board of trustees. Such decision not to serve shall be in writing and entered on the minutes of the board of trustees of the junior college district. The county board of supervisors of any county whose county superintendent of education appointed under the authority of this section, declines the appointment or resigns, pursuant to this subsection (2), shall fill the vacancy caused by such resignation by appointing a member who is a qualified elector of the county at large in accordance with subsection (6) of this section. No county superintendent whose school district is located within the East Mississippi Community College District shall serve on the board of trustees for that community college district.

(3) From and after March 24, 1990, the Board of Trustees of the East Mississippi Community College District shall consist of twelve (12) members. The appointing authorities shall appoint a new board of trustees as follows: Clay County shall be entitled to two (2) members, Kemper County shall be entitled to two (2) members, Lauderdale County shall be entitled to two (2) members, Lowndes County shall be entitled to two (2) members, Noxubee County shall be entitled to two (2) members and Oktibbeha County shall be entitled to two (2) members. No member of the Board of Trustees of the East Mississippi Community College District shall have served on such board prior to March 24, 1990.

(4) The Board of Trustees of the Coahoma Community College District shall consist of nine (9) members. The appointing authorities shall appoint the new board of trustees as follows: Coahoma County shall be entitled to five (5) members appointed in the manner provided herein, Tunica County shall be entitled to one (1) member, Quitman County shall be entitled to one (1) member, Bolivar County shall be entitled to one (1) member, and Tallahatchie County shall be entitled to one (1) member. Persons who are currently serving as members of the board of Trustees of the Mississippi Delta Community College District or Northwest Community College District shall be eligible for appointment to the board.

(5) The terms of office shall be five (5) years; however, upon the first selection of trustees in each county, one (1) shall be elected for a term of five (5) years, one (1) for a term of four (4) years, one (1) for a term of three (3) years, one (1) for a term of two (2) years, and one (1) for a term of one (1) year, so as to prevent the retirement of more than one (1) member of any one (1) county in any one (1) year. Where the board chooses or is required by statute to reduce its number, the board shall specify the expiration dates of such terms of office in order to prevent the retirement of more than one (1) member of any one (1) county in any one (1) year.

(6) The board of supervisors shall elect the requisite number of discreet persons of good moral character, sufficient education and experience, and of proven interest in public education, who are qualified electors of the county, as trustees of the junior college; and annually thereafter the board of supervisors in like manner shall fill vacancies. All trustees so appointed shall be listed in the minutes of the board of supervisors and their appointment shall be certified by the chancery clerk to the president of the junior college.

(7) Each junior college trustee may be paid, out of junior college funds, a per diem as authorized in Section 25-3-69, Mississippi Code of 1972 , per meeting of said board and, in addition thereto, the mileage authorized under Section 25-3-41, Mississippi Code of 1972 , per mile in coming to and returning from said meeting, calculated upon the customary and normally traveled route from the home of such trustee to the campus of said junior college. Such allowance of per diem and mileage shall not, however, be allowed for more than fifteen (15) meetings for any one (1) fiscal year and shall only be paid for meetings actually attended by such trustees.

(8) The provisions of this section, other than those provisions pertaining to per diem compensation and travel allowances for junior college trustees, shall not apply to any existing publicly operated junior college, lying in and operated by a county bordering on the Mississippi River, and the junior college trustees of such junior college shall be appointed and confirmed as heretofore.

(9) No county superintendent of education, by virtue of his or her office, shall be automatically placed on the board of trustees for any community college district to which this section applies. The number of trustees from each county shall be reduced by one (1) member if such member is superintendent of education. However, if the county board of supervisors, in making an appointment to the community college district board of trustees, chooses to appoint the county superintendent of education at the expiration of the term of the at large member, the superintendent may serve, unless otherwise disqualified.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 31-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-105
Status: in_force

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

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

Funds appropriated for the purpose of Sections 37-31-101 through 37-31-111 , except funds received by virtue of the Fiscal Assistance to State and Local Governments Act, Public Law 92-512 , 31 USCA 1221, et seq., may be used as matching funds to obtain federal funds for similar objectives whenever needed.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-57 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 41-57
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-57
Status: in_force

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

Any officer or employee of any school board who violates any of said regulations or fails to include the obligation to comply with said regulations in any contract executed by them on behalf of a school board shall be guilty of misconduct and subject to removal from office or employment. Any person operating a school bus under a contract with a school board who fails to comply with any of said regulations shall be guilty of breach of contract and such contract shall be cancelled after notice and hearing by the responsible officers of such school board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-127-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 127-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-127-7
Status: in_force

The president of the Mississippi Valley State College shall be held as the professional adviser of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning of all matters pertaining to the inside arrangements of buildings, selection of faculty, and course of study. He shall have the immediate supervision and management of said college in all its departments, subject however, to the general supervision, management, and direction of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-69 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 9-69
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-69
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of each superintendent, principal and teacher in the public schools of this state to enforce in the schools the courses of study prescribed by law or by the state board of education, to comply with the law in distribution and use of free textbooks, and to observe and enforce the statutes, rules and regulations prescribed for the operation of schools. Such superintendents, principals and teachers shall hold the pupils to strict account for disorderly conduct at school, on the way to and from school, on the playgrounds, and during recess.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 21-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-5
Status: in_force

The State Department of Education of the State of Mississippi is vested with the authority to enforce the provisions of Sections 37-21-1 through 37-21-5 . The department shall have the authority to make investigations and to require such proof of qualification as may be necessary for the enforcement of Sections 37-21-1 through 37-21-5 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 141-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-3
Status: in_force

(1) There is hereby created the University Research Center, as an agency of the State of Mississippi, hereinafter referred to as the “center,” which shall have full authority to contract and to be contracted with. The Commissioner of Higher Education shall serve as the Director for the center.

(2) The center shall be under the direction and management of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall, in its discretion, obtain fidelity bonds and determine who and what should be covered thereby and the amount of such bonds.

(3) The Commissioner of Higher Education, with the approval of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, shall appoint and employ such staff and employees as he deems necessary to carry out the objectives and purposes of this chapter and Section 57-63-17 and may establish the organizational structure of the center, which shall include the creation of any divisions necessary to implement the duties assigned to the center. It is specifically provided that the commissioner establish such units within the center as he deems necessary to include but not limited to areas of economic analysis, economic forecasting, long range economic development planning, research, grants, services and university and agency coordination and reporting.

(4) The Commissioner of Higher Education may consolidate the following functions of the central office of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the University Research Center:

(a) Administrative services;

(b) Libraries;

(c) Computer services.

Consolidation of such services shall not affect the duty otherwise imposed by statute upon the University Research Center to assist state agencies with support services including, but not limited to, printing, data processing and libraries. The commissioner shall establish and maintain a branch library at the Department of Economic Development suitable for the economic development research needs of the department. The branch library shall be available for use by the public and by private development organizations.

(5) The Commissioner of Higher Education shall use savings realized through personnel attrition and other economies created by the reorganization effected in Senate Bill No. 2925, 1988 Regular Session [Laws, 1988, Chapter 518] to establish a special account in the University Research Center out of which funds may be expended to conduct priority research projects by contracting with universities, agencies and individuals.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 25-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-11
Status: in_force

A determination of the cost of a driver education and training program in a secondary school shall include, but by no means is limited to, the cost of the replacement of the automobile or machinery used in the instruction of pupils, the cost of the instructor's salary, the upkeep and maintenance of said automobile, and the cost of such other equipment and classroom data as may be required in a driver education and training program operated in compliance with the rules and regulations of the state board of education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-43-57 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 43-57
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-43-57
Status: in_force

Except as may otherwise be provided in this chapter, any person willfully violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by imprisonment not to exceed twelve (12) months in the county jail, or by both, in the discretion of the court.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-73 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / 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. § 37-155-123 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / 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. § 37-21-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 21-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-3
Status: in_force

(1) No person shall act in the capacity of master teacher, teacher or assistant teacher in any federal or state-funded program of early childhood education or “Head Start,” or perform any of the functions, duties or powers of the same, unless that person shall be qualified in the following manner:

(a) A master teacher or any other employee or consultant receiving a salary or fee equivalent to that of a master teacher shall meet the qualifications of a teacher in this section, including the requirement that a teacher may be required to hold a state teaching license by the State Department of Education, and have demonstrated effectiveness as an early childhood educator. Effectiveness as an early childhood educator may be demonstrated by a rating of highly effective on a state evaluation of teaching, if available, or with evidence that the teacher has a record of raising the achievement outcomes of prekindergarten students.

(b) A teacher shall possess a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, child development or an equivalent field. A teacher may also possess a bachelor's degree in any field as well as have at least twelve (12) credit hours of coursework in early childhood education, child development, or an equivalent field approved by an institution granting a bachelor's degree in the early childhood education, child development or an equivalent field; or have a bachelor's degree in any field as well as have completed a specialized early childhood training program deemed equivalent by the State Department of Education to twelve (12) hours of approved coursework.

(c) An assistant teacher shall possess an associate's degree in early childhood education, child development or an equivalent field; or an associate's degree in any field and a Child Development Associate credential, a Montessori certification or an equivalent certification; or a high school diploma/GED and a Child Development Associate credential, a Montessori certification or an equivalent certification. Public school assistant teachers in the voluntary prekindergarten program established by the Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013 may be required by the State Department of Education to meet the definition of a highly qualified paraprofessional in addition to these requirements.

The State Department of Education shall adopt any necessary rules, policies or procedures to implement this section.

(2) Persons employed as a teacher, assistant teacher or in any other capacity in a prekindergarten or early childhood education program in a charter school authorized by the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board are exempt from the requirements of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-41 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 59-41
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-41
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of any agricultural high school shall have the power and authority to borrow money for the current expenses of such agricultural high school in anticipation of the collection of ad valorem taxes for the current fiscal year. The money so borrowed shall bear interest at a rate not greater than that allowed in Section 75-17-105, Mississippi Code of 1972 , and shall be repaid not later than the following March 15 out of the first moneys collected by reason of the tax levy or levies in anticipation of which such money is borrowed. The money so borrowed shall be used for no other purpose than the payment of the current expenses of such agricultural high school. The amount borrowed under the provisions of this section shall in no event exceed fifty percent (50%) of the anticipated, but then uncollected, revenue to accrue to such agricultural high school by the tax levy or levies against which such money is borrowed.

In borrowing money under the provisions of this section, it shall not be necessary to publish notice of intention so to do or to secure the consent of the qualified electors, either by election or otherwise. Money may be borrowed under the provisions of this section by authority of a resolution of said board of trustees, and shall be evidenced by a negotiable note or notes, signed and executed in such form as may be prescribed in such resolution. Money may be borrowed in anticipation of ad valorem taxes under the provisions of this section, regardless of whether such borrowing shall create an indebtedness in excess of the statutory limitations.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-201 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 153-201
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-201
Status: in_force

(1) This article shall be known and may be cited as the “American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Nurse/Allied Health Workforce Development and Retention Act.” Under this article, the Legislature creates the “Accelerate Mississippi Nursing/Allied Health Grant Program,” the “Accelerate Mississippi Physician Residency and Fellowship Start-Up Grant Program” and the “Mississippi Allied Health College and Career Navigator Grant Program.”

(2) As used in this article, “ office ” means the Office of Workforce Development established in Section 37-153-7 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-125-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 125-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-125-3
Status: in_force

The object of the Jackson State College shall be to qualify teachers for the public schools of this state by giving instruction in the art and practice of teaching in all branches of study which pertain to industrial training, health, and rural and elementary education, and such other studies as the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, in cooperation with the state department of education, may, from time to time, prescribe.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 115-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-105
Status: in_force

The school of dentistry created and authorized by Sections 37-115-101 through 37-115-111 shall be in operation within three (3) years from the date the legislature makes funds available for the construction of a building to house said school; provided, however, that no staff may be employed and no construction may begin until one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,250,000.00) from the City of Jackson and one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,250,000.00) from Hinds County has been deposited in the state treasury for use by the building commission in construction and furnishing of the dental school. The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is authorized and directed to take any and all necessary and proper actions for the implementation of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-35 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 41-35
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-35
Status: in_force

In every school district of this state having district-owned school buses, the school board may establish, maintain and operate a school bus garage or shop for the servicing, repair and maintenance of such county-owned or district-owned buses. Two (2) or more counties or school districts are authorized, in the discretion of the respective school boards thereof, jointly to establish, maintain and operate a school bus garage or shop for the servicing, repair and maintenance of such county-owned or district-owned buses. All of such garages or shops shall be established, maintained and operated under such rules and regulations as may be promulgated by the State Board of Education. All expenses incurred in acquiring land, purchasing, renting or constructing buildings, purchasing equipment, and all other expenses incurred in connection with the establishing, operation and maintenance of such garages or shops, may be paid from county or district transportation funds. However, before any county or school district shall expend such transportation funds for the purchase of land, or the purchase, rental or construction of buildings, or other permanent improvements in connection with such garages or shops, such proposed expenditures shall be submitted to and approved by the State Board of Education in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of said board. Where maintenance shops are operated by the board of supervisors or the governing authorities of a municipality, school boards may, by agreement with the board of supervisors or the governing authorities of a municipality provide for the maintenance of school buses in the maintenance shops operated by said boards of supervisors or governing authorities of a municipality and may contribute to the support and expense of said shops as they may deem appropriate, subject to the approval of the State Board of Education. School boards may contract with Head Start Programs to provide maintenance services for buses operated by Head Start and may accept financial contributions from Head Start Programs to support the expense of operating their respective school district vehicle maintenance facilities. All such contractual agreements with Head Start Programs shall be subject to the approval of the State Board of Education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 51-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-13
Status: in_force

An applicant shall not have to submit but one initial application for a loan; thereafter, he or she shall file a request for each additional year's loan amount up to the maximum amount allowed. Accompanying each said request shall be a certification from the school which applicant is attending certifying that the applicant is in attendance and in good standing.

Each application by or on behalf of said student shall be signed by and be made also in the name of the parent or legal guardian of said student if he or she be a minor. However, the parent or legal guardian shall not be considered the applicant for the purposes of the limitations in Section 37-51-15 .

In the event that the applicant transfers to another approved school within the state, he shall cause the certification to immediately go forth to the commission, setting out the school from which and to which he has transferred.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-4 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 15-4
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-4
Status: in_force

The school board of every school district, as created and empowered by law, shall keep and preserve permanently a copy of all district-wide reports required by the State Board of Education to be filed on an annual basis.

Copies of those district-wide reports required by the State Board of Education on less than an annual basis may be destroyed after five (5) years upon approval of the school board of the school district.

All supporting documents necessary to compile such district-wide reports, except as delineated in Section 37-15-8 may be destroyed after three (3) years following the academic year for which the report was made upon approval of the school board of the school district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-63 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 115-63
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-63
Status: in_force

Any such county as is provided for in Section 37-115-61 is hereby authorized and empowered to issue and sell its bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness for the purpose of providing funds with which to make the contribution or donation authorized under the provisions of said section. Such bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness shall not be issued in an amount which will exceed the limit of indebtedness of said county as such limit is prescribed by Laws, 1932, ch. 235 as now or hereafter amended. Before issuing any such bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness, the board of supervisors, acting for such county, shall adopt a resolution declaring its intention to issue the same, stating the amount and purpose thereof and fixing the date upon which an election will be held on the proposition. The full text of such resolution shall be published once a week for at least three consecutive weeks in at least one newspaper published in said county. The first publication of such notice shall be made not less than twenty-one days prior to the date fixed in such resolution as aforesaid and the last publication shall be made not more than seven days prior to such date. The bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness authorized herein shall not be issued unless authorized by the affirmative vote of a majority of the qualified voters of said county who vote on the proposition at such election. Such election shall be conducted and the returns thereof made, canvassed and declared as nearly as may be in like manner as is now or may hereafter be provided by law in the case of general elections in counties. In the event that the question of the issuance of such bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness be not authorized at such election, such question shall not again be submitted to a vote until the expiration of a period of six months from and after the date of such election.

Such bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness shall bear such date or dates, shall be of such denomination or denominations, shall be payable at such place or places, shall bear such rate or rates of interest and shall mature in such amounts and at such times as may be provided and directed by the board of supervisors of said county. Such bonds shall bear interest at a rate or rates not exceeding six per cent per annum and shall mature in not more than twenty-five years from the date thereof and shall be sold for not less than par and accrued interest.

All bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued hereunder shall be secured by a pledge of the full faith, credit and resources of such county. There shall annually be levied upon all taxable property within said county an ad valorem tax in addition to all other taxes, sufficient to provide for the payment of the principal of and the interest on said bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness as the same respectively mature and accrue.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-125-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 125-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-125-7
Status: in_force

The executive head of the Jackson State College shall be held as the professional adviser of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning on all matters pertaining to the inside arrangements of buildings, selection of faculty, and course of study. He shall have the immediate supervision and management of said college in all its departments, subject however, to the general supervision, management, and direction of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-39 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 106-39
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-39
Status: in_force

(1) There is established the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters Scholarship.

(2) Except as provided in this section, if any Mississippi law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter shall suffer or has suffered fatal injuries or wounds or become permanently and totally disabled as a result of injuries or wounds which occurred in the performance of the official and appointed duties of his or her office, his or her spouse, child or children shall be entitled to an eight-semester scholarship without cost, exclusive of books, food, school supplies, materials and dues or fees for extracurricular activities, at any state-supported college or university of his or her choice within this state.

(a) No child shall be entitled to receive benefits during any semester or quarter when said child has reached the age of twenty-three (23) years on the first day of said semester or quarter. However, any child who has begun the process of acquiring college credits under the provisions of this section prior to attaining the age of twenty-three (23) years shall be entitled to the full eight-semester scholarship if his or her college instruction was interrupted for any reason.

(b) Scholarship benefits shall not accrue hereunder to any person if the wounds or injuries suffered by any law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter are self-inflicted or if his death is self-induced.

(3) Eligibility for renewal of the scholarship shall be evaluated each academic year at the end of each semester or term. As a condition for renewal, a student shall:

(a) Make steady academic progress toward a certificate or degree, as outlined in the school Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards and certified by the institution's registrar; and

(b) Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 calculated on a 4.0 scale at the end of each academic year.

(4) For the purposes of this section, these words and phrases shall be defined as follows:

(a) “Mississippi law enforcement officers” shall be defined as follows:

(i) “ State highway patrolmen ” means all law enforcement officers, regardless of department or bureau, of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol.

(ii) “ Municipal police officers ” means all law enforcement officers of any municipality who are regular duty personnel on full-time status, auxiliary or reserve officers, or those serving on a temporary or part-time status.

(iii) “ Sheriffs ” and “ deputy sheriffs ” means all law enforcement officers of full-time duty status on a regular basis serving the sheriff's department of any county, deputy sheriffs who are engaged in administrative or civil duty, auxiliary or reserve deputies, or deputy sheriffs serving in a temporary capacity or part-time basis.

(iv) “ Constables ” means all duly elected constables of any beat of any county within the state while actually engaged in the performance of their duties concerning the criminal laws of the county and state.

(v) “ Conservation officers ” means all duly appointed game wardens employed by the State of Mississippi on a full-time duty status while actually engaged in the performance of their duties concerning the game laws of the state.

(vi) “ Alcoholic Beverage Control Division agents and inspectors ” means all duly appointed agents and investigators of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the Mississippi Department of Revenue on a full-time duty status while actually engaged in the performance of their duties concerning the alcoholic beverage control laws of the state.

(vii) Members of the National Guard serving as peace officers when ordered to state emergency duty under authority vested in the Governor by the Constitution and laws of the state.

(viii) “ Tax commission scales enforcement officers ” means all duly appointed scales enforcement officers of the Mississippi Department of Revenue on a full-time duty status while actually engaged in the performance of their duties.

(ix) Duly appointed agents of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

(x) Correctional, probation and parole officers employed by the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

(b) “Mississippi full-time firefighters” shall be defined as all firefighters employed by any subdivision of the State of Mississippi on a full-time duty status while actually engaged in the performance of their duties, and volunteer firefighters shall be defined as any volunteer firefighter registered with the State of Mississippi or a political subdivision thereof on a volunteer firefighting status while actually engaged in the performance of firefighting duties.

(c) “ Child ” or “ children ” means natural children, adopted children or stepchildren.

(d) “ Spouse ” means a person who was, at the time of the death of the decedent, legally married to a Mississippi law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter, or volunteer firefighter, or in the case of a law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter who suffered fatal injuries or wounds, prior to or after March 13, 1990, who has not remarried.

(5)(a) Any law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter claiming permanent and total disability shall be qualified or disqualified for a claim under this section based on examination and review of the following four (4) documents:

(i) A letter from the officer's or firefighter's former supervisor or employer stating whether the officer or firefighter is disabled as a result of injuries or wounds that occurred in the performance of the official duties of his office;

(ii) A statement from the officer's or firefighter's physician stating whether the officer or firefighter is disabled and the reason for that disability;

(iii) Verification from the Public Employees' Retirement System; and

(iv) Verification from the Social Security Administration.

(b) If the law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter suffered fatal injuries or wounds, a claim under this section shall be based on examination and review of the following two (2) documents:

(i) A letter from the officer's or firefighter's former supervisor or employer stating whether he suffered fatal injuries in the performance of the official duties of his office; and

(ii) A death certificate.

(6) Any applicant qualified and desiring a scholarship under the provisions of this section shall apply in writing to the board. The board shall make inquiries into each application and shall make the investigation as it deems proper to establish and validate all claims before a scholarship is granted.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-203 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 33-203
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-203
Status: in_force

Sections 37-33-203 through 37-33-223 shall be known as the “Special Disability Programs Law of Mississippi.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-121 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 101-121
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-121
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is hereby authorized and empowered, in its discretion, and with the consent and approval of the state building commission, to invest any funds derived or made available for the purpose of constructing, erecting, repairing, remodeling or equipping dormitories and other housing facilities under projects approved and sanctioned by the Home and Housing Finance Agency of the United States of America, whether said funds be derived from the proceeds of bonds issued under the provisions of Sections 37-101-91 through 37-101-103 , or from money borrowed for the interim financing of any such project, or from any other sources, in short-term bonds or other direct obligations of the United States of America. However, no such funds shall be so invested except the amount of such funds which is in excess of the sums which will be required for expenditure in financing the construction of said projects during the succeeding ninety days. In all cases, the bonds or other obligations in which such funds are invested shall mature or be redeemable prior to the time the funds so invested will be needed for expenditure in financing the construction of said projects.

The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, with the consent and approval of the state building commission, may, by order or resolution spread upon its minutes, authorize and empower any member or members of said board of trustees, or any officers or employees thereof, or any other person or persons, to make investments of such funds from time to time as they shall be available for investment under the provisions of this section. Any such member or members or officers or employees, or other person or persons, when so authorized by such order or resolution, shall have the power and authority to make such investments of such funds, to make purchases of such bonds or other obligations, to execute all necessary instruments in connection therewith, and to take such other action as may be necessary to effectuate the investment of such funds.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-23 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 28-23
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-23
Status: in_force

(1) A charter school must be open to:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(e) This section does not preclude the formation of a charter school whose mission is focused on serving students with disabilities, students of the same gender, students who pose such severe disciplinary problems that they warrant a specific educational program, or students who are at risk of academic failure. If capacity is insufficient to enroll all students who wish to attend the school, the charter school must select students through a lottery.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 7-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-105
Status: in_force

(1) In cases where two (2) or more school boards determine that it is appropriate that their existing boundaries be altered to provide better service to students, each school board shall enter on its minutes the legal description of new district lines and shall publish the order altering such districts in some newspaper published and having a general circulation in such district(s) once each week for three (3) consecutive weeks, which said order shall be duly certified by the president of said school board. If no newspaper be published in said school district, then such order shall be published for the required time in some newspaper having a general circulation therein, and, in addition, a copy of said order shall be posted for the required time at three (3) public places in the school district. The order so published shall contain a provision giving notice that said order shall become final thirty (30) days after the first publication of said notice unless a petition is filed protesting against same within such time. In the event no such petition be filed, the said order shall become final at said time. However, in the event twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1500), whichever is less, of the qualified electors of any school district altered by such order shall file a petition with the school board, within thirty (30) days after the first publication of said notice, protesting against the alteration of such district, then an election shall be called and held, on order of the school board, by the county election commission(s), after publication of legal notice of such election, which said election shall be held within thirty (30) days after the first publication of the notice of such election. At such election the question shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the district or districts in which a petition is filed as to whether or not such district or districts shall be altered as provided in the said order of the school board. If a majority of those voting in said election in each district affected and from which a petition is filed shall vote in favor of the order of the school board then such order shall become final. If a majority of those voting in said election in any district from which a petition is filed shall vote against the order of the school board then such order shall be void and of no effect and no further attempt to make the proposed change in such district shall be made for a period of at least two (2) years after the date of said election.

(2) When the orders of all boards adopting the new lines have been entered and are final, all orders shall be submitted to and considered by the State Board of Education as prescribed in Section 37-7-113, Mississippi Code of 1972 . If the new lines are approved by the State Board of Education, the new district lines shall be submitted to the Attorney General of the United States for preclearance or to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for a declaratory judgment in accordance with the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended. In the event the change in the school district lines are either precleared by the United States Department of Justice, or approved by the United States District Court, the State Board of Education shall formally declare the new lines as the new boundaries of the school districts.

(3) Should two (2) or more school districts determine that they wish to consolidate, the following actions shall be taken by the districts to perfect this consolidation: (a) Each board shall state its intent to consolidate with the other district or districts by passing a resolution of the board to that effect and spreading it on the minutes of the districts; and (b) each school board shall publish the order consolidating such districts in some newspaper having a general circulation in such district(s) once each week for three (3) consecutive weeks, which said order shall be duly certified by the president of said school board. The order so published shall contain a provision giving notice that said order shall become final thirty (30) days after the first publication of said notice unless a petition is filed protesting against same within such time. In the event no such petition be filed, the said order shall become final on said date. However, in the event twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1500), whichever is less, of the qualified electors of any one (1) of the school districts affected by the proposed consolidation shall file a petition with the applicable school board, within thirty (30) days after the first publication of said notice, protesting against the consolidation of such district or districts, then an election shall be called and held in such school districts where petitions were filed, on order of the school board, by the county election commission(s), after publication of legal notice of such election, which said election shall be held within thirty (30) days after the first publication of the notice of such election. At such election the question shall be submitted to the qualified electors of any district or districts in which petitions were filed as to whether or not such district or districts shall be consolidated as provided in the said order of the school boards. If a majority of those voting in said election shall vote in favor of the order of the school boards then such order shall become final. Should less than a majority of the electors of any single school district vote in favor of the adoption of the proposed consolidation, such school district shall not participate in any voluntary consolidation as authorized in this subsection, and the proposed consolidation plan adopted by such districts shall be void.

After the order of the local school boards becomes final, it shall be submitted to and considered by the State Board of Education. If approved by the State Board of Education, the consolidation shall be submitted by the local school boards to the appropriate federal agencies for approval. After all preclearance has been received, the State Board of Education shall declare the new boundaries of the consolidated school district and all action shall proceed as outlined under law using the new boundaries.

Upon preclearance of such consolidation, all school boards shall approve a joint resolution for the election of five (5) new board members from single member districts as provided by law. These elections shall be scheduled prior to May 1 of the year in which the consolidation is to become effective. The new consolidated district shall become effective on July 1 of that same year. The superintendent of any district created through consolidation shall be appointed if all of the school districts which are consolidating had previously appointed their superintendents. The superintendent of any district created through consolidation shall be elected if all of the school districts which are consolidating had previously elected their superintendents. In the event two (2) or more school districts consolidating under the provisions of this section shall have previously appointed one or more superintendents and elected the remainder, the superintendent shall be elected or appointed in accordance with the method utilized by the consolidating school district or districts with the larger or largest student populations. The superintendent shall begin work as the superintendent on July 1 of such year when the consolidation becomes effective. The order to consolidate shall invalidate the contracts of the superintendents of the preceding districts and shall terminate the term of the superintendent if that person was elected. The order to consolidate shall invalidate the term of any school board member beyond July 1 of that year whether they are elected or appointed. Any school board member from any school district may be eligible to run for election to the new consolidated school board.

Each school board shall be responsible for establishing the contracts for teachers and principals for the next school year with the consultation of the successor school board if they have been selected at the time such decisions are to be made. The selection of administrator in the central administration office shall be the responsibility of the successor school board. No existing dates for renewal of contracts shall invalidate the responsibility of the successor school board in taking such action. The successor school board may enter into these contracts at any time following their election, but no later than July 1 of that year. It shall also be the responsibility of the successor school board to prepare and approve the budget of the new district. The successor school board may use staff from the existing districts to prepare the budget. The school board shall have authority to approve the budget prior to the July 1 date and shall follow the time line established for budget preparation under the law. Should either district at the time of consolidation have more liabilities than assets, then the successor school board shall be authorized to levy an ad valorem tax upon the taxable property in the territory of the district where the deficit exists, a tax not to exceed five percent (5%) of the existing tax levy for the sole purpose of reducing the deficit. When the deficit is eliminated, then such tax levy shall be terminated. Any taxes levied to bring about the equalization of funding, to equalize pay scales or levied in the territory of a newly created district where a deficit exists, shall constitute a “new program” for the purposes of ad valorem tax limitations as prescribed in Sections 27-39-321 and 37-57-107, Mississippi Code of 1972 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 65-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-13
Status: in_force

Upon or during any closure of any school in accordance with the provisions of this article, any and all transportation routes or transportation facilities may be changed or adjusted by the interested board or boards of trustees to accommodate the transportation of children who would be otherwise entitled to transportation had such closure not occurred.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-8 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 25-8
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-8
Status: in_force

Upon satisfactory completion of the State Driver Education and Training Program, a driver's education student shall be issued a Certificate of Completion. A copy of said certificate shall be delivered by the school to the Driver Service Bureau of the Department of Public Safety.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-37-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 37-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-37-5
Status: in_force

The examiners appointed under the authority of Section 37-37-3 shall be subject to the same provisions of law governing auditors appointed by the State Auditor under the provisions of Sections 7-7-201 through 7-7-221 . However, it shall not be necessary that such examiners be certified public accountants or practical accountants or have had any previous accounting or auditing experience, and it shall not be necessary that such examiners pass an examination in practical accounting or auditing as a prerequisite to appointment.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 155-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-27
Status: in_force

The provisions of this article are severable. If any part of this article is declared invalid or unconstitutional, such declaration shall not affect the part which remains.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-139-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 139-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-139-9
Status: in_force

The board shall be the exclusive governing body of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science and is hereby authorized and empowered to promulgate rules and regulations required to carry out the provisions of this chapter. The emphasis of this school shall be dedicated to the academic teaching of mathematics and the sciences, but shall not preclude some emphasis being placed on the arts and humanities as deemed appropriate by the board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 9-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-105
Status: in_force

If a recommendation is made by the school district not to offer an employee a renewal contract for a successive year, written notice of the proposed nonreemployment stating the reasons for the proposed nonreemployment shall be given no later than the following:

(a) If the employee is a principal, the superintendent, without further board action, shall give notice of nonreemployment on or before March 1; or

(b) If the employee is a teacher, administrator or other professional educator covered under Sections 37-9-101 through 37-9-113 , the superintendent, without further board action, shall give notice of nonreemployment on or before April 15, or within ten (10) calendar days after the date that the Governor approves the appropriation bill(s) comprising the state's education budget for funding K-12, whichever date is later.

An interim conservator appointed pursuant to Section 37-17-6(15)(a) or a school board acting on the recommendation of a school district financial advisor appointed pursuant to Section 37-9-18 shall not be required to comply with the time limitations prescribed in this section for recommending the reemployment of principals, teachers, administrators or other professional educators.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-20-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 20-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-20-1
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Mississippi Remedial Education Act of 1988.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-181-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 181-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-181-9
Status: in_force

(1) The department shall create a standard form that parents or guardians of students submit to establish their student's eligibility for an Education Scholarship Account. The department shall ensure that the application is readily available to interested families through various sources, including the department's website and the copy of procedural safeguards annually given to parents or guardians. To be considered, an application must include certification that the student has been accepted into an eligible school qualified to provide services for the student's disability or special education needs, or provide services addressing a participating student's IEP.

(2) The department shall provide parents or guardians of participating students with a written explanation of the allowable uses of Education Scholarship Accounts, the responsibilities of parents and the duties of the department. This information shall also be made available on the department's website.

(3) The department shall annually notify all students with an IEP of the existence of the ESA program and shall ensure that lower-income families are made aware of their potential eligibility.

(4) The department may deduct an amount up to a limit of six percent (6%) from appropriations used to fund Education Scholarship Accounts to cover the costs of overseeing the funds and administering the ESA program.

(5)(a) The department shall make a determination of eligibility, and shall approve the application, within twenty-one (21) business days of receiving an application for participation in the ESA program, subject to the provisions of Section 37-181-3(b) .

(b) The department shall provide for a procedure that children with a ruling of hearing impairment or children suspected of a hearing loss shall receive a comprehensive educational assessment which may include the areas of cognitive development, language/speech, audiological and academic achievement from the state-funded Mississippi Assistance Center for Hearing Loss. Children with a ruling of visual impairment or children suspected of a visual impairment shall receive a comprehensive low vision evaluation from the state-funded Low Vision Clinic.

(6) The home school district shall provide the parent or guardian of a participating student with a complete copy of the student's school records, while complying with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 ( 20 USCS Section 1232(g) ). The record shall be provided no later than thirty (30) days after a parent signs an agreement to participate in the ESA program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-103 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 101-103
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-103
Status: in_force

No moneys derived from the sale of bonds of any institution or otherwise borrowed or received by such institution under Sections 37-101-91 through 37-101-103 , or from the fees, rentals, and charges received and collected for the use of any project constructed, repaired, remodeled, maintained, added to, extended, improved, or acquired under authority of said sections, shall be required to be paid into the state treasury, but shall, except as herein otherwise provided, be deposited by the treasurer or other fiscal officer of the institution in a separate bank account or accounts in such bank or banks or trust company or trust companies as may be designated by the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning. All deposits of such moneys shall, if required by the board, be secured by obligations of the United States of America or of the State of Mississippi, of a market value equal at all times to the amount of the deposit, and all banks and all trust companies are hereby authorized to give such security. Such money may be disbursed as may be directed by the board and in accordance with the terms of any agreements with the holder or holders of any bonds. This section shall be construed as limiting the power of said board to agree in connection with issuance of any such bonds as to the custody and disposition of the moneys received from the sale of such bonds or the income and revenues pledged and assigned to or in trust for the benefit of the holder or holders thereof.

It is specifically provided, however, notwithstanding any other provision of this section, that when any project financed by the proceeds of revenue bonds issued hereunder shall be supervised by the state building commission and the said state building commission shall execute and enter into construction contracts with respect thereto, the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning shall have the power and authority to pay into the state treasury in a special account for said project an amount from the proceeds of the sale of the bonds which shall be sufficient to pay all such construction contracts and all fees and expenses incidental thereto, including any amount, plus interest thereon, which may have been borrowed for interim financing of said project. The amount so paid into such special account shall be expended by the state building commission in the manner provided by law in payment of the amounts due under such construction contracts, and fees and expenses incidental thereto, and in repayment of money, if any, borrowed for interim financing, plus interest thereon. If, at the conclusion of the project, any sum should remain in said special account it shall be repaid to the institution entitled thereto to be handled in accordance with the terms of the agreement with the holder or holders of the bonds.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, such reports as may be required by the state auditor of public accounts shall be made to him by the institutions of higher learning in the manner and at the times he may prescribe, so that his records may reflect full and complete information relative thereto.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-159 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 101-159
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-159
Status: in_force

The consideration and proceeds derived or received from all oil, gas and mineral leases provided for in Section 37-101-153 , including, but not limited to bonuses, rentals, royalties and delay rentals, shall be paid to the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning for the use and benefit of the institution owning or having the use and benefit of the land from which said money was derived. All such money or funds shall be allocated to or used for the benefit of such institution or institutions.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 45-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-13
Status: in_force

The commission shall meet on the third Monday of each month, and shall meet at such other times as may be designated by law or upon call by the chairman or a majority of the members of the commission. At its first meeting, the commission shall organize and elect a chairman and a vice-chairman. As soon as practicable thereafter, the commission shall adopt such rules and regulations not contrary to the provisions of this chapter and the other laws of the State of Mississippi as shall be necessary and proper to govern its proceedings. Four members of said commission shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of doing business. The commission may either elect a secretary from among its membership or designate the executive secretary as its secretary.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 113-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-9
Status: in_force

The right belongs to each county to have a number of students admitted to the Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science proportionate to its number of educable males compared with the whole number in the state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-57-133 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 57-133
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-57-133
Status: in_force

In the event taxable real property has been or is incorporated in, annexed to, or otherwise made a part of a school district, or in the event taxable personal property is or becomes situated or located within a school district, as the case may be, prior to October 1 of any year but after the approval of the assessment roll of the county or school district for such year, then the board of supervisors of the county or the governing authority of the municipality, as the case may be, shall have the power and authority to make such changes in the assessment roll as shall be necessary to cause such real or personal property to be assessed properly for the ad valorem taxes levied during said year for which such property shall be liable under the terms of Section 37-57-131 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-97 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 23-97
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-97
Status: in_force

The county board of education may acquire necessary lands, equipment and furnishings by purchase, barter, gift or otherwise and may participate in federal or private grants for the construction, development or operation of such a center.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-55 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 28-55
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-55
Status: in_force

(1)(a) The State Department of Education shall make payments to charter schools for each student in net enrollment at the charter school, as determined under Section 37-151-207 , equal to the state share of total funding formula payments for each student, as determined under Section 37-151-211 .

(b) Payments made pursuant to this subsection by the State Department of Education must be made at the same time and in the same manner as total funding formula payments are made to school districts under Sections 37-151-101 and 37-151-103 . Amounts payable to a charter school must be determined by the State Department of Education pursuant to this section and the total funding formula. Enrollment projections made under Section 37-151-207 to determine the net enrollment of a charter school for calculating the state share payment must be reconciled with a charter school's net enrollment using months two (2) and three (3) for the year for which total funding formula funds are being appropriated, and any necessary adjustments must be made to payments during the school's following year of operation. Any necessary adjustment must be based on the state share of the per pupil amount in effect for the year for which net membership did not meet enrollment projections and not any new amount appropriated for the year in which the adjustment will be made. If a charter school is closed by the authorizer before the following year, it must pay to the state any amounts due before completion of the closure.

(2)(a) For students attending a charter school located in the school district in which the student resides, the school district in which the charter school is located shall pay directly to the charter school an amount as follows: the sum of the local pro rata amount, as calculated by the State Department of Education in accordance with Section 37-151-211(2)(b) (local contribution), and the local pro rata amount, as calculated by the State Department of Education in accordance with Section 37-57-105 (school district operational levy), multiplied by the number of resident students enrolled in the charter school, based on the charter school's months two (2) and three (3) net enrollment of resident students for the current school year. However, the amount to the charter school may not include any taxes levied for the retirement of the local school district's bonded indebtedness or short-term notes or any taxes levied for the support of vocational-technical education programs.

(b) The amount must be paid by the school district to the charter school before January 16 of the current fiscal year. If the local school district does not pay the required amount to the charter school before January 16, the State Department of Education shall reduce the local school district's January transfer of total funding formula funds by the amount owed to the charter school and shall redirect that amount to the charter school. Any such payments made under this paragraph by the State Department of Education to a charter school must be made at the same time and in the same manner as total funding formula payments are made to school districts under Sections 37-151-101 and 37-151-103 .

(3)(a) For students attending a charter school located in a school district in which the student does not reside, the State Department of Education shall pay to the charter school in which the students are enrolled an amount as follows: the sum of the local pro rata amount, as calculated by the State Department of Education in accordance with Section 37-151-211(2)(b) (local contribution), and the local pro rata amount, as calculated by the State Department of Education in accordance with Section 37-57-105 (school district operational levy), multiplied by the number of students enrolled in the charter school but residing in that district, based on the charter school's months two (2) and three (3) net enrollment of these students for the current school year. However, the amount to the charter school may not include any taxes levied for the retirement of the local school district's bonded indebtedness or short-term notes or any taxes levied for the support of vocational-technical education programs.

(b) The State Department of Education shall reduce the school district's January transfer of total funding formula funds by the amount owed to the charter school and shall redirect that amount to the charter school. Any such payments made under this subsection (3) by the State Department of Education to a charter school must be made at the same time and in the same manner as total funding formula payments are made to school districts under Sections 37-151-101 and 37-151-103 .

(4)(a) The State Department of Education shall direct the proportionate share of monies generated under federal programs, including, but not limited to, special education, vocational, English Language Learner, and other programs, to charter schools serving students eligible for such funding. The department shall ensure that charter schools with rapidly expanding enrollments are treated equitably in the calculation and disbursement of all federal program dollars. Each charter school that serves students who may be eligible to receive services provided through such programs shall comply with all reporting requirements to receive the aid.

(b) A charter school shall pay to a local school district any federal or state aid attributable to a student with a disability attending the charter school in proportion to the level of services for that student which the local school district provides directly or indirectly.

(c) Subject to the approval of the authorizer, a charter school and a local school district may negotiate and enter into a contract for the provision of and payment for special education services, including, but not necessarily limited to, a reasonable reserve not to exceed five percent (5%) of the local school district's total budget for providing special education services. The reserve may be used by the local school district only to offset excess costs of providing services to students with disabilities enrolled in the charter school.

(5)(a) The State Department of Education shall disburse state transportation funding to a charter school on the same basis and in the same manner as it is paid to school districts.

(b) A charter school may enter into a contract with a school district or private provider to provide transportation to the school's students.

(6) The State Department of Education shall disburse Education Enhancement Funds for classroom supplies, instructional materials and equipment, including computers and computer software to all eligible charter school teachers on the same basis and in the same manner as it is paid to school districts under Section 37-61-33(3)(a)(iii) for the purpose of issuing procurement cards or credentials for a digital solution to eligible teachers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-97-107 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 97-107
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-97-107
Status: in_force

(1) An agreement for the use of a student-athlete's publicity rights which is formed after the student-athlete has announced an intention to attend a postsecondary educational institution or while the student-athlete is participating in an intercollegiate sport at a postsecondary educational institution may be terminated either by the student-athlete or any other party to the agreement when the student-athlete's participation in the sport at the institution ends.

(2) A postsecondary educational institution may impose reasonable limitations on the dates and time that a student-athlete may participate in publicity rights activities.

(3) Nothing in this chapter shall restrict a postsecondary educational institution from exercising its sole discretion to control the authorized use of its marks or logos or to determine a student-athlete's apparel, gear or other wearables while participating in an intercollegiate athletics program activity.

(4) A student-athlete may not receive or enter into a contract for compensation for the use of his or her publicity rights in a way that also uses any registered or licensed marks, logos, verbiage or designs of a postsecondary educational institution, unless the institution has provided the student-athlete with written permission to do so prior to entering into the agreement or receipt of compensation.

(5) If a student-athlete is granted permission to use the marks or logos, independently or through a third party, the postsecondary educational institution may be compensated for the use. A postsecondary educational institution may prohibit a student-athlete from wearing any item of clothing, shoes, or other gear or wearables with the name, logo or insignia of any third party while participating in an intercollegiate athletics program activity.

(6) A third party may not enter into, or offer to enter into, a publicity rights agreement with a student-athlete or otherwise compensate a student-athlete for the use of the student-athlete's publicity rights if a provision of the agreement or the use of the student-athlete's publicity rights conflicts with a provision of a contract, rule, regulation, standard or other requirement of the postsecondary educational institution where the student-athlete is enrolled or intends to enroll unless such contract or use is expressly approved in writing by the postsecondary educational institution.

(7) No student-athlete who is enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution shall enter into a publicity rights agreement or receive compensation from a third party for the endorsement or promotion of brands, products, or services involving gambling, sports betting, controlled substances, marijuana, tobacco, alternative or electronic nicotine product or delivery system, alcohol, adult entertainment or any other brand, product or service that is reasonably considered to be inconsistent with the values or mission of a postsecondary educational institution or that, in the institution's sole judgment, negatively impacts or reflects adversely on a postsecondary education institution or its athletic programs, including, without limitation, bringing about public disrepute, embarrassment, scandal, ridicule or otherwise negatively impacting the reputation or the moral or ethical standards of the postsecondary educational institution.

(8) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to qualify a student-athlete as an employee of a postsecondary educational institution.

(9) No postsecondary educational institution may use funds appropriated from the State General Fund to compensate a student-athlete for their publicity rights.