Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-135 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 13-135
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-135
Status: in_force

(1) In addition to all other authority, duties and powers the school boards of the school districts of this state may now have, each is authorized and empowered to adopt plans for the implementation of the Comprehensive School Health Education Program into the local school curriculum.

(2) School boards shall appoint a local health education council to make recommendations regarding a comprehensive health education curriculum.

(3) There shall be cooperation between the State Department of Education, Office of Comprehensive School Health Education and the school boards of the several school districts in implementing this program as it best suits the needs of the individual districts.

(4) The Commission on School Accreditation shall encourage the development of plans of comprehensive school health education and the implementation thereof.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-111-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 111-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-111-7
Status: in_force

Organizations of the character designated in Section 37-111-1 shall be permitted to hold their regular meetings for academic, social or business purposes in such places as the authorities may agree upon. Such organizations shall not be permitted to purchase, lease, or as an organization live within a domicile especially set apart for their purpose at any time, except under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-63-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 63-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-63-11
Status: in_force

(1) The Authority for Educational Television is empowered to request and to receive such state funds for educational television construction and operation as may be appropriated or allocated to it, and to solicit and receive contributions, matching funds, gifts, bequests and devises from any source, whether federal, state, public or private. It may enter into agreements with federal, state, public or private agencies, departments, institutions, firms, corporations or persons for the production, transmission, sale, lease or purchase of educational television and educational radio programs, or any research and development projects, joint ventures pertaining to content or other projects that do not duplicate communication facilities or services utilized under contract by the state and that the authority determines are in its best interests. The authority may enter into any contracts and other agreements necessary for those purposes, and in doing so, the authority may agree to terms of indemnification, the law of another state or jurisdiction or other necessary terms when, in the judgment of the authority, that would be in its best interests. The authority may delegate to its executive director its power to enter into these contracts or other agreements, or to exercise any of its other powers, in accordance with guidelines established by the authority. All materials produced or received by the authority in the exercise of its power, in the preceding provisions of this subsection, that are protected by copyright or considered confidential or proprietary information of third parties, shall not be public records. All such materials shall not be subject to release under the Public Records Act. The authority may also lease antenna space on television towers which it owns. Before the authority is empowered to contract for communication facilities to carry television signals, it shall obtain written authority to do so from the Department of Finance and Administration in order to ensure that there be no duplication of state communication facilities.

(2) There is hereby established in the State Treasury a special fund for the purpose of providing for the payment of all expenses in respect to the administration of this chapter. Such fund shall be administered by the authority. The State Treasurer shall be the custodian of such funds and all monies and securities in such fund shall be held in trust by such Treasurer and shall not be the money or property of the state. The State Treasurer is authorized to disburse monies from such fund only upon order of the authority. The official bond of the State Treasurer shall be conditioned for the faithful performance of his duty hereunder. The State Treasurer shall deposit any monies paid into such fund into such qualified depository banks as the authority may designate and is authorized to invest any portion of the fund which, in the opinion of the authority, is not needed for current requirements in the same manner and subject to all provisions of the law with respect to the deposit of state funds by such Treasurer. All interest earned by such portion of the fund as may be invested by the State Treasurer shall be collected by him and placed to the credit of such fund.

(3) The Authority for Educational Television is empowered to provide noncommercial production or reproduction services for other public agencies, and may collect the costs of providing the services from the public agency. These costs shall be deposited into the special fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 155-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-17
Status: in_force

Any interest, dividends or gains accruing on the payments made pursuant to a prepaid tuition contract under the terms of this article shall be excluded from the gross income of any such payor or beneficiary for purposes of the Mississippi Income Tax Law. The payor may deduct from taxable income the amount of any payments made under a prepaid tuition contract in the tax year.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-50 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 115-50
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-50
Status: in_force

For purposes of Sections 37-115-50 through 37-115-50.3 , the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) “ Academic medical center ” means the teaching, research, and clinical facilities and services provided, established, or operated by a public university under Chapter 115, Title 37, Mississippi Code of 1972 .

(b) “ Health sciences school ” means any school of medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and any other health care-related educational program operated or provided by an academic medical center in this state.

(c) “ Health care collaborative ” means any consolidation or collaboration involving the academic medical center and any other public, private, for-profit or nonprofit health care facilities and providers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-301 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 59-301
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-301
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any law or any provision of any law to the contrary, the following additional and supplemental powers and authorizations are hereby granted to each public school district in connection with the issuance of any debt, as defined herein.

(a) For purposes of this section, “ debt ” means any note, bond, lease or other evidence of indebtedness that a district is authorized to issue under any provision of law, and shall include debt issued by or on behalf of an agricultural high school.

(b) Any school district issuing debt may, by resolution of its board of trustees or board of education, do all things regarding the form, payment structure, purchase price and terms of such debt which may be helpful in qualifying the debt for reduced or interest free treatment under any federal law or the regulations promulgated thereunder and to assure that such debt will be readily acceptable in the municipal bond market, provided the same is not inconsistent with the Constitution of the state. Provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be construed as allowing a school district to exceed the final maturity term or exceed any debt limitation provided in the applicable state law authorizing the debt.

(c) This section shall be construed to be supplemental and additional to any powers conferred by other laws on school districts and not in derogation of any such powers not existing. The section is remedial in nature and shall be liberally construed. Provided, however, that this section shall not grant any extra authority to a school board to issue debt in any amount exceeding statutory limitations on assessed value of taxable property within such school district or the statutory limitations on debt maturities, and shall not grant any extra authority to impose, levy or collect a tax which is not otherwise expressly provided for.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 115-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-27
Status: in_force

The medical school and teaching hospital shall be built and equipped together, in connection with each other, or as nearly together or connected as may promote the most efficient operation of both of them in proper coordination one with the other. The medical school and teaching hospital shall be located and built upon part of the lands owned by the State of Mississippi in or near the City of Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi, and commonly known as the old asylum lands, to be selected by the State Building Commission. The medical school and teaching hospital may have other locations as determined to be reasonable and necessary by the University of Mississippi Medical Center. All University of Mississippi Medical Center locations shall provide in the aggregate not less than fifty percent (50%) of their services to indigent persons including qualified beneficiaries of the State Medicaid Program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-31 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 28-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-31
Status: in_force

(1) The authorizer shall monitor annually the performance and legal compliance of each charter school it oversees, including collecting and analyzing data to support the school's evaluation according to the charter contract. The authorizer may conduct or require oversight activities that enable the authorizer to fulfill its responsibilities under this chapter, including conducting appropriate inquiries and investigations, so long as those activities are consistent with the intent of this chapter, adhere to the terms of the charter contract and do not unduly inhibit the autonomy granted to charter schools.

(2) As part of its annual report to the Legislature, the authorizer shall publish and provide a performance report for each charter school it oversees in accordance with the performance framework set forth in the charter contract. The report must be made available to the public at the same time as it is submitted to the Legislature. The authorizer may require each charter school it oversees to submit an annual report to assist the authorizer in gathering complete information about each school, consistent with the performance framework.

(3) If a charter school's performance or legal compliance is unsatisfactory, the authorizer shall notify promptly the charter school of the problem and provide reasonable opportunity for the school to remedy the problem unless the problem warrants revocation, in which case the revocation timeframes will apply.

(4) The authorizer may take appropriate corrective actions or exercise sanctions in response to apparent deficiencies in a charter school's performance or legal compliance. If warranted, the actions or sanctions may include requiring a charter school to develop and execute a corrective action plan within a specified timeframe.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-79 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 29-79
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-79
Status: in_force

Any junior college district is charged with the responsibility for providing preprofessional courses, liberal arts, technical, vocational, and adult education courses and shall undertake to provide the same as conveniently as is possible to the residents of the district, and to this end, the board of trustees is authorized and empowered to transport such enrollees as, in its discretion, should be transported in the best interest of the district. However, no additional allocation of any appropriation shall be made for such transportation. The board of trustees shall promulgate uniform rules to prevent discrimination in all matters of transportation.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-12 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 17-12
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-12
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(2) The State Department of Education is directed to provide a report of all exempted process standards and nonexempted process standards to the Office of the Governor, the Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees, and the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents by December 1, 2007.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-207 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 7-207
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-207
Status: in_force

(1) All school districts reconstituted or created under the provisions of Article 1 of this chapter, and which lie wholly within one (1) county, but not including municipal separate and countywide districts, shall be governed by a board of five (5) trustees. The first board of trustees of such districts shall be appointed by the county board of education, and the original appointments shall be so made that one (1) trustee shall be appointed to serve until the first Saturday of March following such appointments, one (1) for one (1) year longer, one (1) for two (2) years longer, one (1) for three (3) years longer, and one (1) for four (4) years longer. After such original appointments, the trustees of such school districts shall be elected by the qualified electors of such school districts in the manner provided for in Sections 37-7-223 through 37-7-229 , with each trustee to be elected for a term of five (5) years. The five (5) members of the board of trustees of such consolidated school district shall be elected from special trustee election districts by the qualified electors thereof, as herein provided. The board of trustees of any such consolidated school district shall apportion the consolidated school district into five (5) special trustee election districts. The board of trustees of such school district shall place upon its minutes the boundaries determined for the new five (5) trustee election districts. The board of trustees shall thereafter publish the same in a newspaper of general circulation within said school district for at least three (3) consecutive weeks; and after having given notice of publication and recording the same upon the minutes of the board of trustees, said new district lines shall thereafter be effective.

On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, in any year in which any consolidated school district shall elect to utilize the authority to create single member election districts, an election shall be held in each such district in this state for the purpose of electing the board of trustees of such district. At said election the member of the said board from District One shall be elected for a term of one (1) year, the member from District Two shall be elected for a term of two (2) years, the member from District Three shall be elected for a term of three (3) years, the member from District Four shall be elected for a term of four (4) years, and the member from District Five shall be elected for a term of five (5) years. Thereafter, members shall be elected at general elections as vacancies occur for terms of five (5) years each. Trustees elected from single member election districts as provided above shall otherwise be elected as provided for in Sections 37-7-223 through 37-7-229 . All members of the said board of trustees shall take office on the first Monday of January following the date of their election. All vacancies which may occur during a term shall be filled by appointment of the consolidated school district trustees, but the person so appointed shall serve only until the next general election following such appointment, at which time a person shall be elected for the remainder of the unexpired term at the same time and in the same manner as a trustee is elected for the full term then expiring. The person so elected to the unexpired term shall take office immediately. Said appointee shall be selected from the qualified electors of the district in which the vacancy occurs. In the event the school district is under conservatorship and no members of the board of trustees remain in office, the Governor shall call a special election to fill the vacancies and the said election will be conducted by the county election commission.

(2) All school districts reconstituted and created under the provisions of Article 1 of this chapter, which embrace territory in two (2) or more counties, but not including municipal separate school districts, shall be governed by a board of five (5) trustees. In making the original appointments, the several county boards of education shall appoint the trustee or trustees to which the territory in such county is entitled, and, by agreement between the county boards concerned, one (1) person shall be appointed to serve until the first Saturday of March following, one (1) for one (1) year longer, one (1) for two (2) years longer, one (1) for three (3) years longer and one (1) for four (4) years longer. Thereafter, such trustees shall be elected as is provided for in Sections 37-7-223 through 37-7-229 , for a term of five (5) years. The five (5) members of the board of trustees of such line consolidated school district shall be elected from special trustee election districts by the qualified electors thereof, as herein provided. The existing board of trustees of such line consolidated school district shall apportion the line consolidated school district into five (5) special trustee election districts. The board of trustees shall place upon its minutes the boundaries determined for the new five (5) trustee election districts. The board of trustees shall thereafter publish the same in a newspaper of general circulation within said school district for at least three (3) consecutive weeks; and after having given notice of publication and recording the same upon the minutes of the board of trustees, said new district lines shall thereafter be effective. Provided, however, that in any line consolidated school district encompassing two (2) or more counties created pursuant to Laws, 1953, Extraordinary Session, Chapter 12, Section 8, in which, as a condition precedent to the creation of said district, each county belonging thereto was contractually guaranteed to always have at least one (1) representative on said board, in order that said condition precedent may be honored and guaranteed, in any year in which the board of trustees of such line consolidated school district does not have at least one (1) member from each county or part thereof forming such district, the board of trustees in such district shall be governed by a board of a sufficient number of trustees to fulfill this guarantee, five (5) of whom shall be elected from the five (5) special trustee election districts which shall be as nearly equal as possible and one (1) member trustee appointed at large from each county not having representation on the elected board. In such cases, the board of supervisors of each county shall make written agreement to guarantee the manner of appointment of at least one (1) representative from each county in the district, placing such written agreement on the minutes of each board of supervisors in each county.

On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, in any year in which any line consolidated school district shall elect to utilize the authority to create single member election districts, an election shall be held in each such district in this state for the purpose of electing the board of trustees of such district. At said election the member of the said board from District One shall be elected for a term of one (1) year, the member from District Two shall be elected for a term of two (2) years, the member from District Three shall be elected for a term of three (3) years, the member from District Four shall be elected for a term of four (4) years, and the member from District Five shall be elected for a term of five (5) years. Thereafter, members shall be elected at general elections as vacancies occur for terms of five (5) years each. Trustees elected from single member election districts as provided above shall otherwise be elected as provided for in Sections 37-7-223 through 37-7-229 . All members of the said board of trustees shall take office on the first Monday of January following the date of their election. In all elections, the trustee elected shall be a resident and qualified elector of the district entitled to the representation upon the board, and he shall be elected only by the qualified electors of such district. All vacancies which may occur during a term of office shall be filled by appointment of the consolidated line school district trustees, but the person so appointed shall serve only until the next general election following such appointment, at which time a person shall be elected for the remainder of the unexpired term at the same time and in the same manner as the trustee is elected for the full term then expiring. The person so elected to the unexpired term shall take office immediately. In the event the school district is under conservatorship and no members of the board of trustees remain in office, the Governor shall call a special election to fill the vacancies and the said election will be conducted by the county election commission.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-161-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 161-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-161-7
Status: in_force

The State Board of Education shall develop a wellness curriculum for use by each school district and the board shall establish rules and regulations to be followed by the districts whereby the districts shall implement the curriculum. Such wellness curriculum shall include educating students about the value of exercise, proper diet and abstinence from use of tobacco and alcohol. The state board shall also adopt regulations for districts' compliance concerning what products may be sold in vending machines on campus and when they can be sold.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-140-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 140-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-140-5
Status: in_force

(1) The school shall be governed by the State Board of Education. The board shall develop a plan relating to the opening, operation and funding of the school to be presented to the Legislature during the 2000 Regular Session. The plan shall include an equitable and reasonable plan for student recruitment without regard to race, creed or color.

(2) The State Superintendent of Public Education shall appoint an advisory panel to assist the board in developing the plan relating to the school. The advisory panel shall consist of the following twelve (12) appointed or designated members:

(a) Three (3) licensed school teachers or administrators, one (1) to be appointed from each of the three (3) Mississippi Supreme Court Districts;

(b) Three (3) citizens or professionals representing the areas of dance, creative writing, literature, music, theater arts or visual arts, one (1) to be appointed from each of the three (3) Mississippi Supreme Court Districts;

(c) Three (3) citizens knowledgeable in business, personnel management or public administration, with at least three (3) years' actual experience therein, one (1) to be appointed from each of the three (3) Mississippi Supreme Court Districts.

(d) One (1) member shall be a representative of the Mississippi Arts Commission to be designated by the commission, one (1) member shall be a representative of the Mississippi Humanities Council to be designated by the council, and one (1) member shall be a representative of the state institutions of higher learning in Mississippi which offer degrees in visual, fine and performing arts, to be designated by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.

Appointments to the advisory panel shall be made within ninety (90) days of April 23, 1999. The advisory panel shall meet upon the call of the State Superintendent of Public Education and shall organize for business by selecting a chairman and vice chairman/secretary for keeping records of the panel. Members of the advisory panel shall receive no compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses and mileage for attending meetings and necessary business of the panel, in the amount authorized for state employees under Section 25-3-41 .

(3) The board may utilize the staff of the State Department of Education and other state agencies as may be required for the implementation of this chapter. The department may employ any personnel deemed necessary by the board for assisting in the development and implementation of the plan relating to the opening, operation and funding of the school. The board also may contract or enter into agreements with other agencies or private entities which it deems necessary to carry out its duties and functions relating to the opening and operation of the school.

(4) To the extent possible, the board shall enter into agreements with the Board of Trustees of the Brookhaven Municipal Separate School District for the dual enrollment of students for the purpose of teaching academic courses to students attending the school, and the local school board shall be fully authorized to offer any such courses to students attending the school. The State Board of Education may develop and issue necessary regulations for the coordination of such courses for these students, the preparation and transfer of transcripts, and the reimbursement of any costs incurred by the school district for providing such services.

(5) The board may enter into agreements with public school districts to authorize students enrolled in such school districts to participate in the fine arts programs at the school to the extent that adequate space is available. The parent or guardian of any student participating in fine arts programs at the school under this subsection shall be responsible for transporting the student to and from the school.

(6) Effective July 1, 2020, all administrative, instructional and noninstructional employees of the Mississippi School of the Arts shall be transferred from state service and the authority of the State Personnel Board to employment status as employees of the Mississippi School of the Arts. All administrative and instructional employees at the said school shall enter into written contracts of employment to indicate and cover the period for which they are respectively employed. All such contracts for administrative and instructional employees shall be exempt from the requirements of the Public Procurement Review Board for state agency employment contracts. The State Board of Education may set and determine qualifications necessary for such employees and may appoint a subcommittee of the board for the purpose of authorizing the execution of such employment contracts on a timely basis. Such administrators and employees shall be offered contracts by the Superintendent/Executive Director of the MSA and all such contracts and employment rights prescribed thereunder shall be awarded and governed in accordance with Sections 37-9-1 et seq. , as applicable, and Section 37-7-307 . Any and all references within Section 37-9-1 et seq. , to a “local school district” shall apply to MSA and any and all references to a “local school board” shall apply to the State Board of Education's role as defined in Section 37-140-1 . The MSA may renew employment or nonrenew employment with such administrative and instructional employees in accordance with the provisions of said sections relating to school district employment. Noninstructional employees of the MSA shall be full-time employees of the MSA and shall serve at the will and pleasure of the Superintendent of the MSA. All salaries and contracts shall be subject to the approval of the State Board of Education, and the MSA may continue to use the teacher salary scale for its instructional employees which is in effect on January 1, 2019. Any unused leave accumulated at the Mississippi School of the Arts shall be transferred in accordance with the provisions of Section 37-7-307 . There shall be no interruption of service with the Public Employees' Retirement System and the State and School Employees' Health Insurance Plan for administrative, instructional and noninstructional employees due to an employee's employment status under this subsection. The MSA shall not be considered a local educational agency for the same purposes and to the same extent that all other school districts in the state are deemed local educational agencies under applicable federal law. The MSA may receive donations or grants from any public or private source, including any federal funding that may be available to the schools within the MSA.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-511 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 29-511
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-511
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of the Meridian Junior College District shall on or before the twenty-fifth day of June each year prepare and file the annual budget of the district. The budget shall contain a detailed estimate of the revenues and expenses anticipated for the ensuing year for general operation and maintenance and shall set forth reasonable requirements for anticipated needs for capital outlays for land, buildings, equipment and major repairs, a reasonable accumulation for such purposes being hereby expressly authorized. Funds derived from the levy for capital outlay shall be kept in a separate account and expended for capital outlay purposes only.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-109 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 23-109
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-109
Status: in_force

Any child development center created under the provisions of Sections 37-23-91 through 37-23-111 shall be entitled to receive all contributions and benefits allowed to the other school districts from the federal and state governments including, but not limited to, contributions on the basis of the net enrollment per child, school textbooks and school lunch program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-303 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 29-303
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-303
Status: in_force

As used in Sections 37-29-301 through 37-29-305 , the following terms shall be defined as provided in this section:

(a) “ Full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment ” means the process by which the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) calculates FTE by taking total undergraduate semester credit hours divided by thirty (30); total undergraduate quarter hours divided by forty-five (45); total graduate semester credit hours divided by twenty-four (24); and total graduate quarter hours divided by thirty-six (36).

(b) “ State funds ” means all funds appropriated by the Legislature including funds from the State General Fund, Education Enhancement Fund, Budget Contingency Fund and Health Care Expendable Fund.

(c) “ E & G operations ” means education and general expenses of the colleges and universities.

(d) “ Net enrollment ” has the same meaning as ascribed to that term under Section 37-151-201 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-207 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 13-207
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-207
Status: in_force

(1) The State Department of Education is authorized and directed to implement K-12 computer science curriculum based on the 2018 Mississippi College and Career-Readiness Standards for computer science, which includes instruction in, but not limited to:

(a) Computational thinking;

(b) Problem solving;

(c) Programming;

(d) Cyber security;

(e) Data science;

(f) Robotics;

(g) Artificial intelligence and machine learning; and

(h) Other computer science and cyber-related content.

(2) The State Department of Education shall work with the Center for Cyber Education at Mississippi State University to identify and develop K-12 computer science curriculum and delivery options.

(3) Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year:

(a) Each local school district shall provide that all middle schools in its school system offer instruction in foundations of computer science;

(b) Each local school district shall provide that fifty percent (50%) of elementary schools in its school system offer a minimum of one (1) hour of instruction in computer science each week;

(c) Each charter school that serves middle or high school students shall offer a course in computer science; and

(d) Each charter school that serves elementary school students shall offer instruction in computer science.

(4) Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year:

(a) Each local school district shall provide that at least fifty percent (50%) of the high schools in its school system offer a course in computer science;

(b) Each local school district shall provide that all elementary schools in its school system offer a minimum of one (1) hour of instruction in exploratory computer science each week.

(5) Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, each local school district shall provide that all schools in its school system offer instruction in computer science.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-101 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 33-101
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-101
Status: in_force

In addition to the authority now vested in the State Department of Rehabilitation Services, it may establish and operate by any means, including incorporation under the nonprofit laws of this state, a system of community rehabilitation programs in the several counties of the state for the general purposes of training, rehabilitating, retraining and developing individuals with disabilities to become more productive citizens, including, but not limited to training and job coaching, in order to obtain the maximum degree of independent living.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-23 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 27-23
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-23
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of each county shall be the judges of the eligibility of all applicants for admission to any agricultural high school in the county. They shall not permit any applicant to become a student therein, when in the opinion of the said trustees the moral and mental characteristics of the applicant are such as would prove detrimental to the good morals of the institution.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 173-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-11
Status: in_force

A parent or legal guardian who applies for a Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship is exercising his or her parental option to place his or her child in a nonpublic school. Each participating parent or legal guardian and student shall adhere to the following:

(a) The parent or legal guardian must select the nonpublic school and apply for the admission of his or her child;

(b) The parent or legal guardian must have requested the scholarship at least thirty (30) days before the date of the first scholarship payment;

(c) Any student participating in the Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia Program must remain in attendance throughout the school year unless excused by the school for illness or other good cause; and

(d) Each parent or legal guardian and each student has an obligation to the nonpublic special purpose school to comply with the nonpublic special purpose school's published policies.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 33-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-27
Status: in_force

The right of eligible individuals with disabilities to maintenance under the Vocational Rehabilitation Law shall not be transferable or assignable at law or in equity and shall be exempt from the claims of creditors.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 104-21
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-21
Status: in_force

All revenue bonds and interest coupons issued under the provisions of this chapter shall have and are hereby declared to have all the qualities and incidents of negotiable instruments under the Mississippi Uniform Commercial Code. The revenue bonds and the income therefrom shall be exempt from all taxation within the State of Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 61-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-17
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the State Auditor to prescribe the forms for the budgets provided for in this chapter. It shall be the duty of such superintendents of schools and school boards to use such forms in preparing said budgets. No distribution of school funds shall be made to any school district until the budgets required by this chapter shall be filed.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-205 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / 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. § 37-117-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 117-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-117-11
Status: in_force

The privilege of rooming in the dormitories at the Mississippi State College for Women belongs to the free students, and to the due quota of girls from each county, in preference to all others. The basis of apportionment is hereby fixed at the present dormitory capacity. However, this provision shall not be construed to exclude pupils from free tuition who pay their board elsewhere.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-185-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 185-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-185-5
Status: in_force

(1) The Independent Schools' COVID-19 Assistance Grant Program is established, to be administered by the MDA, for the purpose of making grants to eligible independent schools to provide reimbursements for eligible expenses, as defined in Section 37-185-3 .

(2) From the date of the beginning of the period for applications for grants under this section, the MDA shall consider and review applications from eligible independent schools that did not receive and have not been awarded reimbursement under any other federal program for the expenses that will be reimbursed by a grant under this section.

(3) The MDA shall develop regulations, procedures and application forms to govern the administration of the program, which at a minimum, shall require eligible independent schools to:

(a) Submit an application for a grant for reimbursement;

(b) Demonstrate the need and purpose of the grant funds received to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the operation of the school and its delivery of instruction; and

(c) Provide an itemized list of reimbursable eligible expenses as defined in Section 37-185-3 , which the independent school has previously incurred, is presently incurring or will incur before December 30, 2020, as such expenses relate to mitigation of the impact of COVID-19.

(4) The MDA may retain One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) for the administration of the program.

(5) The department shall report on the utilization of the program to the Chairs of the Universities and Colleges Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House and the Governor by October 1, 2020. At a minimum, the report shall contain:

(a) The name of each eligible independent school;

(b) The total amount of reimbursement requested by each eligible independent school; and

(c) The total amount of reimbursement received by each eligible independent school.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 155-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-9
Status: in_force

In addition to the powers granted by any other provision of this article, the board of directors 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 of the state or any executive order thereof, including, but not limited to, the following express powers:

(a) To adopt and amend bylaws;

(b) To adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary to implement the provisions of this article;

(c) To invest any funds of the trust fund in any instrument, obligation, security or property that constitutes legal investments for public funds in the state and to name and use depositories for its investments and holdings;

(d) To execute contracts and other necessary instruments;

(e) To impose reasonable requirements for residency for beneficiaries at the time of purchase of the contract and to establish rules to govern purchase of contracts for beneficiaries who are nonresidents at the time the purchaser enters into the prepaid tuition contract;

(f) To impose reasonable limits on the number of contract participants in the trust fund at any given period of time;

(g) To contract for necessary goods and services, to employ necessary personnel, and to engage the services of consultants for administrative and technical assistance in carrying out the responsibilities of the trust fund;

(h) To solicit and accept gifts, including bequeathments 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. Any gifts made to the board under this subsection shall be deductible from taxable income of the state in the tax year;

(i) To define the terms and conditions under which payments may be withdrawn or refunded from the trust fund, including, but not limited to, the amount paid in and an additional amount in the nature of interest at a rate that corresponds, at a minimum, to the prevailing interest rates for savings accounts provided by banks and savings and loan associations and impose reasonable charges for such withdrawal or refund;

(j) To ensure applicability to private and out-of-state tuitions:

(i) Under the program, a state purchaser may enter into a prepaid tuition contract with the board under which the purchaser agrees to attend a public institution of higher education in Mississippi;

(ii) If the beneficiary of a plan described by Section 37-155-11 enrolls in any in-state or out-of-state regionally accredited private four- or two-year college or an out-of-state regionally accredited, state-supported, nonprofit four- or two-year college or university, or any in-state or out-of-state regionally accredited graduate institution, the board shall pay to the institution an amount up to, but not greater than, the undergraduate tuition and required fees that the board would have paid had the beneficiary enrolled in an institution of higher education covered by the plan selected in the prepaid tuition contract. The beneficiary is responsible for paying a private undergraduate or graduate institution or an out-of-state public undergraduate or graduate institution the amount by which the tuition and required fees of the institution exceed the tuition and required fees paid by the board;

(k) To impose reasonable time limits on the use of the tuition benefits provided by the program;

(l) To provide for the receipt of contributions to the trust fund in lump sums or installment payments;

(m) To adopt an official seal and rules;

(n) To sue and be sued;

(o) To establish agreements or other transactions with federal, state and local agencies, including state universities and community colleges;

(p) To appear in its own behalf before boards, commissions or other governmental agencies;

(q) To segregate contributions and payments to the fund into various accounts and funds;

(r) To require and collect administrative fees and charges in connection with any transaction and impose reasonable penalties, including default, for delinquent payments or for entering into an advance payment contract on a fraudulent basis;

(s) To procure insurance against any loss in connection with the property, assets and activities of the fund or the board;

(t) To require that purchasers of advance payment contracts verify, under oath, any requests for contract conversions, substitutions, transfers, cancellations, refund requests or contract changes of any nature;

(u) To administer the fund in a manner that is sufficiently actuarially sound to meet the obligations of the program. The board shall annually evaluate or cause to be evaluated the actuarial soundness of the fund. If the board perceives a need for additional assets in order to preserve actuarial soundness, the board may adjust the terms of subsequent advance payment contracts to ensure such soundness;

(v) To establish a comprehensive investment plan for the purposes of this section. The comprehensive investment plan shall specify the investment policies to be utilized by the board in its administration of the fund. The board may authorize investments in:

(i) Bonds, notes, certificates and other valid general obligations of the State of Mississippi, or of any county, or of any city, or of any supervisors district of any county of the State of Mississippi, or of any school district bonds of the State of Mississippi; notes or certificates of indebtedness issued by the Veterans' Home Purchase Board of Mississippi, provided such notes or certificates of indebtedness are secured by the pledge of collateral equal to two hundred percent (200%) of the amount of the loan, which collateral is also guaranteed at least for fifty percent (50%) of the face value by the United States government, and provided that not more than five percent (5%) of the total investment holdings of the system shall be in Veterans' Home Purchase Board notes or certificates at any time; real estate mortgage loans one hundred percent (100%) insured by the Federal Housing Administration on single-family homes located in the State of Mississippi, where monthly collections and all servicing matters are handled by Federal Housing Administration approved mortgagees authorized to make such loans in the State of Mississippi;

(ii) State of Mississippi highway bonds;

(iii) Funds may be deposited in any institution insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation that maintains a facility that takes deposits in the State of Mississippi which appears on the State of Mississippi Treasury Department's approved depository list and/or safekeeper list or a custodial bank;

(iv) Corporate bonds and taxable municipal bonds of investment grade as rated by Standard & Poor's, by Fitch Ratings, Ltd., or by Moody's Investment Service; or corporate short-term obligations of corporations or of wholly owned subsidiaries of corporations, whose short-term obligations are rated A-2 or better by Standard & Poor's, rated P-2 or better by Moody's Investment Service, or F-2 or better by Fitch Ratings, Ltd., or the equivalent of these ratings if assigned by another United States Securities and Exchange Commission designated Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization;

(v) Agency and nonagency residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations;

(vi) Convertible bonds;

(vii) Bonds of the Tennessee Valley Authority;

(viii) Bonds, notes, certificates and other valid obligations of the United States, and other valid obligations of any federal instrumentality that issues securities under authority of an act of Congress and are exempt from registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission;

(ix) Bonds, notes, debentures and other securities issued by any federal instrumentality and fully guaranteed by the United States. Direct obligations issued by the United States of America shall be deemed to include securities of, or other interests in, any open-end or closed-end management type investment company or investment trust registered under the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, provided that the portfolio of such investment company or investment trust is limited to direct obligations issued by the United States of America, United States government agencies, United States government instrumentalities or United States government sponsored enterprises, and to repurchase agreements fully collateralized by direct obligations of the United States of America, United States government agencies, United States government instrumentalities or United States government sponsored enterprises, and the investment company or investment trust takes delivery of such collateral for the repurchase agreement, either directly or through an authorized custodian;

(x) Interest-bearing revenue bonds or notes or bonds or notes which are general obligations of any state in the United States or of any city or county therein, provided that the bonds or notes are of investment grade as rated by Standard & Poor's, by Fitch Ratings, Ltd., or by Moody's Investment Service;

(xi) 1. Shares of stocks, common and/or preferred, of corporations created by or existing under the laws of the United States or any state, district or territory thereof and shares of stocks, common and/or preferred and convertible securities of non-United States companies; provided:

a. The maximum investments in stocks shall not exceed seventy percent (70%) of the market value of the total investment fund;

b. The stock of such corporation shall:

A. Be listed on a national stock exchange; or

B. Be traded in the over-the-counter market, provided price quotations for such over-the-counter stocks are quoted by the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (NASDAQ);

c. The outstanding shares of such corporation shall have a total market value of not less than Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00);

d. The amount of investment in any one (1) corporation shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the book value of the assets of the fund; and

e. The shares of any one (1) corporation owned by the fund shall not exceed five percent (5%) of that corporation's outstanding stock;

2. The board may take requisite action to effectuate or hedge such transactions for shares of stock and convertible securities of non-United States companies through foreign or domestic banks, including the purchase and sale, transfer, exchange or otherwise disposal of, and generally deal in foreign exchange through the use of foreign currency, interbank forward contracts, futures contracts, options contracts, swaps and other related derivative instruments, notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary;

(xii) Bonds of investment grade, stocks and convertible securities of established non-United States companies and foreign government securities of investment grade rated by a recognized rating agency, which companies are listed on only primary national stock exchanges of foreign nations; provided that the total market value of investments under this paragraph shall at no time exceed thirty percent (30%) of the total market value of all investments of the fund. The board may take requisite action to effectuate or hedge such transactions through foreign or domestic banks, including the purchase and sale, transfer, exchange or otherwise disposal of, and generally deal in foreign exchange through the use of foreign currency, interbank forward contracts, futures contracts, options contracts, swaps and other related derivative instruments, notwithstanding any other provisions of this article to the contrary;

(xiii) Covered call and put options on securities or indices traded on one or more of the regulated exchanges;

(xiv) Institutional investment trusts managed by a corporate trustee or by a Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment advisory firm retained as an investment manager by the board of directors, and institutional class shares of investment companies and unit investment trusts registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 where such funds or shares are comprised of common or preferred stocks, bonds, money market instruments or other investments authorized under this section. Any investment manager or managers approved by the board of directors shall invest such funds or shares as a fiduciary;

(xv) Pooled or commingled real estate funds or real estate securities managed by a corporate trustee or by a Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment advisory firm retained as an investment manager by the board of directors. Such investment in commingled funds or shares shall be held in trust; provided that the total market value of investments under this paragraph shall at no time exceed ten percent (10%) of the total market value of all investments of the fund. Any investment manager approved by the board of directors shall invest such commingled funds or shares as a fiduciary;

(xvi) Types of investments not specifically authorized by this paragraph if the investments are in the form of a separate account managed by a Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment advisory firm retained as an investment manager by the board; or a limited partnership or commingled fund approved by the board; provided that the total market value of investments under this paragraph shall at no time exceed ten percent (10%) of the total market value of all investments of the fund. Any person or entity who exercises any discretionary authority or discretionary control respecting management of the separate account, limited partnership or commingled fund, or who exercises any authority or control respecting management or disposition of the assets of the separate account, limited partnership or commingled fund shall exercise such authority or control as a fiduciary;

(w) All investments shall be acquired at prices not exceeding the prevailing market values for such investments;

(x) Any limitations herein set forth shall be applicable only at the time of purchase and shall not require the liquidation of any investment at any time. All investments shall be clearly marked to indicate ownership by the fund and to the extent possible shall be registered in the name of the fund;

(y) Subject to the above terms, conditions, limitations and restrictions, the board shall have power to sell, assign, transfer and dispose of any of the securities and investments of the fund, provided that the sale, assignment or transfer has the majority approval of the entire board. The board may employ or contract with investment managers, evaluation services or other such services as determined by the board to be necessary for the effective and efficient operation of the fund;

(z) Except as otherwise provided herein, no trustee and no employee of the board shall have any direct or indirect interest in the income, gains or profits of any investment made by the board, nor shall any such person receive any pay or emolument for his services in connection with any investment made by the board. No trustee or employee of the board shall become an endorser or surety, or in any manner an obligor for money loaned by or borrowed from the fund;

(aa) All interest derived from investments and any gains from the sale or exchange of investments shall be credited by the board to the account of the fund;

(bb) To delegate responsibility for administration of the comprehensive investment plan to a consultant the board determines to be qualified. Such consultant shall be compensated by the board. Directly or through such consultant, the board may contract to provide such services as may be a part of the comprehensive investment plan or as may be deemed necessary or proper by the board or such consultant, including, but not limited to, providing consolidated billing, individual and collective record keeping and accounting, and asset purchase, control and safekeeping;

(cc) To annually prepare or cause to be prepared a report setting forth in appropriate detail an accounting of the fund and a description of the financial condition of the program at the close of each fiscal year. Such report shall be submitted to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and members of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, the Mississippi Community College Board and the State Board of Education on or before March 31 each year. In addition, the board shall make the report available to purchasers of advance payment contracts. The board shall provide to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board by March 31 each year complete advance payment contract sales information including projected postsecondary enrollments of beneficiaries. The accounts of the fund shall be subject to annual audits by the State Auditor or his designee;

(dd) To solicit proposals for the marketing of the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Program. The entity designated pursuant to this paragraph shall serve as a centralized marketing agent for the program and shall solely be responsible for the marketing of the program. Any materials produced for the purpose of marketing the programs shall be submitted to the board for review. No such materials shall be made available to the public before the materials are approved by the board. Any educational institution may distribute marketing materials produced for the program; however, all such materials shall have been approved by the board prior to distribution. Neither the state nor the board shall be liable for misrepresentation of the program by a marketing agent; and

(ee) To establish other policies, procedures and criteria necessary to implement and administer the provisions of this article.

For efficient and effective administration of the program and trust fund, the board may authorize the State of Mississippi Treasury Department and/or the State Treasurer to carry out any or all of the powers and duties enumerated above.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 68-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-5
Status: in_force

For purposes of this chapter, the following words shall have the meanings ascribed herein unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) “ Grant program ” means the Equity in Distance Learning Grant Program established in this chapter.

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

(c) “ School ” means public school districts, agricultural high schools, the Mississippi School for the Deaf and Blind, the Mississippi School of the Arts and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science and public charter schools.

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

(e) “ State of Emergency ” means the State of Emergency declared by Executive Order of the Governor of the State of Mississippi on March 14, 2020, and any amendments thereto or subsequent orders or amendments thereto.

(f) “ Express Product List ” or “ EPL ” means the compilation of vendors and products adopted by the department for use by schools for the purchase of devices, software, online tools, and other equipment and technology necessary to support distance learning.

(g) “ Learning management system ” means a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation and delivery of educational courses, training programs, or learning and development programs.

(h) “ Eligible expenses ” means a cost incurred by a school, pursuant to this chapter, to facilitate or enhance distance learning capabilities under its distance learning plan, including:

(i) The purchase of laptop computers, tablets, assisted learning devices or other devices which can be used personally by a student or teacher in their home or in the classroom;

(ii) The purchase of learning management systems, software and other online tools;

(iii) The purchase and installation of hardware to provide for or enhance the internet connectivity of a school's students, including the cost of establishing personal or centrally located hotspots; 1

(iv) The enhancement of security related to devices or connectivity to comply with state and federal law, and to protect students, teachers and administrators and other staff working within the school;

(v) The delivery of professional development related to use of devices, connectivity and other relevant components of distance learning for teachers, students and the wider community, including parents or guardians of students enrolled in the school; and

(vi) Materials or equipment necessary to increase health and safety precautions in classrooms or other school facilities.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 45-21
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-21
Status: in_force

The commission shall distribute and disburse, subject to the provisions of law, such funds as may be appropriated by the legislature, and such funds as may otherwise become available, for constructing, improving, equipping, renovating, and repairing school buildings or other school facilities, as authorized and directed by chapter 47 of this title. No funds shall be distributed by said commission to any school district operating a school in the State of Mississippi until such school district shall have conclusively shown that it has complied with all the requirements of the laws of the State of Mississippi for the operation of schools or school districts, and until such school district shall have complied with all the applicable regulations of the commission.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-111-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 111-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-111-3
Status: in_force

No society of the character designated in Section 37-111-1 shall be organized without first having made written application to the faculty of the institution concerned, which application shall be signed by each of the proposed membership. A majority vote of the faculty present at a regular meeting shall suffice to approve or reject such application. The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning may determine who constitutes the members of the faculty having jurisdiction of student activities.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 141-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-5
Status: in_force

The main office building of the University Research Center and the Department of Economic Development in the City of Jackson shall be known and designated as the Paul B. Johnson, Jr. Building. The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Governor's Office of General Services shall coordinate and cooperate to effect the relocation of the Department of Economic Development to the Paul B. Johnson, Jr. Building and any other related agency relocations necessary to accomplish the requirement of this section if such relocation is feasible. If such relocation of the Department of Economic Development to the Paul B. Johnson, Jr. Building is not feasible because of space limitations, the Governor's Office of General Services shall coordinate the relocation of such department to some other location and shall, if possible, secure the amount of space necessary to also place the University Research Center in the same location with the department.

The Office of General Services shall provide proper signs to be placed on the building in accordance with this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 104-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-27
Status: in_force

Revenue bonds may be issued without any other proceeding or the happening of any other conditions or things than those proceedings, conditions and things which are specified or required in this chapter. The revenue bonds authorized under this chapter may, in the discretion of the Authority, be validated by the Chancery Court of Hinds County, Mississippi, in the manner and with the force and effect provided now or hereafter by Sections 31-13-1 through 31-13-11, Mississippi Code of 1972 , for the validation of county, municipal, school district and other bonds. The necessary papers for such validation proceedings shall be transmitted to the State Bond Attorney by the Authority and the required notice shall be published in a newspaper published in the City of Jackson, Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-177-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 177-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-177-1
Status: in_force

(1) There is established an act prohibiting social promotion to be known as the “Literacy-Based Promotion Act,” the purpose of which is to improve the reading skills of Kindergarten and First- through Third-Grade students enrolled in the public schools so that every student completing the Third Grade is able to read at or above grade level. It is the intent of the Legislature, in establishing this act, to ensure that: each Kindergarten and First- through Third-Grade student's progression is determined, in part, upon the student's proficiency in reading; the policies of local school boards facilitate this proficiency; and each student and the student's parent or legal guardian is informed of the student's academic progress.

(2) Each public school student who exhibits a substantial deficiency in reading at any time, as demonstrated through performance on a reading screener approved or developed by the State Department of Education or through locally determined assessments and teacher observations conducted in Kindergarten and Grades 1 through 3 or through statewide end-of-year assessments or approved alternate yearly assessments in Grade 3, must be given intensive reading instruction and intervention immediately following the identification of the reading deficiency. The intensive reading instruction and intervention must be documented for each student in an individual reading plan, which includes, at a minimum, the following:

(a) The student's specific, diagnosed reading skill deficiencies as determined (or identified) by diagnostic assessment data;

(b) The goals and benchmarks for growth;

(c) How progress will be monitored and evaluated;

(d) The type of additional instructional services and interventions the student will receive;

(e) The research-based reading instructional programming the teacher will use to provide reading instruction, addressing the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension;

(f) The strategies the student's parent is encouraged to use in assisting the student to achieve reading competency; and

(g) Any additional services the teacher deems available and appropriate to accelerate the student's reading skill development.

(3) The universal reading screener or locally determined reading assessment may be given in the first thirty (30) days of the school year and repeated if indicated at midyear and at the end of the school year to determine student progression in reading in Kindergarten through Third Grade. If it is determined that the student continues to have a reading deficiency, the student must be provided with continued intensive reading instruction and intervention by the school district until the reading deficiency is remedied. A student exhibiting continued reading deficiency with continued intensive interventions should be considered for exceptional criteria evaluation.

(4) A Kindergarten or First-, Second- or Third-Grade student identified with a deficiency in reading must be provided intensive interventions in reading to ameliorate the student's specific reading deficiency, as identified by a valid and reliable diagnostic assessment. The intensive intervention must include effective instructional strategies, and appropriate teaching methodologies necessary to assist the student in becoming a successful reader, able to read at or above grade level, and ready for promotion to the next grade. A Kindergarten, First-, Second- or Third-Grade student identified with a reading deficiency or not promoted may be placed in a transition class.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-69 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 115-69
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-69
Status: in_force

Any county of this state now or hereafter having a population of more than one hundred thousand according to the latest available census, and in which there is located a municipality of one hundred thousand or more, acting by and through its board of supervisors, is hereby authorized and empowered to contribute the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) toward the construction, erection and equipping of educational facilities to be utilized by the University of Mississippi within such county, by the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-197 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 23-197
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-197
Status: in_force

(1) Each blind student, as determined by the IEP Committee, shall be eligible for instruction in Literary and Nemeth Braille reading and writing codes which will sufficiently enable that student to communicate effectively and efficiently with the same level of proficiency expected of the student's peers of comparable ability and grade level.

(2) It shall be the standard procedure for the IEP or 504 Team under Section 37-23-195 that Braille instruction or the use of Braille is required for the student, and the student's IEP or 504 Plan must be written in consultation with a Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired.

(3) If the IEP or 504 team determines procedures other than the standard for the appropriate reading and writing media of a student are required, its decision must be based on the current ability and needs as well as the future needs of the student, considering the following:

(a) For a student with some residual vision where the team decides that large print, or large print in combination with Braille, is the appropriate reading and writing media, then that decision must be supported by a statement from a TVI declaring that the appropriate reading and writing media for that student is not Braille; and

(b) The reading and writing media of a student with some residual vision shall be determined after a TVI has administered and reviewed the results of a research-based learning media assessment and reviewed a student's current reading and writing skill level in comparison to levels expected of the student's sighted peers as determined by the IEP Committee.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 28-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-9
Status: in_force

(1) The authorizer is responsible for exercising, in accordance with this chapter, the following powers and duties:

(a) Developing chartering policies and maintaining practices consistent with nationally recognized principles and standards for quality charter authorizing in all major areas of authorizing responsibility, including:

(i) Organizational capacity and infrastructure;

(ii) Solicitation and evaluation of charter applications;

(iii) Performance contracting;

(iv) Ongoing charter school oversight and evaluation; and

(v) Charter renewal decision-making;

(b) Approving quality charter applications that meet identified educational needs and promote a diversity of educational choices;

(c) Declining to approve weak or inadequate charter applications;

(d) Negotiating and executing charter contracts with approved charter schools;

(e) Monitoring, in accordance with charter contract terms, the performance and legal compliance of charter schools;

(f) Determining whether each charter contract merits renewal, nonrenewal or revocation; and

(g) Applying for any federal funds that may be available for the implementation of charter school programs.

(2) The authorizer shall carry out all its duties under this chapter in a manner consistent with nationally recognized principles and standards and with the spirit and intent of this chapter.

(3) The authorizer may delegate its duties to the executive director and general counsel.

(4) Regulation by the authorizer shall be limited to those powers and duties prescribed in this section and all others prescribed by law, consistent with the spirit and intent of this chapter.

(5) Except in the case of gross negligence or reckless disregard of the safety and well-being of another person, the authorizer, members of the authorizer board in their official capacity, and employees of the authorizer in their official capacity are immune from civil liability with respect to all activities related to a charter school approved by the authorizer.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-87 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 151-87
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-87
Status: in_force

No school district shall pay any teacher less than the state minimum salary. However, school districts are authorized to reduce the state minimum salary by a pro rata daily amount in order to comply with the school district employee furlough provisions of Section 37-7-308 . From and after July 1, 2012, no school district shall receive any funds under the provisions of this chapter for any school year during which the aggregate amount of local supplement is reduced below such amount for the previous year. However, (a) where there has been a reduction in total funding formula allocations for such district in such year, (b) where there has been a reduction in the amount of federal funds to such district below the previous year, or (c) where there has been a reduction in ad valorem taxes to such school district for the 1986-1987 school year below the amount for the previous year due to the exemption of nuclear generating plants from ad valorem taxation pursuant to Section 27-35-309 , the aggregate amount of local supplement in such district may be reduced in the discretion of the local school board without loss of funds under this chapter. No school district may receive any funds under the provisions of this chapter for any school year if the aggregate amount of support from ad valorem taxation shall be reduced during such school year below such amount for the previous year; however, where there is a loss in total funding formula allocations, or where there is or heretofore has been a decrease in the total assessed value of taxable property within a school district, the aggregate amount of such support may be reduced proportionately. Nothing herein contained shall prohibit any school district from adopting or continuing a program or plan whereby teachers are paid varying salaries according to the teaching ability, classroom performance and other similar standards.

For purposes of this section, the term “ local supplement ” means the additional amount paid to an individual teacher over and above the salary schedule prescribed in Section 37-19-7 for the performance of regular teaching duties by that teacher.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-63 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 31-63
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-63
Status: in_force

The State Board of Education, the trustees of the school districts as classified and defined by law, and the trustees of agricultural high schools or community/junior colleges, are hereby authorized and empowered to accept and use any land, building or buildings, being either the property of the State of Mississippi or of any of the school districts or agricultural high schools or community/junior colleges, or being the property of private sources, which may be designated, donated or leased for the purpose expressed in Section 37-31-61 , and to use such funds as may be made available, and to accept donations and contributions for supplies, equipment, and materials incident to the purpose for which any such schools, classes or courses are established.

The board, the trustees of the school districts, as classified and defined by law, and the trustees of agricultural high schools or community/junior colleges, are hereby authorized and empowered to accept and receive donations, contributions and endowments, to charge tuition and registration fees, to receive payment for services rendered or commodities produced incident to training in said schools, courses or classes, and to accept any funds which may be made available for the purpose sought to be accomplished in Section 37-31-61 from any sources.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-181-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 181-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-181-7
Status: in_force

(1) New enrollment in the ESA program created in this chapter shall be limited to five hundred (500) additional students each year. Subject to appropriation from the General Fund, each student's ESA shall be funded at Six Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($6,500.00) for school year 2015-2016. For each subsequent year, this amount shall increase or decrease by the same proportion as the student base amount under Section 37-151-203 is increased or decreased.

(2) Subject to appropriation, eligible students shall be approved for participation in the ESA program as follows:

(a) Students shall be approved on a first-come, first-served basis, with applications being reviewed on a rolling basis;

(b) After participation reaches fifty percent (50%) of the annual enrollment limits in subsection (1) of this section, the department shall set annual application deadlines for the remaining number of available ESAs and begin to maintain a waiting list of eligible students. The waitlist shall only include eligible students who have certified to the department that they have been accepted into an eligible school qualified to provide services for the participating student's disability or special education needs, or provide services addressing a participating student's IEP. The waitlist will be maintained in the chronological order in which applications are received. The department shall award ESA program applications in chronological order according to the waitlist; and

(c) Participating students who remain eligible for the ESA program are automatically approved for participation for the following year and are not subject to the random selection process.

(3) No funds for an ESA may be expended from the total funding formula funds provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 , nor shall any school district be required to provide funding for an ESA.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-102-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 102-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-102-13
Status: in_force

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall take into account the ongoing programs of the private colleges in the State of Mississippi when said board authorizes off-campus programs created under this chapter. It is the intent of this chapter to meet the educational needs of students who do not have ready access to the educational opportunities that they desire.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-101 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 33-101
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-101
Status: in_force

In addition to the authority now vested in the State Department of Rehabilitation Services, it may establish and operate by any means, including incorporation under the nonprofit laws of this state, a system of community rehabilitation programs in the several counties of the state for the general purposes of training, rehabilitating, retraining and developing individuals with disabilities to become more productive citizens, including, but not limited to training and job coaching, in order to obtain the maximum degree of independent living.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-159-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 159-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-159-11
Status: in_force

(1) There is established the Mississippi Employer-Assisted Housing Teacher Program, which shall be a special home loan program for eligible licensed teachers who render service to the state in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education. The home loan program shall be administered by the State Department of Education. The department may contract with one or more public or private entities to provide assistance in implementing and administering the program. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations regarding the implementation and administration of the program.

(2) Participation in the loan program shall be available to any licensed teacher who renders service in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education. Any person who receives a loan under the program shall be required to purchase a house and reside in a county in which the school district for which the teacher is rendering service, or any portion of the school district, is located. The maximum amount of a loan that may be made under the program to any person shall be Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00).

(3) Any loan made under the program to a person who actually renders service as a teacher in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education, shall be converted to an interest-free grant on the basis of one (1) year's service for one-third ( 1 / 3 ) of the amount of the loan. Any person who does not render three (3) years' service as a teacher in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education, shall be liable to the State Department of Education for one-third ( 1 / 3 ) of the amount of the loan for each year that he does not render such service, plus interest accruing at the current Stafford Loan rate at the time the person discontinues his service. If a claim for repayment under this subsection is placed in the hands of an attorney for collection, the obligor shall be liable for an additional amount equal to a reasonable attorney's fee.

(4) All funds received by the State Department of Education as repayment of loans by program participants shall be deposited in the Mississippi Critical Teacher Shortage Fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 138-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-9
Status: in_force

The commission shall administer and enforce this chapter and shall have the following powers and duties under this chapter:

(a) To adopt, modify, repeal and promulgate, after due notice and hearing, and where not otherwise prohibited by federal or state law, to make exceptions to and grant exemptions and variances from, and to enforce rules and regulations implementing or effectuating the powers and duties of the commission under this chapter, including but not limited to rules and regulations concerning the required accreditation training, the issuance and annual renewal of certificates, the assessment of annual fees and the assessment of penalties, reprimands, and the suspension and revocation of certificates, abatement emergencies and the exclusion of minor abatement and/or routine maintenance activities at commercial buildings, industrial facilities, public buildings and school buildings from any requirements of this chapter;

(b) To issue certificates for the positions of management planner, project designer, air monitor, contractor, supervisor, inspector and worker and to renew said certificates annually;

(c) To assess penalties, to issue reprimands and to suspend and revoke certificates;

(d) To assess annual fees for the issuance and annual renewal of certificates;

(e) To approve the accreditation of training courses administered to applicants for issuance and annual renewal of certificates and to develop an examination and grading system for testing applicants, to be administered by the designated university;

(f) Administration and expenditure of funds deposited in and expended by legislative appropriation from the Asbestos Abatement Accreditation and Certification Fund;

(g) Reciprocal arrangements for accreditation and certification of management planners, project designers, air monitors, contractors, supervisors, inspectors and workers with other states that have established accreditation and certification programs that meet or exceed the accreditation and certification requirements of this chapter;

(h) To apply for, receive and expend any federal or state funds or contributions, gifts, devises, bequests or funds from any other source relating to this chapter;

(i) To commission or conduct studies relating to this chapter;

(j) To enter into, and to authorize the executive director to execute with the approval of the commission, contracts, grants and cooperative agreements with any federal or state agency or subdivision thereof, or any public or private institution located inside or outside the State of Mississippi, or any person, corporation or association in connection with carrying out the provisions of this chapter; but this authority under this chapter shall not include contracts, grants or cooperative agreements which do not develop data or information usable by the commission in connection with this chapter, or which provide goods, services or facilities to the commission or any of its bureaus, and shall exclude any monies for special interest groups for purposes of lobbying or otherwise promoting their special interests; and

(k) To discharge such other duties, responsibilities and powers as are necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 28-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-17
Status: in_force

(1) The following are the purposes of a charter application:

(a) To present the proposed charter school's academic and operational vision and plans;

(b) To demonstrate the applicant's capacities to execute the proposed vision and plans; and

(c) To provide the authorizer a clear basis for assessing the applicant's plans and capacities.

(2) An approved charter application may not serve as the school's charter contract.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-63 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 33-63
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-63
Status: in_force

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

(a) Physical restoration;

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

(c) Occupational licenses;

(d) Placement equipment, tools and supplies;

(e) Maintenance;

(f) Training books and materials;

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

(2) No person shall be determined ineligible because of financial status.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 146-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-19
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program, acting through the commission, shall make an effort to establish an initial practice entry support system for participants in the program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-160-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 160-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-160-3
Status: in_force

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

(a) “ Grantee ” means the Mississippi office of Teach For America, Inc., known as “Teach For America Delta.”

(b) “ High need school district ” means a school district experiencing a shortage of highly qualified teachers and includes, but is not necessarily limited to, those school districts in a geographical area of the state designated by the State Board of Education as having a critical shortage of teachers under the Mississippi Critical Teacher Shortage Act of 1998 ( Sections 37-159-1 through 37-159-17 ).
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-159-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 159-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-159-11
Status: in_force

(1) There is established the Mississippi Employer-Assisted Housing Teacher Program, which shall be a special home loan program for eligible licensed teachers who render service to the state in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education. The home loan program shall be administered by the State Department of Education. The department may contract with one or more public or private entities to provide assistance in implementing and administering the program. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations regarding the implementation and administration of the program.

(2) Participation in the loan program shall be available to any licensed teacher who renders service in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education. Any person who receives a loan under the program shall be required to purchase a house and reside in a county in which the school district for which the teacher is rendering service, or any portion of the school district, is located. The maximum amount of a loan that may be made under the program to any person shall be Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00).

(3) Any loan made under the program to a person who actually renders service as a teacher in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education, shall be converted to an interest-free grant on the basis of one (1) year's service for one-third ( 1 / 3 ) of the amount of the loan. Any person who does not render three (3) years' service as a teacher in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as designated by the State Board of Education, shall be liable to the State Department of Education for one-third ( 1 / 3 ) of the amount of the loan for each year that he does not render such service, plus interest accruing at the current Stafford Loan rate at the time the person discontinues his service. If a claim for repayment under this subsection is placed in the hands of an attorney for collection, the obligor shall be liable for an additional amount equal to a reasonable attorney's fee.

(4) All funds received by the State Department of Education as repayment of loans by program participants shall be deposited in the Mississippi Critical Teacher Shortage Fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-77 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 31-77
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-77
Status: in_force

It is expressly provided that any payment from the funds of one (1) governmental authority into the funds of any other governmental authority made in compliance with provisions of Sections 37-31-71 through 37-31-79 , shall not be charged against homestead exemption reimbursements under the provisions of Section 27-33-41, Mississippi Code of 1972, or any other similar statute.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 45-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-11
Status: in_force

The commission is authorized to adopt and use an official seal.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-421 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 29-421
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-421
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College District is charged with the responsibility for providing pre-professional courses, liberal arts, technical, vocational, and adult education courses and shall undertake to provide the same as conveniently as is possible to the residents of the district and to this end the board of trustees is authorized and empowered to transport such students as, in its discretion, should be transported in the best interest of the district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-55 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 11-55
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-55
Status: in_force

The local school board shall adopt and make available to all teachers, school personnel, students and parents or guardians, at the beginning of each school year, a code of student conduct developed in consultation with teachers, school personnel, students and parents or guardians. The code shall be based on the rules governing student conduct and discipline adopted by the school board and shall be made available at the school level in the student handbook or similar publication. The code shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) Specific grounds for disciplinary action under the school district's discipline plan;

(b) Procedures to be followed for acts requiring discipline, including suspensions and expulsion, which comply with due process requirements;

(c) An explanation of the responsibilities and rights of students with regard to: attendance; respect for persons and property; knowledge and observation of rules of conduct; free speech and student publications; assembly; privacy; and participation in school programs and activities;

(d) Policies and procedures recognizing the teacher as the authority in classroom matters, and supporting that teacher in any decision in compliance with the written discipline code of conduct. Such recognition shall include the right of the teacher to remove from the classroom any student who, in the professional judgment of the teacher, is disrupting the learning environment, to the office of the principal or assistant principal. The principal or assistant principal shall determine the proper placement for the student, who may not be returned to the classroom until a conference of some kind has been held with the parent, guardian or custodian during which the disrupting behavior is discussed and agreements are reached that no further disruption will be tolerated. If the principal does not approve of the determination of the teacher to remove the student from the classroom, the student may not be removed from the classroom, and the principal, upon request from the teacher, must provide justification for his disapproval;

(e) Policies and procedures for dealing with a student who causes a disruption in the classroom, on school property or vehicles, or at school-related activities;

(f) Procedures for the development of behavior modification plans by the school principal, reporting teacher and student's parent for a student who causes a disruption in the classroom, on school property or vehicles, or at school-related activities for a second time during the school year; and

(g) Policies and procedures specifically concerning gang-related activities in the school, on school property or vehicles, or at school-related activities.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 25-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-1
Status: in_force

The aims and purposes of driver's education and training shall be to develop a knowledge of those provisions of the Mississippi Code of 1972 and other laws of this state relating to the operation of motor vehicles, a proper acceptance of personal responsibility in traffic, a true appreciation of the causes, seriousness and consequences of traffic accidents, and the knowledge, attitudes, habits and skills necessary for the safe operation of motor vehicles.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 61-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-17
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the State Auditor to prescribe the forms for the budgets provided for in this chapter. It shall be the duty of such superintendents of schools and school boards to use such forms in preparing said budgets. No distribution of school funds shall be made to any school district until the budgets required by this chapter shall be filed.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 175-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-19
Status: in_force

(1) The department shall publicize information regarding the Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship on the department's official website.

(2) The department shall annually, by December 15, report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives the department's actions with respect to implementing accountability in the scholarship program under this section, any substantiated allegations or violations of law or rule by an eligible nonpublic school under this program concerning the enrollment and attendance of students, the credentials of teachers, background screening of teachers, and teachers' fingerprinting results and the corrective action taken by the department.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-80.1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / 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. § 37-15-35 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 15-35
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-35
Status: in_force

No person shall be assigned to or by, or restricted from or to, any group, area, school, institution or other political subdivision of the State of Mississippi on the account of race, color, or national origin. There shall be no governmentally enforced segregation by race, color or national origin and there shall be no governmentally enforced integration by reason of race, color or national origin.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-41 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 28-41
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-41
Status: in_force

A charter school may exercise those powers necessary for carrying out the terms of its charter contract, including the following powers:

(a) To receive and disburse funds authorized by law for school purposes;

(b) To secure appropriate insurance and to enter into contracts and leases;

(c) To contract with an education service provider for the management and operation of the charter school so long as the school's governing board retains oversight authority over the school;

(d) To solicit and accept any gifts or grants for school purposes subject to applicable laws and the terms of its charter contract;

(e) To acquire real property for use as its facility or facilities, from public or private sources; and

(f) To sue and be sued in its own name.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-49 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 106-49
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-49
Status: in_force

In connection with the forgivable loan programs administered by the board, and in addition to the funding of the same through the use of state funds, the board is authorized to establish a loan repayment mechanism employing agreements to repay private sector loans for education or guaranteed student loans. As an alternative to the forgivable loans administered by the board, the board is authorized to develop contractual relations with eligible applicants to repay, for and on behalf of the applicants, any or all outstanding private sector loans for education or guaranteed student loans, by undertaking to repay installments of interest and principal according to the requirement of the loans, so long as the applicants perform the terms of their loan or scholarship contracts with the board. The board may establish by rule and regulation the terms of the contracts so as to accomplish the purposes of the loan repayment programs, including, but not limited to: the maximum amount the board will undertake to repay; the maximum duration of the repayment arrangement or the period of required service; the geographical location for approved service; the nature of the service to be rendered; the needed professional occupations; the critical majors or subject areas of concentration; the criteria to determine need and the degree of need required for eligibility; and the scholastic achievement level required to be maintained by the student participants. The board may prescribe other rules and regulations as it deems necessary and proper to carry out the purposes and intent of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-25 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 101-25
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-25
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Small Farm Development Center shall develop a plan to foster and encourage the development in this state of small enterprises which process “cash crops,” timber, or food and fiber products produced in Mississippi. The plan shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) Means to identify small entrepreneurs who are in the business of processing, or are interested in starting a business to process, “cash crops,” timber, or food and fiber products;

(b) Means to encourage participation by such small entrepreneurs in available business management and technical assistance programs; and

(c) Any appropriate financial assistance to assist such small entrepreneurs in financing their business, such as interest-free state loans similar to existing Department of Economic and Community Development programs administered out of the Emerging Crops Fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-161 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 13-161
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-161
Status: in_force

Nothing in this code shall be construed to prevent any local school board, in its discretion, from allowing references to religion or references to or the use of religious literature, history, art, music or other things having a religious significance in the public schools of such school district, when such references or uses do not constitute aid to any religious sect or sectarian purpose and when such references or uses are incidental to or illustrative of matters properly included in the course of study.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-43 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 28-43
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-43
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(4) A charter school may not charge tuition.

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

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

(7) Except to the extent authorized under paragraph (c) of Section 37-28-41 , the powers, obligations and responsibilities set forth in the charter contract may not be delegated or assigned by either party.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-111 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 65-111
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-111
Status: in_force

Upon or during any closure of any school according to 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. § 37-35-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 35-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-35-1
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Community College Board is authorized and directed to prescribe rules and regulations, which said rules and regulations when properly promulgated and not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter shall have the force and effect of law, under which a program may be established, maintained and supervised for the purpose of supplying educational advantages to adults, which shall include all persons sixteen (16) years of age and over, not enrolled in school or required to be enrolled in school by the compulsory school attendance law, Section 37-13-91, Mississippi Code of 1972 . The aim and purpose of such a program shall be to reduce illiteracy and to provide a general plan of continuing education in the fundamental principles of democratic society, citizenship, public affairs, forums, home family life, arts and crafts, general cultural subjects with priority to be given to academic training through high school and training in technical skills and trades needed by industries, and such other subjects as the Mississippi Community College Board may prescribe for the social and economic advancement of adults. The Mississippi Community College Board is authorized to employ such additional supervisory, secretarial and clerical personnel as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-725 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 7-725
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-725
Status: in_force

When a special municipal separate school district embraces and includes all of the territory of the county, then the office of county superintendent of education in such county shall be abolished and discontinued in such county and no county superintendent of education of such county shall be elected at any ensuing elections. In such an event, the superintendent of the special municipal separate school district shall thereafter perform and discharge all duties which would otherwise devolve upon the county superintendent of education under the provisions of any applicable statute of this state, and, for such purpose, the superintendent of such special municipal separate school district shall have and be vested with all power and authority conferred by law upon such county superintendents of education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-61 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 106-61
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-61
Status: in_force

(1) There is hereby created the state medical forgivable loan program. The purpose of such program shall be to enable eligible applicants who desire to become physicians to obtain a medical education in the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, which will qualify them to become licensed, practicing physicians and surgeons.

(2) The board shall establish, by rule and regulation, the maximum annual award which may be made under this program at an amount not to exceed the cost of tuition and other expenses, and shall establish the maximum number of awards which may be made not to exceed the length of time required to complete the degree requirements and internship or residency.

(3) Repayment and conversion terms shall be the same as those outlined in Section 37-106-53 and shall include the following:

(a) Payment in full of principal and interest must be made in sixty (60) or less equal monthly installments;

(b) In lieu of payment in full of both principal and interest, a loan recipient may elect to repay by entry into public health work at a state health institution as defined in Section 37-106-67(2) , or community health centers that are grantees under Section 330 of the United States Public Health Service Act;

(c) In lieu of payment in full of both principal and interest, a loan recipient may elect to repay by entry into the practice of medicine in a primary health care field in an area outside of a metropolitan statistical area, as defined and established by the United States Census Bureau, and within a region ranking between 1 and 54, inclusively, on the Relative Needs Index of Five Factors for Primary Care Physicians, as annually determined by the State Board of Health, for a period of five (5) years.

(4) The board shall establish the rules and regulations as it deems necessary and proper to carry out the purposes and intent of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-37-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 37-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-37-7
Status: in_force

(1) In making audits under the provisions of this chapter, the examiners may call the attendance rolls at the schools, make field investigations and surveys, make checks of the number of students being transported upon publicly or privately owned buses, and make other and further examinations and investigations as may be necessary to determine whether or not the students reported are actually enrolled in and attending the public schools or are actually being transported or entitled to transportation to such public schools.

(2) In addition to the powers and duties of examiners in subsection (1), the State Auditor may establish policies and procedures to ensure the accuracy and reliability of student data used to determine state funding for local school districts, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) On-site audits;

(b) An auditing process that ensures the timeliness and accuracy of reports generated by school districts of this state regarding all student transactions;

(c) An auditing process that provides for the timeliness, process and accuracy of the electronic transmission of all student data to the Mississippi Department of Education, including, but not limited to, student enrollment, attendance, transportation, absenteeism, graduation and dropouts and other student data and administrative functions as deemed necessary;

(d) An audit of the accuracy and validity of all student transactions using the Mississippi Student Information System; and

(e) An audit process that ensures the timeliness and accuracy of reports, other than student data, required for submission in accordance with state law and/or State Board of Education policies.

Reviews and audits shall be conducted with advance notice, except that unannounced audits may be made upon the determination of the State Auditor when they are necessary due to complaints or valid concerns. Examiners shall make every effort to work with school districts in scheduling audits in consideration of instructional activities such as statewide student testing days. The Department of Education and the school district shall cooperate fully with examiners in providing any related information requested in order to properly conduct the review or audit.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-265 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 29-265
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-265
Status: in_force

The municipalities of Mississippi and the municipal separate school districts in Mississippi are hereby authorized and empowered to issue municipal bonds or municipal separate school district bonds to aid in procuring the establishment, location, and maintenance of junior colleges which have been or may hereafter be established. Said bonds shall be issued as provided by law. The proceeds of the sale of said bonds may be used for the purchase of lands, buildings or for erecting buildings, or in any way to aid in the establishment and maintenance of junior colleges.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-119-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 119-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-119-5
Status: in_force

No person shall be eligible to admission to the University of Southern Mississippi, who shall not have completed the studies of course prescribed by law for the common or public schools of the state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-81 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 13-81
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-81
Status: in_force

There is created the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement within the Office of Dropout Prevention of the State Department of Education. The office shall be responsible for the administration of a statewide system of enforcement of the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law ( Section 37-13-91 ) and for the supervision of school attendance officers throughout the state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-33 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 28-33
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-33
Status: in_force

(1) A charter may be renewed for successive five-year terms of duration. The authorizer may grant renewal with specific conditions for necessary improvements to a charter school and may lessen the renewal term based on the performance, demonstrated capacities and particular circumstances of each charter school.

(2) Before September 30, the authorizer shall issue a charter school performance report and charter renewal application guidance to any charter school whose charter will expire the following year. The performance report must summarize the charter school's performance record to date, based on the data required by this chapter and the charter contract, and must provide notice of any weaknesses or concerns perceived by the authorizer which may jeopardize the charter school's position in seeking renewal if not timely rectified. The charter school must respond and submit any corrections or clarifications for the performance report within ninety (90) days after receiving the report.

(3) The charter renewal application guidance must provide, at a minimum, an opportunity for the charter school to:

(a) Present additional evidence, beyond the data contained in the performance report, supporting its case for charter renewal;

(b) Describe improvements undertaken or planned for the school; and

(c) Detail the school's plans for the next charter term.

(4) The charter renewal application guidance must include or refer explicitly to the criteria that will guide the authorizer's renewal decision, which must be based on the performance framework set forth in the charter contract and consistent with this chapter.

(5) Before February 1, the governing board of a charter school seeking renewal shall submit a renewal application to the authorizer pursuant to the charter renewal application guidance issued by the authorizer. The authorizer shall adopt a resolution ruling on the renewal application no later than ninety (90) days after the filing of the renewal application.

(6) In making each charter renewal decision, the authorizer must:

(a) Ground its decision in evidence of the school's performance over the term of the charter contract in accordance with the performance framework set forth in the charter contract;

(b) Ensure that data used in making the renewal decision is available to the school and the public; and

(c) Provide a public report summarizing the evidence that is the basis for the renewal decision.

(7) A charter contract must be revoked at any time or not renewed if the authorizer determines that the charter school has done any of the following or otherwise failed to comply with the provisions of this chapter:

(a) Committed a material and substantial violation of any of the terms, conditions, standards or procedures required under this chapter or the charter contract;

(b) Failed to meet or make sufficient progress toward the performance expectations set forth in the charter contract;

(c) Failed to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management; or

(d) Substantially violated any material provision of law which is applicable to the charter school.

(8) The authorizer shall develop revocation and nonrenewal processes that:

(a) Provide the governing board of a charter school with a timely notification of the prospect of revocation or nonrenewal and of the reasons for such possible closure;

(b) Allow the governing board a reasonable amount of time in which to prepare a response;

(c) Provide the governing board with an opportunity to submit documents and give testimony challenging the rationale for closure and in support of the continuation of the school at an orderly proceeding held for that purpose;

(d) Allow the governing board access to representation by counsel and to call witnesses on the school's behalf;

(e) Permit the recording of such proceedings; and

(f) After a reasonable period for deliberation, require a final determination to be made and conveyed in writing to the governing board.

(9) Notwitstanding 1 any provision to the contrary, the authorizer may not renew the charter of any charter school that, during the school's final operating year under the term of the charter contract, is designated an “F” school under the school accreditation rating system.

(10) If the authorizer revokes or does not renew a charter, the authorizer must state clearly, in a resolution of adopted by the authorizer board, the reasons for the revocation or nonrenewal.

(11) Within ten (10) days after taking action to renew, not renew or revoke a charter, the authorizer shall provide a report to the charter school. The report must include a copy of the authorizer board's resolution setting forth the action taken, reasons for the board's decision and assurances as to compliance with all of the requirements set forth in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-313 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 101-313
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-313
Status: in_force

The State Bond Commission shall act as the issuing agent for such bonds, prescribe the form of the bonds, advertise for and accept bids, issue and sell the bonds so authorized to be sold, pay all fees and costs incurred in such issuance and sale, and do any and all other things necessary and advisable in connection with the issuance and sale of such bonds. The State Bond Commission shall sell such bonds on sealed bids at public sale and for such price as it may determine to be for the best interest of the State of Mississippi, but no such sale shall be made at a price less than par plus accrued interest to date of delivery of the bonds to the purchaser. All bonds shall bear interest at such rate or rates not exceeding the limits set forth in Section 75-17-101, Mississippi Code of 1972 . All interest accruing on such bonds so issued shall be payable semiannually or annually; provided that the first interest payment may be for any period of not more than one (1) year.

Each interest rate specified in any bid must be in a multiple of one-eighth of one percent ( 1 / 8 of 1%) or one-tenth of one percent ( 1 / 10 of 1%) and a zero rate of interest cannot be named.

Notice of the sale of any such bond shall be published at least one (1) time, the first of which shall be made not less than ten (10) days prior to the date of sale, and shall be so published in one or more newspapers having a general circulation in the City of Jackson, Mississippi, and in one or more other newspapers or financial journals with a national circulation, to be selected by the State Bond Commission.

The State Bond Commission, when issuing any bonds under the authority of Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 , may provide that bonds, at the option of the State of Mississippi, may be called in for payment and redemption in reverse order of maturity at the call price named therein and accrued interest on such date or dates named therein.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 25-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-5
Status: in_force

On or before July 1, 2025, the State Superintendent of Public Education and the Commissioner of Public Safety shall jointly prepare and recommend to the State Board of Education, and the board shall adopt rules and regulations governing the establishment, conduct and scope of driver education and training programs in secondary schools of this state, subject to the requirements and exceptions set forth in this chapter. Said program shall be established and maintained only in accordance with such rules and regulations. Said program shall include both classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel instruction. The State Driver Education and Training Program in secondary schools of this state shall include a program of study for distracted driving, alcohol, drug and safety education as it pertains to driver and highway safety and shall also include instruction relating to organ and tissue donation and organ and tissue donation procedures, and shall include instruction on the litter laws of the state and the responsibilities of the driver and all passengers to dispose of litter in the proper container. The state driver education and training program in secondary schools of this state shall also include a program of study, developed by the Department of Public Safety under Section 37-25-29 , on how persons should properly respond when stopped by law enforcement officers.

The State Superintendent of Public Education shall prepare an administrative budget from funds made available under this chapter which budget shall be approved by the State Board of Education. It shall be the responsibility of the State Superintendent of Public Education to administer this program in accordance with rules and regulations established by the State Board of Education and to appoint the necessary supervisors of safety education and the necessary clerical personnel.

On or before July 1, 2025, the State Superintendent of Education and the Commissioner of Public Safety shall jointly prepare an estimated budget and fiscal report of the additional expenses and costs related to the implementation of mandatory drivers education programs and present the same to the Legislature.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-123-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 123-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-123-7
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(b) To transfer funds to the other and expend such funds on mutually agreeable terms and conditions for the construction, maintenance and operation of such school.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-63 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 153-63
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-63
Status: in_force

Grant funds shall be available under this article through December 31, 2026, or on the date of the fund expenditure deadline provided by the federal government, whichever occurs later. Each grant recipient shall certify, for any project for which a grant is awarded, that if the project is not completed by December 31, 2026, and the United States Congress does not enact an extension of the deadline on the availability of ARPA funds, then the grant recipient will complete the project through other funds.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 11-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-1
Status: in_force

(1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, after a pupil has been assigned to a particular public school in a school district, the principal, or anyone else vested with the authority of assigning pupils to classes, knowingly shall not place such pupil in a class where the pupil's presence would serve to adversely affect, hinder, or retard the academic development of the other pupils in the class.

(2)(a) A parent or guardian of twins or higher order multiples, as defined in paragraph (d) of this subsection, may request that the children be placed in the same classroom or in separate classrooms if the children are in the same grade level at the same school in the school district. The school may recommend classroom placement and provide professional education advice to the parent or guardian to assist the parent or guardian in making the best decision for the children's education. A school must provide the placement requested by the children's parent or guardian unless: (i) the parent or guardian has requested that the children, who are different sexes, be placed in the same classroom and the students in the school have been assigned to different classrooms according to sex, as authorized under Section 37-11-3 ; or (ii) the school board of the school district makes a classroom placement determination following the school principal's request according to this subsection.

(b) A parent or guardian making a request under this subsection must submit a written request for the classroom placement to the school principal no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after the first day of each school year or, if the children are enrolled in the school after the school year commences, no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after the children's first day of attendance in the school.

(c) At the end of the initial grading period during which children have been in the same classroom or separate classrooms pursuant to their parent or guardian's request under this subsection, if the principal, in consultation with the children's classroom teacher or teachers, determines that the requested classroom placement is disruptive to the school, the principal may request that the school board determine the children's classroom placement.

(d) For purposes of this section, the term “ higher order multiples ” means triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets or more.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-39 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 104-39
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-39
Status: in_force

The Authority, in addition to the monies which may be received by it from the sale of revenue bonds and from the receipt of payments by the participating private institution of higher learning for the payment of the revenue bonds pursuant to the bond loan agreement, shall have the authority to accept from any public or private agency, or from any individual, grants, loans, aid or contributions for or in aid of the educational facility project or for the payment of the revenue bonds for said educational facility project, and to receive and accept grants, loans, aid or contributions, from any source, of money or property or other things of value to be held, used, and applied only for the purposes for which such grants, loans, aid or contributions may be made, provided the purposes of such loans, grants, aid or contributions are not in conflict with any of the provisions of this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-45 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 28-45
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-45
Status: in_force

(1) Charter schools are subject to the same civil rights, health and safety requirements applicable to noncharter public schools in the state, except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter.

(2) Charter schools are subject to the student assessment and accountability requirements applicable to noncharter public schools in the state; however, this requirement does not preclude a charter school from establishing additional student assessment measures that go beyond state requirements if the authorizer approves those measures.

(3) Although a charter school is geographically located within the boundaries of a particular school district and enrolls students who reside within the school district, the charter school may not be considered a school within that district under the purview of the school district's school board. The rules, regulations, policies and procedures established by the school board for the noncharter public schools that are in the school district in which the charter school is geographically located do not apply to the charter school unless otherwise required under the charter contract or any contract entered into between the charter school governing board and the local school board.

(4) Whenever the provisions of Title 37, Mississippi Code of 1972 , relating to the elementary and secondary education of public school students establish a requirement for or grant authority to local school districts, their school boards and the schools within the respective school districts, the language “school districts,” “school boards,” “boards of trustees,” “the schools within a school district,” or any other similar phraseology does not include a charter school and the governing board of a charter school unless the statute specifically is made applicable to charter schools as well as noncharter public schools.

(5) A charter school is not subject to any rule, regulation, policy or procedure adopted by the State Board of Education or the State Department of Education unless otherwise required by the authorizer or in the charter contract.

(6) Charter schools are not exempt from the following statutes:

(a) Chapter 41, Title 25, Mississippi Code of 1972 , which relate to open meetings of public bodies.

(b) Chapter 61, Title 25, Mississippi Code of 1972 , which relate to public access to public records.

(c) Section 37-3-51 , which requires notice by the district attorney of licensed school employees who are convicted of certain sex offenses.

(d) Section 37-3-53 , which requires publication of the Mississippi Report Card by the State Board of Education.

(e) Section 37-11-18 , which requires the automatic expulsion of a student possessing a weapon or controlled substance on educational property.

(f) Section 37-11-18.1 , which requires expulsion of certain habitually disruptive students.

(g) Section 37-11-19 , which requires suspension or expulsion of a student who damages school property.

(h) Section 37-11-20 , which prohibits acts of intimidation intended to keep a student from attending school.

(i) Section 37-11-21 , which prohibits parental abuse of school staff.

(j) Section 37-11-23 , which prohibits the willful disruption of school and school meetings.

(k) Sections 37-11-29 and 37-11-31 , which relate to reporting requirements regarding unlawful or violent acts on school property.

(l) Section 37-11-67 , which prohibits bullying or harassing behavior in public schools.

(m) Section 37-13-3 , which prohibits doctrinal, sectarian or denominational teaching in public schools.

(n) Sections 37-13-5 and 37-13-6 , which require the flags of the United States and the State of Mississippi to be displayed near the school building.

(o) Section 37-13-63(1) , which prescribes the minimum number of days which public schools must be kept in session during a scholastic year.

(p) Section 37-13-91 , which is the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law.

(q) Section 37-13-171(2) and (4) , which requires any course containing sex-related education to include instruction in abstinence-only or abstinence-plus education.

(r) Section 37-13-173 , which requires notice to parents before instruction on human sexuality is provided in public classrooms.

(s) Section 37-13-193 , which relates to civil rights and human rights education in the public schools.

(t) Sections 37-15-1 and 37-15-3 , which relate to the maintenance and transfer of permanent student records in public schools.

(u) Section 37-15-6 , which requires the State Department of Education to maintain a record of expulsions from the public schools.

(v) Section 37-15-9 , which establishes minimum age requirements for kindergarten and first grade enrollment in public schools.

(w) Section 37-15-11 , which requires a parent, legal guardian or custodian to accompany a child seeking enrollment in a public school.

(x) Sections 37-16-1 , 37-16-3 , 37-16-4 and 37-16-9 , which relate to the statewide assessment testing program.

(y) Section 37-18-1 , which establishes the Superior-Performing Schools Program and Exemplary Schools Program to recognize public schools that improve.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-35 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 28-35
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-35
Status: in_force

(1) Before implementing a charter school closure decision, the authorizer must develop a charter school closure protocol to ensure timely notification to parents, orderly transition of students and student records to new schools, and proper disposition of school funds, property and assets in accordance with the requirements of this chapter. The protocol must specify tasks, timelines and responsible parties, including delineating the respective duties of the school and the authorizer. If a charter school is to be closed for any reason, the authorizer shall oversee and work with the closing school to ensure a smooth and orderly closure and transition for students and parents, as guided by the closure protocol.

(2) If a charter school closes, all unspent government funds, unspent earnings from those funds and assets purchased with government funds must revert to the local school district in which the charter school is located. Unless otherwise provided for in the charter or a debt instrument, unspent funds from nongovernmental sources, unspent earnings from those funds, assets purchased with those funds and debts of the school must revert to the nonprofit entity created to operate the school and may be disposed of according to applicable laws for nonprofit corporations.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-57-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 57-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-57-1
Status: in_force

(1)(a) The boards of supervisors of the counties shall levy and collect all taxes for and on behalf of all school districts which were within the county school system or designated as special municipal separate school districts prior to July 1, 1986. Such taxes shall be collected by the county tax collector at the same time and in the same manner as county taxes are collected by him, and the same penalties for delinquency shall be applicable.

The governing authorities of the municipalities shall levy and collect all taxes for and on behalf of all school districts which were designated as municipal separate school districts prior to July 1, 1986. Such taxes shall be collected by the municipal tax collector at the same time and in the same manner as municipal taxes are collected by him, and the same penalties for delinquency shall be applicable.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 19-9-171 , the county or municipal tax collector, as the case may be, shall pay such tax collections, except for taxes collected for the payment of the principal of and interest on school bonds or notes and except for taxes collected to defray collection costs, into the school depository and report to the school board of the appropriate school district at the same time and in the same manner as the tax collector makes his payments and reports of other taxes collected by him.

However, the State Board of Education shall determine the appropriate levying authority for any school district created or reorganized after July 1, 1987.

(b) For the purposes of this chapter and any other laws pertaining to taxes levied or bonds or notes issued for and on behalf of school districts, the term “ levying authority ” means the board of supervisors of the county or the governing authorities of the municipality, whichever levies taxes for and on behalf of the particular school district as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection.

(2) The levying authority for the school district shall, at the same time and in the same manner as other taxes are levied by the levying authority, levy a tax of not less than twenty-eight (28) mills for the then current fiscal year or a millage rate equivalent to twenty-seven percent (27%) of the total funding formula under Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 , whichever is a lesser amount, as certified to the school district by the State Department of Education, upon all of the taxable property of the school district. However, in no case shall the minimum local ad valorem tax effort for any school district be equal to an amount that would require a millage rate exceeding fifty-five (55) mills in that school district. However, if a levying authority is levying in excess of fifty-five (55) mills on July 1, 1997, the levying authority may levy an additional amount not exceeding three (3) mills in the aggregate for the period beginning July 1, 1997, and ending June 30, 2003, subject to the limitation on increased receipts from ad valorem taxes prescribed in Sections 37-57-105 and 37-57-107 . Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require any school district that is levying more than fifty-five (55) mills pursuant to Sections 37-57-1 and 37-57-105 to decrease its millage rate to fifty-five (55) mills or less. In making such levy, the levying authority shall levy an additional amount sufficient to cover anticipated delinquencies and costs of collection so that the net amount of money to be produced by such levy shall be equal to the amount which the school district is required to contribute as its minimum local ad valorem tax effort. The tax so levied shall be collected by the tax collector at the same time and in the same manner as other ad valorem taxes are collected by him. The amount of taxes so collected as a result of such levy shall be paid into the district maintenance fund of the school district by the tax collector at the same time and in the same manner as reports and payments of other ad valorem taxes are made by the tax collector, except that the amount collected to defray costs of collection may be paid into the county general fund. The levying authority shall have the power and authority to direct and cause warrants to be issued against such fund for the purpose of refunding any amount of taxes erroneously or illegally paid into such fund where such refund has been approved in the manner provided by law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-119-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 119-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-119-3
Status: in_force

The principal object of the University of Southern Mississippi shall be to qualify teachers for the public schools of this state, by imparting instruction in the art and practice of teaching in all branches of study which pertain to a common school education, and such other studies as the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning may from time to time prescribe.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-551 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 29-551
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-551
Status: in_force

There is hereby created the Coahoma Community College District comprised of the territory lying within Coahoma County, Tunica County, Quitman County, Bolivar County and Tallahatchie County, and having boundaries coinciding with the external boundaries thereof. The district shall be, and is hereby constituted, a legal political governmental subdivision and a body corporate.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-267 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 29-267
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-267
Status: in_force

Any municipality, county or counties, acting alone or jointly with other counties or municipalities, which have organized or shall hereafter organize a junior college under the provisions of Sections 37-29-1 through 37-29-273 , shall be authorized to purchase lands or buildings for such college for cash or upon the installment plan. The deferred balance shall not bear interest in excess of that allowed for tax anticipation notes in Section 75-17-105, Mississippi Code of 1972 , and any deferred balance may be secured by a vendor's lien or by promissory notes and a deed of trust to be executed by the designated representative of the trustees of the junior college district. Title to such property shall be taken in the name of the trustees of such junior college district and their successors in office.

The board of supervisors of such county or counties, or in the case of a multiple county district the county or location acting alone or with one or more of the other counties, and the mayor and board of aldermen or other governing authority of such municipalities, are hereby authorized to levy annually a sufficient ad valorem tax to pay the down payment or yearly installments provided in the deed or deed of trust, or may use the three (3) mills provided in subsection (2) of Section 37-29-141 , allowed for enlargement and improvements.

At the time of the purchase of said lands or buildings there shall be entered on the minutes of the board of supervisors of each county or board of aldermen or other governing authority of each municipality participating, an order specifying the amount to be paid for such property and providing for the annual installments, and obligating the governing authorities of such county, counties, or municipalities to levy annually a sufficient ad valorem tax to pay such installment. The funds collected by such tax levy shall be paid into the hands of the county superintendent of the county in which such junior college is located, and disbursed by him as said installments become due.

In the event there is, at the time of the purchase of said property, an indebtedness due secured by a lien on such property, then the board of trustees of such junior college district shall have the authority to assume such indebtedness and pay same as a part of the purchase price of said property.

The junior college district shall have the privilege of prepaying all or a portion of the deferred balance at any time without penalty, and for this purpose may use any appropriate available funds.

Unneeded land or buildings or facilities located on property so acquired may be leased, or the buildings may be sold and removed.

By the authority given in this section for the home county of a junior college district to purchase land for junior college purposes, such indebtedness incurred or funds expended cannot become a binding obligation on other counties in the junior college district unless the boards of supervisors of such counties expressly consent thereto.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-109-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 109-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-109-11
Status: repealed

Sections 37-109-1 , 37-109-3 , 37-109-5 , 37-109-7 and 37-109-9 shall stand repealed on July, 1, 2025.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 138-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-17
Status: in_force

(1) It is unlawful for an individual who does not possess a valid supervisor certificate to direct an asbestos project.

(2) To qualify for an asbestos abatement supervisor certificate, an applicant shall:

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

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

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

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

(4) Applicants for a supervisor certificate shall submit to the commission, on forms prepared by the commission, an application for issuance or renewal of this 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. § 37-21-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 21-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-9
Status: in_force

The State Department of Education shall:

(a) Conduct a total needs assessment of the state to determine what areas currently lack pre-kindergarten programs and services, and conduct a cost-benefit analysis of establishing pre-kindergarten programs on a statewide basis. Any expected costs, whether federal, state or local, associated with implementing this requirement shall be clearly outlined; and

(b) Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of implementing mandatory kindergarten on a statewide basis. Any expected costs, whether federal, state or local, associated with implementing this requirement shall be clearly outlined; and

(c) Study the feasibility of developing an optional graduation diploma, to be known as an occupational diploma, that would include course requirements to ensure that students have mastered skills and employment competencies. The study shall include proposed procedures for ensuring that students may select and move between courses of study leading to a standard high school diploma or an occupational diploma. The study shall include options for continued skills training through community colleges, which shall include agreements between school districts and community colleges to minimize the circumstances under which students must repeat successfully completed high school coursework in community college. Any expected costs, both federal and state, associated in implementing these requirements shall be clearly outlined; and

(d) Report annually to the Mississippi Legislature on the graduation and dropout rates based on Grades 7 through 12 and Grades 9 through 12 cohort groups, statewide and by district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-115 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 65-115
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-115
Status: in_force

Should any school be closed in accordance with the terms of this article, such period of closure shall not be subtracted from the period of time which would otherwise be earned by any superintendent, principal, teacher or other employee employed to render services in and about the conduct and operation of any such school, as to any certification to which such person might otherwise be entitled.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-235 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 29-235
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-235
Status: in_force

A public junior college fraternity, sorority or secret society, as contemplated by Sections 37-29-235 through 37-29-243 is hereby defined to be any organization composed wholly, or in part, of public junior college pupils, which seeks to perpetuate itself by taking in additional members from the pupils enrolled in such junior college on the basis of the decision of the membership of such fraternity, sorority or secret society, rather than upon the free choice of any pupil in the junior college. However, this does not apply to the Order of DeMolay or a similar organization sponsored by any branch of the Masonic Orders or like adult fraternal organization.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-63 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 145-63
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-63
Status: in_force

Subsequent amendments to Sections 37-145-43 through 37-145-73 shall not limit the rights vested in the company with respect to any agreements made with, or remedies available to, the holders of bonds issued under Sections 37-145-43 through 37-145-73 prior to the enactment of the amendments until the bonds, together with all interest thereon, and all costs and expenses in connection with any proceeding by or on behalf of the holders, are fully met and discharged.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-49 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 28-49
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-49
Status: in_force

(1) Charter school teachers and other school personnel, as well as members of the governing board and any education service provider with whom a charter school contracts, are subject to criminal history record checks and fingerprinting requirements applicable to employees of other public schools. The authorizer shall require that current criminal records background checks and current child abuse registry checks are obtained, and that the criminal record information and registry checks are on file at the charter school for any new hires applying for employment. In order to determine an applicant's suitability for employment, the applicant must be fingerprinted. If no disqualifying record is identified at the state level, the fingerprints must be forwarded by the Department of Public Safety to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history record check. Under no circumstances may a member of the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board, member of the charter school governing board or any individual other than the subject of the criminal history record checks disseminate information received through the checks except as may be required to fulfill the purposes of this section. The determination whether the applicant has a disqualifying crime, as set forth in subsection (2) of this section, must be made by the appropriate state or federal governmental authority, which must notify the charter school whether a disqualifying crime exists.

(2) If the fingerprinting or criminal record checks disclose a felony conviction, guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere to a felony of possession or sale of drugs, murder, manslaughter, armed robbery, rape, sexual battery, sex offense listed in Section 45-33-23(g) , child abuse, arson, grand larceny, burglary, gratification of lust or aggravated assault which has not been reversed on appeal or for which a pardon has not been granted, the new hire is not eligible to be employed at the charter school. However, the charter school, in its discretion, may allow any applicant aggrieved by the employment decision under this section to show mitigating circumstances that exist and may allow, subject to the approval of the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board, the new hire to be employed at the school. The authorizer may approve the employment depending on the mitigating circumstances, which may include, but need not be limited to: (a) age at which the crime was committed; (b) circumstances surrounding the crime; (c) length of time since the conviction and criminal history since the conviction; (d) work history; (e) current employment and character references; and (f) other evidence demonstrating the ability of the person to perform the employment responsibilities competently and that the person does not pose a threat to the health or safety of children.

(3) No charter school, charter school employee, member of the charter school governing board, the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board or member or employee of the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board employee may be held liable in any employment discrimination suit in which an allegation of discrimination is made regarding an employment decision authorized under this section.

(4) A charter school shall terminate any teacher or administrator for committing one or more of the following acts:

(a) Engaging in unethical conduct relating to an educator-student relationship as identified by the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board;

(b) Fondling a student as described in Section 97-5-23 or engaging in any type of sexual involvement with a student as described in Section 97-3-95 ; or

(c) Failure to report sexual involvement of a charter school employee with a student as required by Section 97-5-24 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-99 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 151-99
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-99
Status: in_force

Based upon the information obtained pursuant to Section 37-151-207(3) and upon such other and further information as provided by law, the State Department of Education shall, on or before June 1 of each year, or as soon thereafter as is practical, furnish each school board and charter school the preliminary estimate of the amount each will receive from the total funding formula provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 for the succeeding scholastic year, and at the same time shall furnish each such school board with a tentative estimate of the cost of the local minimum tax effort for the total funding formula in the school district and the local contribution for the school district and each charter school for such succeeding fiscal year.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-51 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 21-51
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-51
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this section:

(a) “ Preschool or prekindergarten children ” means any children who have not entered kindergarten but will have obtained four (4) years of age on or before September 1 of a school year.

(b) An “ early learning collaborative ” is a district or countywide council that writes and submits an application to participate in the voluntary prekindergarten program. An early learning collaborative is comprised, at a minimum, of a public school district and/or a local Head Start affiliate if in existence, private or parochial schools, or one or more licensed child care centers. Agencies or other organizations that work with young children and their families may also participate in the collaborative to provide resources and coordination even if those agencies or organizations are not prekindergarten providers.

(c) A “ prekindergarten provider ” is a public, private or parochial school, licensed child care center or Head Start center that serves prekindergarten children and participates in the voluntary prekindergarten program.

(d) A “ lead partner ” is a public school district or other nonprofit entity with the instructional expertise and operational capacity to manage the early learning collaborative's prekindergarten program as described in the collaborative's approved application for funds. The lead partner serves as the fiscal agent for the collaborative and shall disburse awarded funds in accordance with the collaborative's approved application. The lead partner must facilitate a professional learning community for the teachers in the prekindergarten program and lead the collaborative. The lead partner ensures that the collaborative adopts and implements curriculum and assessments that align with the comprehensive early learning standards. The public school district shall be the lead partner if no other qualifying lead partner is selected.

(e) “ Comprehensive early learning standards ” are standards adopted by the State Board of Education that address the highest level of fundamental domains of early learning to include, but not be limited to, physical well-being and motor development, social/emotional development, approaches toward learning, language development and cognition and general knowledge. The comprehensive early learning standards shall also include standards for emergent literacy skills, including oral communication, knowledge of print and letters, phonological and phonemic awareness, and vocabulary and comprehension development.

(f) An “ evidence-based curriculum ” is an age-appropriate curriculum that demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on:

(i) Strong evidence from at least one (1) well-designed and well-implemented experimental study;

(ii) Moderate evidence from at least one (1) well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study; or

(iii) Promising evidence from at least one (1) well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias.

(2) To ensure that all children have access to quality early childhood education and development services, the Legislature finds and declares the following:

(a) Parents have the primary duty to educate their young preschool children;

(b) The State of Mississippi can assist and educate parents in their role as the primary caregivers and educators of young preschool children;

(c) There is a need to explore innovative approaches and strategies for aiding parents and families in the education and development of young preschool children; and

(d) There exists a patchwork of prekindergarten entities but no coordination of services and there needs to be a coordination of these services.

(3)(a) This subsection shall be known and may be cited as the “Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013.”

(b) Effective with the 2013-2014 school year, the Mississippi State Department of Education shall establish a voluntary prekindergarten program, which shall be a collaboration among the entities providing prekindergarten programs including Head Start, licensed child care facilities and licensed public, parochial and private school prekindergarten programs. This program shall be implemented no later than the 2014-2015 school year. Enrollment in the prekindergarten program shall be coordinated with the Head Start agencies in the local areas and shall not be permitted to cause a reduction in children served by the Head Start program. Under this program, eligible entities may submit an application for funds to (i) defray the cost of additional and/or more qualified teaching staff, appropriate educational materials and equipment and to improve the quality of educational experiences offered to four-year-old children in early care and education programs, and/or to (ii) extend developmentally appropriate education services at such programs currently serving four-year-old children to include practices of high quality instruction, and to (iii) administer, implement, monitor and evaluate the programs, and to (iv) defray the cost of professional development and age-appropriate child assessment.

(c) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated therefor, the State Department of Education shall administer the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the voluntary prekindergarten program, including awards and the application process.

(i) The department shall establish a rigorous and transparent application process for the awarding of funds. Lead partners shall submit the applications on behalf of their early learning collaborative.

(ii) The department will establish monitoring policies and procedures that, at a minimum, will include at least one (1) site visit a year.

(iii) The department will provide technical assistance to collaboratives and their providers to improve the quality of prekindergarten programs. Technical assistance may include classroom-embedded support for teachers and assistant teachers.

(iv) The department will evaluate the effectiveness of each early childhood collaborative and each prekindergarten provider. If the State Department of Education adopts a statewide kindergarten screening that assesses the readiness of each student for kindergarten, the State Department of Education shall adopt a minimum rate of readiness that each prekindergarten provider must meet in order to remain eligible for prekindergarten program funds. Each parent who enrolls his or her child in the prekindergarten program must submit the child for the statewide kindergarten screening, regardless of whether the child is admitted to kindergarten in a public school.

(d) Prekindergarten program funds shall be awarded to early childhood collaboratives whose proposed programs meet the program criteria. The criteria shall include:

(i) Voluntary enrollment of children;

(ii) Collaboration among prekindergarten providers and other early childhood programs through the establishment of an early learning collaborative;

(iii) Qualifications of master teachers, teachers and assistants, which must conform to guidelines in Section 37-21-3 ;

(iv) At least fifteen (15) hours of annual professional development for program instructional staff, including professional development in early literacy, and individualized professional development plans for all teachers and teaching assistants supplemented by classroom-embedded support on an as-needed basis;

(v) The use of state-adopted comprehensive early learning standards;

(vi) The use of a curriculum based on strong evidence as defined in subsection (1)(f)(i) of this section and aligned with the comprehensive early learning standards;

(vii) The use of a curriculum based on moderate evidence as defined in subsection (1)(f)(ii) of this section and aligned with the comprehensive early learning standards if no strong-evidence curriculum is available;

(viii) The use of a curriculum based on promising evidence as defined in subsection (1)(f)(iii) of this section and aligned with the comprehensive early learning standards if no strong-evidence curriculum or moderate-evidence curriculum is available;

(ix) The use of age-appropriate assessments aligned to the comprehensive early learning standards;

(x) Teacher/child ratios of one (1) adult for every ten (10) children with a maximum of twenty (20) children per classroom and a minimum of five (5) children per classroom;

(xi) The provision of at least one (1) meal meeting state and federal nutrition guidelines for young children;

(xii) Plans to screen and/or refer children for vision, hearing and other health issues;

(xiii) Family engagement opportunities;

(xiv) Plans to serve children with disabilities as indicated under IDEA;

(xv) The number of instructional hours to be provided, which shall equal no less than five hundred forty (540) instructional hours per school year for half-day programs and one thousand eighty (1,080) instructional hours per school year for full-day programs; and

(xvi) A budget detailing the use of funds for allowed expenses.

Participating child care centers shall: (a) meet state child care facility licensure requirements unless exempted under Section 43-20-5, Mississippi Code of 1972 , and (b) select and utilize a nationally recognized assessment tool, approved by the State Department of Education, designed to document classroom quality, which must be in place not later than July 1, 2016, as certified by the State Department of Education.

Within the prekindergarten program, a prekindergarten provider must comply with the antidiscrimination requirements applicable to public schools. A prekindergarten provider may not discriminate against a parent or child, including the refusal to admit a child for enrollment in the prekindergarten program, in violation of these antidiscrimination requirements. However, a prekindergarten provider may refuse to admit a child based on the provider's standard eligibility guidelines, provided that these guidelines do not violate the antidiscrimination requirements. Consistent with the Legislature's recognition of the primacy of a parent's role in the education of a preschool-age child and the related recognition of the state in assisting and educating parents in that role, if the State Department of Education adopts a statewide kindergarten screening that assesses the readiness of each student for kindergarten, the State Department of Education shall recognize each child's unique pattern of development when adopting a minimum rate of readiness that prekindergarten providers must meet in order to remain eligible for prekindergarten program funds. Each parent who enrolls his or her child in the prekindergarten program may submit the child for the statewide kindergarten screening, regardless of whether the child is admitted to kindergarten in a public school.

The State Department of Education may add program criteria not inconsistent with these requirements and shall develop policies and procedures to implement and enforce these criteria.

(e) The State Department of Education shall ensure that early learning collaboratives provide each parent enrolling a child in the voluntary prekindergarten program with a profile of every prekindergarten provider participating in the collaborative's geographic catchment area. The State Department of Education shall prescribe the information to be included in each profile as well as the format of the profiles. At a minimum, the profiles must include the prekindergarten provider's services, curriculum, instructor credentials and instructor-to-student ratio.

(f) A teacher, assistant teacher or other employee whose salary and fringe benefits are paid from state funds under this act shall only be classified as a state or local school district employee eligible for state health insurance benefits or membership in the Public Employees' Retirement System, if the person's employer is already an agency or instrumentality of the state, such as a school district, and the employee would be eligible for such benefits in the normal course of business.

(g) Funding shall be provided for this program beginning with the 2014 fiscal year subject to appropriation by the Legislature as provided in paragraph (h) of this subsection. The department shall make an annual report to the Legislature and the Governor regarding program operations and outcomes. Every three (3) years, with the first report due July 1, 2023, the department shall provide to the Legislature and the Governor a rigorous evaluation of program effectiveness using longitudinal data to measure short-term and long-term effects, including both achievement and nonachievement effects. After each three-year report, the PEER Committee shall review the three-year report and the intervening annual reports and submit an independent summary of its findings prior to the next legislative session. The short-term and long-term effects shall include, at a minimum, the following:

(i) Kindergarten readiness;

(ii) English Language arts proficiency in grades 3 through 8;

(iii) Math proficiency in grades 3 through 8;

(iv) Science proficiency in grades 5 and 8;

(v) Disciplinary incidents;

(vi) Chronic absenteeism;

(vii) On-time graduation rate;

(viii) College enrollment;

(ix) Grade retention; and

(x) Special education services/exits.

(h)(i) The Legislature shall appropriate funds to implement the Early Education Collaborative Act of 2013 on a phased-in basis as follows:

1. The first phase shall be based on an annual state appropriation of not more than Eight Million Dollars ($8,000,000.00) and shall serve approximately three thousand five hundred (3,500) children through five (5) to eight (8) early learning collaboratives and their prekindergarten providers;

2. The second phase shall be based on an annual state appropriation of not more than Sixteen Million Dollars ($16,000,000.00) and shall serve approximately seven thousand (7,000) children through ten (10) to fifteen (15) early learning collaboratives and their prekindergarten providers;

3. The third phase shall be based on an annual state appropriation of not more than Thirty-three Million Nine Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($33,950,000.00) and shall serve approximately fifteen thousand (15,000) children through twenty (20) to twenty-five (25) early learning collaboratives and their prekindergarten providers.

(ii) Future phases shall be based on interest in the program and the effectiveness of the program as determined by the school readiness of participants. Each phase shall last for at least three (3) years, but no more than five (5) years. The State Department of Education shall determine when to move to a new phase of the program, within the timeline provided herein.

(iii) Funding shall be provided to early learning collaboratives on the basis of a minimum of Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) per student in a full-day program and a minimum of One Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($1,250.00) per student in a half-day program proposed in the collaborative's approved application. Once an early learning collaborative's plan is approved and funded, the collaborative and/or its prekindergarten providers shall receive funds on an ongoing basis unless the collaborative and/or its prekindergarten providers no longer meet the criteria to participate in the program.

(iv) Early learning collaboratives shall match state funds on a 1:1 basis. Local matching funds may include local tax dollars, federal dollars as allowed, parent tuition, philanthropic contributions, or in-kind donations of facilities, equipment and services required as part of the program such as food service or health screenings.

(v) The State Department of Education shall reserve no more than five percent (5%) of the appropriation in any year for administrative costs.

(vi) In the initial phase of implementation, the State Department of Education shall award state funds under the Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013 based on a community's capacity, commitment and need. To determine capacity, commitment and need, the State Department of Education shall require evidence of existing strong local collaborations of early education stakeholders. Such evidence shall include, but not be limited to, collaborations resulting from any of the following:

1. Participation in Excel By 5;

2. Participation in Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK);

3. Participation in the Gilmore Early Learning Initiative (GELI); or

4. Participation in the Mississippi Building Blocks.

In determining community need, the department shall consider low academic achievement within the public school districts participating in an applicant early learning collaborative and the number and percentage of children without quality prekindergarten options.

(vii) All authority granted to the State Department of Education to establish program rules is subject to the public processes established in the provisions of the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, including, but not limited to, filing notice of the proposed rules, public hearings and any economic impact statement with the Office of the Secretary of State before presenting such information to the State Board of Education for final approval.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-29 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 173-29
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-29
Status: in_force

The inclusion of eligible nonpublic schools within options available to Mississippi public school students does not expand the regulatory authority of the state, its officers, or any school district to impose any additional regulation of nonpublic schools beyond those reasonably necessary to enforce requirements expressly set forth in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-185-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 185-21
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-185-21
Status: repealed

(1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Independent Schools Infrastructure Grant Program Act of 2022.”

(2) There is established the Independent Schools Infrastructure Grant Program, to be administered by the Department of Finance and Administration. Under the program, eligible independent schools may apply for reimbursable grants to make necessary investments in water, wastewater, stormwater, broadband and other eligible infrastructure projects to be funded by the Legislature using Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds made available under the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The program shall be funded from appropriations by the Legislature to the department from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund.

(3) The use of grants shall be subject to audit by the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Inspector General and the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. An eligible independent school found to be fully or partially noncompliant with grant requirements shall return to the state all or a portion of the grant monies received and used for unallowable expenditures. Applicants shall confirm their understanding of these terms.

(4) For purposes of this section, unless the context requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the meanings as defined in this subsection:

(a) “ Program ” means the Independent Schools Infrastructure Grant Program established under this section.

(b) “ ARPA ” means the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2 , which amends Title VI of the Social Security Act.

(c) “ ARPA funds ” means Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds awarded through Section 602 of Title VI of the Social Security Act amended by Section 9901 of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2.

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

(e) “ Eligible independent school ” means any private or nonpublic school operating within the State of Mississippi that:

(i) Is a member of the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) and located in the State of Mississippi; or

(ii) Is accredited by a state, regional or national accrediting organization; and

(iii) Is not subject to the purview of authority of the State Board of Education.

(5) On or before July 1, 2022, the department shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to administer the program established under this section, including application procedures and deadlines.

(6) Funds under the program shall be awarded for ARPA eligible projects in the following order:

(a) Eligible water, wastewater and stormwater projects under the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) or Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and other eligible water projects allowable by ARPA;

(b) Broadband infrastructure projects;

(c) Capital investments for prevention, mitigation and ventilation in congregate living facilities and other key settings; and

(d) Any eligible project through ARPA guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury, excluding premium pay for employees.

(7) The governing board of any eligible independent school may submit an application for grant funds under this section. Applicants shall certify to the department that each expenditure of the funds awarded to them by the department under this section is in compliance with the ARPA guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, by the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund. Subsequent submissions will be due by the dates established by the department.

(8) An application for a grant under this section shall be submitted at such time, be in such form, and contain such information as the department prescribes. Each application shall include the following at a minimum: applicant contact information; project description and type of project; project map; estimate of the population served by the project; estimated project cost; estimated project schedule; and readiness to proceed. The department is authorized to accept additional rounds of grant proposals for application consideration as needed.

(9) Applications shall be reviewed, and the department shall certify that each project submitted is eligible under ARPA and all applicable guidance issued by the United States Department of the Treasury. For water, wastewater and stormwater projects, the department must also certify that it is a “necessary investment” in water, wastewater or stormwater infrastructure as defined in ARPA and all applicable guidance issued by the United States Department of the Treasury. Grant agreements shall be executed between the recipient and the department. All final awards shall be determined at the discretion of the executive director of the department. Funds shall be made available to a grantee upon the execution of a grant agreement between the department and the approved applicant, and the department obtains the necessary support for reimbursement.

(10) Grant funds shall be used prospectively, and grants are not available to cover the costs of debt incurred before July 1, 2022.

(11) The maximum amount of grant funds that may be awarded to any eligible independent school under the program is One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00).

(12) The department shall submit to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee by October 1 of each year an annual report about the program. The reports shall contain the applications received, the amount of grant funds awarded to each applicant, the amount of grant funds expended by each applicant, and the status of each applicant's project.

(13) Grant funds received under this section must be obligated no later than December 31, 2024, and must be expended no later than December 31, 2026. Each grant recipient shall certify for any project for which a grant is awarded that if the project is not completed by December 31, 2026, and the United States Congress does not enact an extension of the deadline on the availability of ARPA funds, then the grant recipient will complete the project using any other funds available.

(14) The department may retain an amount not to exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) of the total funds allocated to the program to defray its administrative costs.

(15) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2026.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-613 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 29-613
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-613
Status: in_force

The educational building corporations authorized under Sections 37-29-601 through 37-29-613 , in connection with the issuance of the bonds in order to secure the payment of such bonds and interest thereon, shall have power by resolutions:

(a) To fix and maintain fees, rentals and other charges to be paid by students, faculty members and others using or being served by facilities for which bonds are issued under Sections 37-29-601 through 37-29-613 ; however, in fixing such fees, rentals and other charges, there may be allowed reasonable differentials based on the condition, type, location and relative convenience of the facilities in question, but the differentials shall be uniform as to all such students or faculty members and others similarly accommodated;

(b) To provide that bonds issued shall be secured by a first, exclusive and closed lien on, and shall be payable from, all or any part of the income and revenues derived from fees, rentals and other charges to be paid by students, faculty members or others using or being served by any facilities operated at the community or junior college, and erected, repaired, remodeled, maintained, added to, extended, improved or acquired under Sections 37-29-601 through 37-29-613 , or any other law, or otherwise, and not theretofore so pledged;

(c) To pledge and assign to, or in trust for the benefit of the holder or holders of any bond or bonds, coupon or coupons so issued, an amount of the income and revenues derived from fees, rentals and other charges to be paid by students, faculty members, or others using or being served by any facilities operated at any community or junior college, and erected, repaired, remodeled, maintained, added to, extended, improved or acquired under Sections 37-29-601 through 37-29-613 , or any other law, or otherwise, and not theretofore so pledged, and the rentals, fees and charges imposed and pledged pursuant to the terms of this section shall be sufficient to pay when due the bonds so issued and interest thereon, to create and maintain a reasonable reserve therefor, and to operate and maintain the project so constructed, and to create and at all times maintain an adequate reserve for contingencies and for major repairs and replacements;

(d) To covenant with or for the benefit of the holder or holders of any bond or bonds, coupon or coupons so issued to erect, repair, remodel, maintain, add to, extend, improve or acquire any facilities, that so long as any of the bonds shall remain outstanding and unpaid, the institution shall fix, maintain and collect, in installments as may be agreed upon, an amount of fees, rentals or other charges from students, faculty members and others using or being served by any facilities operated at any community or junior college and erected, repaired, remodeled, maintained, added to, extended, improved or acquired under Sections 37-29-601 through 37-29-613 , or any other law, or otherwise, which shall be sufficient to pay when due any bond or bonds, coupons or coupons so issued, and to create and maintain a reasonable reserve therefor, and to pay the cost of operation and maintenance of the facilities against loss or damage by fire and windstorm or other calamities, in such sum as may be acceptable to the purchaser or purchasers of the bonds. The rentals, fees and other charges shall at all times be sufficient to maintain an adequate bond sinking fund to provide for the payment of interest on and principal of the bonds as and when they accrue and mature, to create a reasonable reserve therein and to pay the cost of operation and maintenance and insurance as herein provided and to create and at all times maintain an adequate reserve for contingencies and for major repairs and replacements;

(e) To make and enforce and agree to make and enforce parietal rules that shall insure the use of the facility by all students in attendance at the community or junior college, and faculty members of the community or junior college, to the maximum extent the facilities are capable of serving students and faculty, so long as it does not interfere with any existing contract;

(f) To covenant that as long as any of the bonds so issued shall remain outstanding and unpaid, it will not, except upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the resolution issuing such bonds:

(i) Voluntarily create, or cause to be created, any debt, lien, pledge, assignment, encumbrance or other charge having priority to or being on a parity with the lien of the bonds so issued upon any of the income and revenues derived from fees, rentals and other charges to be paid by students, faculty members and others using or being served by the facilities operated at any such institution and erected, repaired, remodeled, maintained, added to, extended, improved or acquired under Sections 37-29-601 through 37-29-613 , or any other law, or otherwise;

(ii) Convey or otherwise alienate the facilities, or the real estate upon which the same shall be located, except at a price sufficient to pay all the bonds then outstanding payable from the revenues derived therefrom and interest accrued on such bonds, and then only in accordance with any agreements with the holder or holders of such bonds; or

(iii) Mortgage or otherwise voluntarily create, or cause to be created, any encumbrance on the facility, or the real estate upon which it shall be located;

(g) To covenant as to the proceedings by which the terms of any contract with a holder or holders of such bonds may be amended or rescinded, the amount or percentage of bonds the holder or holders of which must consent thereto and the manner in which consent may be given;

(h) To vest in a trustee or trustees the right to receive all or any part of the income and revenue and proceeds of insurance pledged and assigned to, or for the benefit of, the holder or holders of such bonds, and to hold, apply and dispose of the income and revenue and proceeds of insurance and the right to enforce any covenant made to secure or pay or in relation to the bonds;

(i) To execute and deliver, in the name of the community or junior college for which such bonds are being issued, a trust agreement or agreements which may set forth the powers and duties of such trustee or trustees, and limiting the liabilities of the trustee or trustees, and describing what occurrences shall constitute events of default and prescribing the terms and conditions upon which such trustee or trustees or the holder or holders of bonds of any specified amount or percentage of such bonds may exercise such right and enforce any and all such covenants and resort to any remedies as may be appropriate; and

(j) To vest in a trustee or trustees or the holder or holders of any specified amount or percentage of bonds the right to apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for and have granted the appointment of a receiver or receivers of the income and revenue pledged and assigned to or for the benefit of the holder or holders of such bonds, which receiver or receivers may have and be granted powers and duties as are usually granted under the laws of the State of Mississippi to a receiver or receivers appointed in connection with the foreclosure of a mortgage made by a private corporation.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-61 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 113-61
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-61
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this section:

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

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

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

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

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

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

(5) The state certification program is a program to identify and recognize those therapeutic riding instructors who have completed training in safety standards in therapeutic riding. The state certification program is not a regulatory program, and the extension service shall not have any regulatory authority over therapeutic riding instructors, facilities or programs in Mississippi.