Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / 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. § 37-129-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 129-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-129-1
Status: in_force

In addition to all other powers and duties now vested by law in the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning of the State of Mississippi, said board is hereby empowered and required to:

(a) Establish by rules and regulations and promulgate uniform standards for accreditation of schools of nursing in the State of Mississippi (i) insofar as concerns the eligibility of graduates of such schools to take the examination prescribed by law to become registered nurses authorized to practice the profession of nursing as registered nurses in Mississippi, and (ii) insofar as concerns student nurses attending such schools being eligible to participate in any student nurse scholarship program or other program of assistance now existing or hereafter established by legislative enactment;

(b) Issue to such schools of nursing upon an annual basis certificates of accreditation as may be proper under such standards;

(c) Administer any scholarship program or other program of assistance heretofore or hereafter established by legislative enactment for the benefit of students attending accredited schools of nursing in this state;

(d) Administer any other funds available or which may be made available for the promotion of nursing education in the state, with the exception of nursing faculty supplement funds to the public junior colleges, which funds shall be appropriated to and administered by the Division of Junior Colleges of the State Department of Education;

(e) Adopt rules and regulations to provide that a nurse in training may, during the two-year period in an approved hospital, be allowed to transfer at any time with full credit after six (6) months in training, to any other hospital of her choice at which there is a vacancy; suitable provision shall be made to protect her against coercion or intimidation concerning such a contemplated transfer.

In addition to other powers now vested by law in the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, said board is hereby empowered to establish and maintain a nurse-midwifery education program that meets the accreditation standards of the American College of Nurse-Midwives at a state institution of higher learning under the jurisdiction of the board of trustees.

In order to implement paragraph (d) above, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning is hereby authorized and directed to arrange and contract with hospitals, senior colleges and hospital schools of nursing for the financial support of programs of nursing education. The said board is further authorized to adopt such terms for contracts, and such rules and regulations for reimbursing contracting agencies for costs of instruction in schools of nursing as may be feasible in accordance with appropriations made by the Legislature for this purpose. However, no reimbursement may be made to contracting agencies in excess of the actual cost of instruction in the schools of nursing.

In addition to the powers now vested by law in the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and subject to the availability of funds specifically appropriated therefor, said board is hereby empowered and directed to conduct a one-year feasibility study and comprehensive plan for nursing schools in Mississippi which addresses the concept of shared utilization of clinical simulation laboratories for all Mississippi schools of nursing in order to provide computerized interactive learning capabilities for all schools, utilizing the pooled resources or mobile capability models from other states. The completed plan shall be developed and a report made to the 2009 Regular Session on or before December 1, 2008.

No provision of this section shall be construed to authorize any department, agency, officer or employee of the State of Mississippi to exercise any controls over the admissions policy of any private educational institution offering a baccalaureate degree in nursing.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 41-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-13
Status: in_force

All routes shall be laid out so as to place all pupils entitled to transportation within a reasonable distance of same. No child entitled to transportation shall be required to walk a greater distance than one mile to reach the vehicle of transportation in the morning or to reach his home in the afternoon.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-47 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 11-47
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-47
Status: in_force

(1) There is hereby created the Mississippi Stonewall Jackson Memorial Board, which shall have as its purpose the memorializing of that great American and Confederate General, Stonewall Jackson, through a program of education initiated by Stonewall Jackson Memorial, Inc. The Mississippi Stonewall Jackson Memorial Board shall be governed by a board of trustees, who shall serve without compensation. The board of trustees shall be composed of three (3) members, the Mississippi State Superintendent of Public Education, the Director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and the President of Stonewall Jackson Memorial, Inc. The board of trustees shall be vested with the power to administer this section in its entirety and to establish the Mississippi Stonewall Jackson Memorial Fund.

(2) From and after March 13, 1990, the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Board shall be abolished by operation of law, and any monies appropriated or donated to or deposited in the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Fund shall be received, invested and administered by the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History as it deems advisable in line with sound business procedure. The Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History may spend the interest derived from the Mississippi Stonewall Jackson Memorial Fund to support the programs and activities of the Junior Historical Society of Mississippi and thereby promote the study of Mississippi history. No part of the principal of such fund shall be disbursed for any purpose, and all grants to the Junior Historical Society shall be taken from the interest derived from investments only.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-19-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 19-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-19-7
Status: in_force

(1) Teachers' salaries in each public school district shall be determined and paid in accordance with the scale for teachers' salaries as provided in this subsection. For teachers holding the following types of licenses or the equivalent as determined by the State Board of Education, and the following number of years of teaching experience, the scale shall be as follows:

2022-2023 AND SUBSEQUENT SCHOOL YEARS MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE

Exp.

AAAA

AAA

AA

A

0

45,500.00

44,000.00

43,000.00

41,500.00

1

46,100.00

44,550.00

43,525.00

41,900.00

2

46,700.00

45,100.00

44,050.00

42,300.00

3

47,300.00

45,650.00

44,575.00

42,700.00

4

47,900.00

46,200.00

45,100.00

43,100.00

5

49,250.00

47,500.00

46,350.00

44,300.00

6

49,850.00

48,050.00

46,875.00

44,700.00

7

50,450.00

48,600.00

47,400.00

45,100.00

8

51,050.00

49,150.00

47,925.00

45,500.00

9

51,650.00

49,700.00

48,450.00

45,900.00

10

53,000.00

51,000.00

49,700.00

47,100.00

11

53,600.00

51,550.00

50,225.00

47,500.00

12

54,200.00

52,100.00

50,750.00

47,900.00

13

54,800.00

52,650.00

51,275.00

48,300.00

14

55,400.00

53,200.00

51,800.00

48,700.00

15

56,750.00

54,500.00

53,050.00

49,900.00

16

57,350.00

55,050.00

53,575.00

50,300.00

17

57,950.00

55,600.00

54,100.00

50,700.00

18

58,550.00

56,150.00

54,625.00

51,100.00

19

59,150.00

56,700.00

55,150.00

51,500.00

20

60,500.00

58,000.00

56,400.00

52,700.00

21

61,100.00

58,550.00

56,925.00

53,100.00

22

61,700.00

59,100.00

57,450.00

53,500.00

23

62,300.00

59,650.00

57,975.00

53,900.00

24

62,900.00

60,200.00

58,500.00

54,300.00

25

65,400.00

62,700.00

61,000.00

56,800.00

26

66,000.00

63,250.00

61,525.00

57,200.00

27

66,600.00

63,800.00

62,050.00

57,600.00

28

67,200.00

64,350.00

62,575.00

58,000.00

29

67,800.00

64,900.00

63,100.00

58,400.00

30

68,400.00

65,450.00

63,625.00

58,800.00

31

69,000.00

66,000.00

64,150.00

59,200.00

32

69,600.00

66,550.00

64,675.00

59,600.00

33

70,200.00

67,100.00

65,200.00

60,000.00

34

70,800.00

67,650.00

65,725.00

60,400.00

35

& above

71,400.00

68,200.00

66,250.00

60,800.00

2024-2025 AND SUBSEQUENT SCHOOL YEARS MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE

The school district, with assistance from the Department of Education, shall consider the teacher's years of service and license type and determine the corresponding salary for the retired teacher. After determining the retired teacher's corresponding salary, the school district may allocate up to one hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the amount provided under the salary schedule for such teacher, as applicable, as salary and assessment under the program.

After determining the retired teacher's salary, the school district may pay no more than fifty percent (50%) of the retired teacher's compensation as salary to the retired teacher. The remaining fifty percent (50%) of the retired teacher's compensation as salary shall be paid by the school district to PERS as a pension liability participation assessment.

It is the intent of the Legislature that any state funds made available for salaries of licensed personnel in excess of the funds paid for such salaries for the 1986-1987 school year shall be paid to licensed personnel pursuant to a personnel appraisal and compensation system implemented by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall have the authority to adopt and amend rules and regulations as are necessary to establish, administer and maintain the system.

All teachers employed on a full-time basis shall be paid a minimum salary in accordance with the above scale. However, no school district shall receive any funds under this section for any school year during which the local supplement paid to any individual teacher shall have been reduced to a sum less than that paid to that individual teacher for performing the same duties from local supplement during the immediately preceding school year. The amount actually spent for the purposes of group health and/or life insurance shall be considered as a part of the aggregate amount of local supplement but shall not be considered a part of the amount of individual local supplement.

The level of professional training of each teacher to be used in establishing the salary for the teacher for each year shall be determined by the type of valid teacher's license issued to that teacher on or before October 1 of the current school year. However, school districts are authorized, in their discretion, to negotiate the salary levels applicable to licensed employees who are receiving retirement benefits from the retirement system of another state.

(2)(a) The following employees shall receive an annual salary supplement in the amount of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00), plus fringe benefits, in addition to any other compensation to which the employee may be entitled:

(i) Any licensed teacher or retired teacher employed by a school district under the authority of Section 25-11-126 who has met the requirements and acquired a Master Teacher certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and who is employed by a local school board or the State Board of Education as a teacher and not as an administrator. Such teacher shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the certificate was received prior to October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the teacher shall submit such documentation to the State Department of Education prior to February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year.

(ii) A licensed nurse who has met the requirements and acquired a certificate from the National Board for Certification of School Nurses, Inc., and who is employed by a local school board or the State Board of Education as a school nurse and not as an administrator. The licensed school nurse shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the certificate was received before October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the licensed school nurse shall submit the documentation to the State Department of Education before February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year.

(iii) Any licensed school counselor who has met the requirements and acquired a National Certified School Counselor (NCSC) endorsement from the National Board of Certified Counselors and who is employed by a local school board or the State Board of Education as a counselor and not as an administrator. Such licensed school counselor shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the endorsement was received prior to October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the licensed school counselor shall submit such documentation to the State Department of Education prior to February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year. However, any school counselor who started the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards process for school counselors between June 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, and completes the requirements and acquires the Master Teacher certificate shall be entitled to the master teacher supplement, and those counselors who complete the process shall be entitled to a one-time reimbursement for the actual cost of the process as outlined in paragraph (b) of this subsection.

(iv) Any licensed speech-language pathologist and audiologist who has met the requirements and acquired a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and any certified academic language therapist (CALT) who has met the certification requirements of the Academic Language Therapy Association and who is employed by a local school board. The licensed speech-language pathologist and audiologist and certified academic language therapist shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the certificate or endorsement was received before October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the licensed speech-language pathologist and audiologist and certified academic language therapist shall submit the documentation to the State Department of Education before February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year.

(v) Any licensed athletic trainer who has met the requirements and acquired Board Certification for the Athletic Trainer from the Board of Certification, Inc., and who is employed by a local school board or the State Board of Education as an athletic trainer and not as an administrator. The licensed athletic trainer shall submit documentation to the State Department of Education that the certificate was received before October 15 in order to be eligible for the full salary supplement in the current school year, or the licensed athletic trainer shall submit the documentation to the State Department of Education before February 15 in order to be eligible for a prorated salary supplement beginning with the second term of the school year.

(b) An employee shall be reimbursed for the actual cost of completing each component of acquiring the certificate or endorsement, excluding any costs incurred for postgraduate courses, not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each component, not to exceed four (4) components, for a teacher, school counselor or speech-language pathologist and audiologist, regardless of whether or not the process resulted in the award of the certificate or endorsement. A local school district or any private individual or entity may pay the cost of completing the process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement for any employee of the school district described under paragraph (a), and the State Department of Education shall reimburse the school district for such cost, regardless of whether or not the process resulted in the award of the certificate or endorsement. If a private individual or entity has paid the cost of completing the process of acquiring the certificate or endorsement for an employee, the local school district may agree to directly reimburse the individual or entity for such cost on behalf of the employee.

(c) All salary supplements, fringe benefits and process reimbursement authorized under this subsection shall be paid directly by the State Department of Education to the local school district and shall be in addition to its allotments from the total funding formula provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 and not a part thereof in accordance with regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education. Local school districts shall not reduce the local supplement paid to any employee receiving such salary supplement, and the employee shall receive any local supplement to which employees with similar training and experience otherwise are entitled. However, an educational employee shall receive the salary supplement in the amount of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) for only one (1) of the qualifying certifications authorized under paragraph (a) of this subsection. No school district shall provide more than one (1) annual salary supplement under the provisions of this subsection to any one (1) individual employee holding multiple qualifying national certifications.

(d) If an employee for whom such cost has been paid, in full or in part, by a local school district or private individual or entity fails to complete the certification or endorsement process, the employee shall be liable to the school district or individual or entity for all amounts paid by the school district or individual or entity on behalf of that employee toward his or her certificate or endorsement.

(3) The following employees shall receive an annual salary supplement in the amount of Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00), plus fringe benefits, in addition to any other compensation to which the employee may be entitled:

Effective July 1, 2016, if funds are available for that purpose, any licensed teacher or retired teacher employed by a local school district under the authority of Section 25-11-126 who has met the requirements and acquired a Master Teacher Certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and who is employed in a public school district located in one (1) of the following counties: Claiborne, Adams, Jefferson, Wilkinson, Amite, Bolivar, Coahoma, Leflore, Quitman, Sharkey, Issaquena, Sunflower, Washington, Holmes, Yazoo and Tallahatchie. The salary supplement awarded under the provisions of this subsection (3) shall be in addition to the salary supplement awarded under the provisions of subsection (2) of this section.

Teachers who meet the qualifications for a salary supplement under this subsection (3) who are assigned for less than one (1) full year or less than full time for the school year shall receive the salary supplement in a prorated manner, with the portion of the teacher's assignment to the critical geographic area to be determined as of June 15th of the school year.

(4)(a) This subsection shall be known and may be cited as the “Mississippi Performance-Based Pay (MPBP)” plan. In addition to the minimum base pay described in this section, only if funds are available for that purpose, the State of Mississippi may provide monies from state funds to school districts for the purposes of rewarding licensed teachers, administrators and nonlicensed personnel at individual schools showing improvement in student test scores. The MPBP plan shall be developed by the State Department of Education based on the following criteria:

(i) It is the express intent of this legislation that the MPBP plan shall utilize only existing standards of accreditation and assessment as established by the State Board of Education.

(ii) To ensure that all of Mississippi's teachers, administrators and nonlicensed personnel at all schools have equal access to the monies set aside in this section, the MPBP program shall be designed to calculate each school's performance as determined by the school's increase in scores from the prior school year. The MPBP program shall be based on a standardized scores rating where all levels of schools can be judged in a statistically fair and reasonable way upon implementation. At the end of each year, after all student achievement scores have been standardized, the State Department of Education shall implement the MPBP plan.

(iii) To ensure all teachers cooperate in the spirit of teamwork, individual schools shall submit a plan to the local school district to be approved before the beginning of each school year. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, how all teachers, regardless of subject area, and administrators will be responsible for improving student achievement for their individual school.

(b) The State Board of Education shall develop the processes and procedures for designating schools eligible to participate in the MPBP. State assessment results, growth in student achievement at individual schools and other measures deemed appropriate in designating successful student achievement shall be used in establishing MPBP criteria.

(5)(a) If funds are available for that purpose, each school in Mississippi shall have mentor teachers, as defined by Sections 37-9-201 through 37-9-213 , who shall receive additional base compensation provided for by the State Legislature in the amount of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per each beginning teacher that is being mentored. The additional state compensation shall be limited to those mentor teachers that provide mentoring services to beginning teachers. For the purposes of such funding, a beginning teacher shall be defined as any teacher in any school in Mississippi that has less than one (1) year of classroom experience teaching in a public school. For the purposes of such funding, no full-time academic teacher shall mentor more than two (2) beginning teachers.

(b) To be eligible for this state funding, the individual school must have a classroom management program approved by the local school board.

(6) Effective with the 2014-2015 school year, the school districts participating in the Pilot Performance-Based Compensation System pursuant to Section 37-19-9 may award additional teacher and administrator pay based thereon.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-53 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 153-53
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-53
Status: in_force

(1) The Mississippi Legislature finds the following:

(a) The public health crisis related to COVID-19 resulted in a general disruption in the Mississippi economy and workforce, particularly in the healthcare industry;

(b) Workforce shortages exist in a number of high-wage, high-demand Mississippi industries, including, but not limited to, the field of nursing; and

(c) The availability of unprecedented federal funding to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the workforce and economy has created a unique opportunity for the Office of Workforce Development, working with community colleges, institutions of higher learning, employers, and others, to provide education and training for Mississippians seeking employment in healthcare and other fields.

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

(a) To provide funding for outreach and other efforts to connect citizens seeking employment in nursing and other high-wage, high-demand fields with the education and training required to obtain necessary skills for relevant employment in the state;

(b) To provide funding for new and increased capacity in new and existing relevant workforce development and training programs, particularly programs related to nursing and healthcare, to include any required equipment or supplies, at community and junior colleges and institutions of higher learning across the state; and

(c) To gauge the effectiveness of these programs by gathering data related to participation and wage and employment outcomes in order to replicate successful efforts in future workforce development programs.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / 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. § 37-27-85 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 27-85
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-85
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of any such school as is discontinued, as provided in Section 37-27-83 , is further authorized with the approval of the board of supervisors to reconvey to the original grantors thereof, or their heirs, any lands which may have been donated to the trustees of such school for school purposes, except that part of the same, to be designated by the board of trustees, on which the school buildings are located. The deeds of conveyance shall be executed as provided in Section 37-27-83 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-329 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 101-329
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-329
Status: in_force

Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 shall be deemed to be full and complete authority for the exercise of the powers herein granted, but Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 shall not be deemed to repeal or to be in derogation of any existing law of this state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 41-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-13
Status: in_force

All routes shall be laid out so as to place all pupils entitled to transportation within a reasonable distance of same. No child entitled to transportation shall be required to walk a greater distance than one mile to reach the vehicle of transportation in the morning or to reach his home in the afternoon.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-65 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 151-65
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-65
Status: in_force

It is the intent of the Legislature by the passage of Sections 37-151-63 through 37-151-75 to provide for the creation and development of a regionally based system in Mississippi for education and training which: responds to the needs of Mississippi's work force and employers; is driven by the demands of industry and a competitive economy; makes maximum use of limited resources; and provides for continuing improvement through constant assessment of the results of education and training for individual workers and employers. 1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-14-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 14-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-14-3
Status: in_force

(1) The State Department of Education is designated as the state agency responsible for the administration and supervision of the school nurse program as an education and wellness curriculum in the public schools of the State of Mississippi. The public school nurse program administered by the State Department of Education shall be known and may be cited as the “Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program.” It is the intent of the Legislature that all funds made available to the State Department of Education for the purpose of employing school nurses shall be administered by the State Department of Education.

(2) The State Department of Education, through the Office of Healthy Schools, shall develop standards, procedures and criteria for the public school nurse programs in Kindergarten through Grade 12. The Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education shall assume the responsibility for promoting a statewide school nurse program designed to prepare local school districts to incorporate the school program into their local educational programs.

(3) From and after July 1, 2007, the School Nurse Intervention Program administered and funded by the State Department of Health shall be transferred to the Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education. Any administrative personnel employed by the State Department of Health for the administration of school nurses under the School Nurse Intervention Program may be considered for employment by the Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education for the purpose of coordinating the employment of school nurses in the school districts. Any administrative personnel formerly employed by the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, Inc., for the administration of school nurses in the public schools may be considered for employment by the Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education for the purpose of coordinating the employment of school nurses in the school districts. All records and unexpended balances of accounts in the School Nurse Intervention Program relating to the employment of school nurses shall be transferred to the Office of Healthy Schools in the State Department of Education in accordance with the transfer of responsibility under this chapter.

(4) The nurses in the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program shall have the following specific responsibilities:

(a) Serve as the coordinator of the health services program and provide nursing care;

(b) Provide health education to students;

(c) Implement activities to promote health and prevent tobacco, alcohol and substance use and abuse;

(d) Identify health and safety concerns in the school environment and promote a nurturing social environment;

(e) Administer medications and help students manage their health problems;

(f) Support healthy food services programs;

(g) Promote healthy physical education, sports policies and practices;

(h) Promote dropout prevention programs; and

(i) Participate in allied health programs to introduce students to health careers.

(5) The Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education shall provide resources to all public school nurses so that those schools with school nurses will be prepared to provide health education in Mississippi schools and support the Mississippi Comprehensive Health Framework, Mississippi Physical Education Framework, Wellness Policy, coordinated approach to school health, and other resources required by the State Board of Education.

(6) In administering the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program, the Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education shall perform the following duties:

(a) Execute any contracts, agreements or other documents with any governmental agency or any person, corporation, association, partnership or other organization or entity that are necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter;

(b) Receive grants or any other contributions made to the State Board of Education to be used for specific purposes related to the goals of this chapter;

(c) Submit to the State Auditor any financial records that are necessary for the Auditor to perform an annual audit of the commission as required by law;

(d) Adopt any rules or regulations that are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter;

(e) Develop criteria to measure the effectiveness of a school nurse;

(f) Communicate to superintendents and principals how to maximize the effectiveness of a public school nurse;

(g) Develop recommended salary structure for school districts to use when hiring a school nurse;

(h) Communicate to superintendents, principals and other appropriate school officials regarding the statutes and regulations prohibiting the use of tobacco by school personnel on school property and at school events, and to monitor the effectiveness of this ban;

(i) Implement policies to reduce unnecessary paperwork by public school nurses; and

(j) Take any other actions that are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-127 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 23-127
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-127
Status: in_force

(1) The state superintendent of education shall appoint a learning resources advisory committee for each center not to exceed ten (10) members as the superintendent, in his discretion, deems proper from each of the following groups:

(a) Professional educators actively engaged in the education of exceptional children or youth or in the administration of programs for exceptional youth and children.

(b) Professional educators in higher education dealing with the exceptional children and youth, and closely related areas.

(c) Parents of exceptional children or youth.

(2) The committee shall meet quarterly or upon call of the superintendent, and its functions shall be purely advisory in nature and effect. No compensation or per diem shall be provided committee members, but each member shall be entitled to receive all actual, necessary expenses incurred in discharging official responsibilities, including mileage as authorized by law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-171 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 13-171
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-171
Status: in_force

(1) The local school board of every public school district shall adopt a policy to implement abstinence-only or abstinence-plus education or sexual risk avoidance education into its curriculum, which instruction in those subjects shall be implemented not later than the start of the 2023-2024 school year or the local school board shall adopt the program which has been developed by the Mississippi Department of Human Services and the Mississippi Department of Health. The State Department of Education shall approve each district's curriculum for sex-related education and shall establish a protocol to be used by districts to provide continuity in teaching the approved curriculum in a manner that is age, grade and developmentally appropriate.

(2) Abstinence-only education shall remain the state standard for any sex-related education taught in the public schools. For purposes of this section, abstinence-only education includes any type of instruction or program which, at an appropriate age and grade:

(a) Teaches the social, psychological and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity, and the likely negative psychological and physical effects of not abstaining;

(b) Teaches the harmful consequences to the child, the child's parents and society that bearing children out of marriage is likely to produce, including the health, educational, financial and other difficulties the child and his or her parents are likely to face, as well as the inappropriateness of the social and economic burden placed on others;

(c) Teaches that unwanted sexual advances are irresponsible and teaches how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increases vulnerability to sexual advances;

(d) Teaches that abstinence from sexual activity before marriage, and fidelity within marriage, is the only certain way to avoid out-of-marriage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and related health problems. The instruction or program may include a discussion on condoms or contraceptives, but only if that discussion includes a factual presentation of the risks and failure rates of those contraceptives. In no case shall the instruction or program include any demonstration of how condoms or other contraceptives are applied;

(e) Teaches the current state law related to sexual conduct, including forcible rape, statutory rape, paternity establishment, child support and homosexual activity; and

(f) Teaches that a mutually faithful, monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the only appropriate setting for sexual intercourse.

(3) A program or instruction on sex-related education need not include every component listed in subsection (2) of this section for abstinence-only education. However, no program or instruction under an abstinence-only curriculum may include anything that contradicts the excluded components. For purposes of this section, abstinence-plus education includes every component listed under subsection (2) of this section that is age and grade appropriate, in addition to any other programmatic or instructional component approved by the department, which shall not include instruction and demonstrations on the application and use of condoms. Abstinence-plus education may discuss other contraceptives, the nature, causes and effects of sexually transmitted diseases, or the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, along with a factual presentation of the risks and failure rates.

(4) Any course containing sex-related education offered in the public schools shall include instruction in either abstinence-only or abstinence-plus education.

(5) Local school districts, in their discretion, may host programs designed to teach parents how to discuss abstinence with their children.

(6) There shall be no effort in either an abstinence-only or an abstinence-plus curriculum to teach that abortion can be used to prevent the birth of a baby.

(7) At all times when sex-related education is discussed or taught, boys and girls shall be separated according to gender into different classrooms, sex-related education instruction may not be conducted when boys and girls are in the company of any students of the opposite gender.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-148-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 148-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-148-7
Status: in_force

IHL and the Department of Revenue each may promulgate, in accordance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, rules and regulations, application forms and any other forms necessary for the implementation and administration of this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 21-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-7
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(b) Additionally, each school district shall:

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

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

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

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

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

(5) The State Department of Education shall:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(b) Districts meeting the highest levels of accreditation standards, as defined by the State Board of Education, shall be exempted from the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 68-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-1
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Equity in Distance Learning Act.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 173-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-27
Status: in_force

No liability shall arise on the part of the state based on the award or use of a Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-81 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 41-81
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-81
Status: in_force

The local school boards of this state are hereby authorized and empowered to purchase, own and operate, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the State Board of Education, motor vehicles, electric vehicles and other equipment for the transportation of children to and from the public schools of the respective counties and school districts, and to provide for the servicing, repair, care and maintenance of such county or district-owned motor vehicles and to employ drivers for the operation thereof, and to establish, erect and equip school bus shops or garages, and purchase land therefor, all under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the State Board of Education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 68-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-11
Status: in_force

To be eligible under this grant program, a school shall:

(a) Prioritize first the purchase of products listed in Section 37-68-5(h)(i) . Schools shall equip every student with a grade-appropriate device, as recommended by the department, before incurring the other expenses listed in Section 37-68-5(h)(ii) or (iii) , which shall receive next priority after the products listed in Section 37-68-5(h)(i) ;

(b) Match twenty percent (20%) of the funds received under this grant program with monies received by the school from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund or any funds made available to a school district or charter school for such purposes from any federal, state, public or private entity;

(c) Purchase products from vendors listed on the EPL, if using funds under this grant program, unless the school can demonstrate, to the department, that the products it purchases from vendors not listed on the EPL:

(i) Meet or exceed the technological specification and functionality required by the department; and

(ii) Can be purchased at a price that is less than any of the prices listed on the EPL for a comparable product;

(d) Submit the original, itemized receipt of purchase or an authentic copy of the receipt with its request for reimbursement;

(e) Secure insurance and submit proof of insurance for any items to be reimbursed under this program;

(f) Develop and submit to the department, by September 1, 2020:

(i) A distance learning plan, establishing an appropriate and achievable plan by the school to develop, implement and maintain distance learning capabilities with a focus on device procurement and connectivity to the internet for students and teachers. A school's distance learning plan shall make specific provision for its students with special needs, including the purchase of appropriate devices and equipment;

(ii) With the understanding that this grant program is being funded with one-time federal funds, a technology sustainability plan addressing how devices and other technology purchased and used by the school, and students, teachers and other administrators and staff, will be maintained throughout their usage and replaced before the expiration of the term of their expected useful life without additional state funds; and

(iii) A responsible use policy, addressing the use of devices and other technology purchased under this grant program. The policy shall include a provision requiring students, parents or guardians, teachers, administrators and other staff to agree in writing to the provisions in the policy, and may include fines for intentional loss or damage to devices. The policy shall also include a provision acknowledging that the school shall assume the control of ownership and liability for personal devices and other equipment purchased under this grant program until the personal device or other equipment:

1. No longer serves the school or related school purposes for which it was acquired and is sold by public auction under Section 17-25-25 ;

2. Is sold to students in Grade 12 under the provisions of Section 37-7-459 ; or

3. Is traded in to a vendor as part of a subsequent purchase; and

(g) Compile and maintain an inventory list of all devices purchased and issued to students, teachers and administrators and other staff, as well as any supporting technology or equipment used to support the school's distance learning plan.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-139 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 29-139
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-139
Status: in_force

Sections 37-29-131 through 37-29-139 , without reference to any other statute shall be deemed to be full and complete authority for the authorization, execution and delivery of lease agreements authorized hereunder and shall be construed as an additional and alternative method; and none of the present restrictions, requirements, conditions and limitations of law applicable to acquisition, construction and drawing of buildings or facilities shall apply to lease agreements under Sections 37-29-131 through 37-29-139 , and no proceeding shall be required for the authorization, execution and delivery of such leases other than those required herein, and all powers necessary to be exercised in order to carry out the provisions of Sections 37-29-131 through 37-29-139 , are hereby conferred.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-140-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 140-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-140-17
Status: in_force

From and after July 1, 2003, the “Y Hut,” located on the campus of the Mississippi School of the Arts, shall be renamed the “Helen Furlow Scruggs Y Hut.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-139-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 139-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-139-7
Status: in_force

The board shall be authorized to solicit and utilize the staff of the State Department of Education, staff of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and other state agencies as required for the implementation of this chapter. In addition, the board shall be authorized to contract or enter into agreements with other agencies and/or private research centers that it may deem necessary to carry out its duties and functions.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 138-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-11
Status: in_force

(1) It is unlawful for an individual who does not possess a valid management planner certificate to develop a management plan.

(2) To qualify for an asbestos management planner certificate, an applicant shall:

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

(b) Satisfactorily complete a commission-approved training course for asbestos management planners, except that a management planner 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 fully with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.

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

(4) Each applicant for a management planner certificate shall, on an annual basis, submit to the commission, on forms prepared by the commission, an application for issuance or renewal of the certificate, whichever is applicable, and a certificate that shows satisfactory completion of the training course(s) specified in subsection (2)(b) above and shall pay the applicable annual fee.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-257 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 33-257
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-257
Status: in_force

The department shall conduct an annual survey of nursing homes in the state to determine the number of individuals fifty-five (55) years of age and under who reside in such homes due to a spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury. All individuals identified in such a survey shall be evaluated by the department as to their rehabilitation potential, and any individual who may benefit from rehabilitation services shall be given an opportunity to participate in an appropriate rehabilitation program for which he may be eligible.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-47 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 115-47
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-47
Status: in_force

(1) The University of Mississippi Medical Center is authorized to dispose of food that has been frozen or properly preserved for human consumption through donation to charitable facilities, charitable organizations and/or individuals providing charitable services as the Medical Center deems appropriate.

(2) The executive director of the charitable facility or organization, receiving such food, or his authorized designee, shall agree to a waiver of liability in favor of the State of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi Medical Center stating that such donations are being provided in the condition used by the State of Mississippi and the University Medical Center, and without warranty of any nature.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-67 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 31-67
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-67
Status: in_force

Sections 37-31-61 through 37-31-65 are in addition to and supplementary to existing school laws, and shall not be construed to repeal any laws now in existence governing any of the public schools of this state or the operation thereof.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-33 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / 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. § 37-145-55 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 145-55
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-55
Status: in_force

The bonds may be secured by an indenture by and between the company and a corporate trustee which may be any bank or other corporation having the power of a trust company or any trust company within or without this state. Such indenture may contain such provisions for protecting and enforcing the rights and remedies of the bondholders as may be reasonable and proper and not in violation of law, including covenants setting forth the duties of the company in relation to the exercise of its powers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-54 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 11-54
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-54
Status: in_force

The State Board of Education shall develop a list of recommended conflict resolution and mediation materials, models and curricula that are developed from evidence-based practices and positive behavioral intervention supports to address responsible decision making, the causes and effects of school violence and harassment, cultural diversity, and nonviolent methods for resolving conflict, including peer mediation, and shall make the list available to local school administrative units and school buildings before the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year. In addition, local school boards shall incorporate evidence-based practices and positive behavioral intervention supports into individual school district policies and Codes of Conduct. In developing this list, the board shall emphasize materials, models and curricula that currently are being used in Mississippi and that the board determines to be effective. The board shall include at least one (1) model that includes instruction and guidance for the voluntary implementation of peer mediation programs and one (1) model that provides instruction and guidance for teachers concerning the integration of conflict resolution and mediation lessons into the existing classroom curriculum.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-253 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 33-253
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-253
Status: in_force

As used in Sections 37-33-251 through 37-33-263 :

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

(b) “Rehabilitation center” means a facility which provides intermediate care and stresses rehabilitation for persons with spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries.

(c) “Transitional living facility” means a facility which provides a temporary, structured residential environment for those individuals with spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries in a training or educational program, in order to prepare such individuals to live independently.

(d) “Traumatic brain injury” means an insult to the skull, brain, or its covering, resulting from external trauma which produces an altered state of consciousness or anatomic, motor, sensory or cognitive/behavioral deficits.

(e) “Spinal cord injury” means an acute traumatic insult to the spinal cord, not of a degenerative or congenital nature, but caused by an external trauma resulting in any degree of motor or sensory deficit.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 145-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-9
Status: in_force

The company shall administer and manage all money, including all interest made on loans pursuant to this chapter and all principal repaid on loans in whatever manner maximizes the amount of money available to the Mississippi Opportunity Loan Fund that is consistent with federal reinsurance requirements and state budget practices.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-63-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 63-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-63-17
Status: in_force

(1) The Mississippi 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 plus a separate equipment usage fee in an amount determined by the authority and based upon the equipment used. The costs shall be deposited to the credit of the authority. The separate equipment usage fee shall be deposited in the Capital Equipment Replacement Revolving Fund.

(2) The Authority for Educational Television may establish a Capital Equipment Replacement Revolving Fund into which shall be deposited equipment usage fees collected under subsection (1) and funds from other sources designated for deposit in the Capital Equipment Replacement Revolving Fund. The authority may expend moneys from the Capital Equipment Replacement Revolving Fund subject to appropriation therefor by the Legislature to purchase technical equipment for operating the educational radio and television facilities.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-325 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 101-325
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-325
Status: in_force

Any holder of bonds issued under the provisions of Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 or of any of the interest coupons pertaining thereto may, either at law or in equity, by suit, action, mandamus or other proceeding, protect and enforce any and all rights granted hereunder, or under such resolution, and may enforce and compel performance of all duties required by Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 to be performed, in order to provide for the payment of bonds and interest thereon.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-123 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 101-123
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-123
Status: in_force

When any such bonds or other direct obligations of the United States of America shall have been purchased with such excess funds as is provided for in Section 37-101-121 , such bonds or other obligations may be sold or surrendered for redemption at any time by order or resolution adopted by the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, and approved by the state building commission. Any member or members thereof or any officers or employees thereof, or any other person or persons, when authorized by such order or resolution, shall have the power and authority to sell said bonds or other obligations or to surrender same for redemption and to execute all instruments and take such other action as may be necessary to effectuate the sale or redemption thereof. When such bonds or other obligations shall be sold or redeemed, the proceeds thereof, including the accrued interest thereon, shall be paid into the proper fund and shall in all respects be dealt with and expended for the purpose for which said funds were originally derived or made available.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-57-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / 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. § 37-7-471 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 7-471
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-471
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(c) That the use of the school building, land, property or other school facility for the purpose for which it is to be sold, conveyed or leased will promote and foster the development and improvement of the community in which it is located and the civic, social, educational, cultural, moral, economic or industrial welfare thereof, the school board of such school district shall be authorized and empowered, in its discretion, and upon the terms and conditions set forth in Section 37-7-477 , to sell, convey, lease or otherwise dispose of same for any of the purposes set forth herein. Such sale, conveyance, lease or other disposition, including retention of partial interest, or undivided interest or other ownership interest, shall be made upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration, nominal or otherwise, as the school board may, in its discretion, deem proper in consideration of the benefits which will inure to the school district or the community in which the school building, property or other facility is located by the use thereof for the purpose for which it is to be sold, conveyed, leased or otherwise disposed of. The authority conferred by Sections 37-7-471 through 37-7-483 may be exercised by a school board in the sale, conveyance or lease of relocatable classrooms to the school board of another school district. Said sections without reference to another statute shall be deemed full and complete power for the exercise of the authority conferred hereby.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 145-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-1
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Mississippi Opportunity Loan Program Act.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-47 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 113-47
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-47
Status: in_force

The proceeds of any contribution made by any county under the provisions of Section 37-113-43 , including the proceeds from the sale of any bonds issued for such purposes, shall be paid by the board of supervisors of such county into the state treasury into a special fund to the credit of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, and shall thereafter be utilized and expended by said board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning in the construction, erection and equipping of educational facilities in such county to be utilized by the Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-102-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 102-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-102-11
Status: in_force

Extracurricular items such as dormitories, gymnasiums, stadiums, and such related items shall not be constructed for use by off-campus sites of universities.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-175 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 29-175
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-175
Status: in_force

If a junior college now or hereafter establishes facilities for the industrial training of students and it appears to the board of trustees of the junior college district that the training of students will be facilitated by the continuous operation of such facilities, the trustees are authorized to lease to individual firms or corporations such facilities or a part thereof upon such terms and conditions as the trustees may approve, provided that all students desirous of securing training of the kind offered by the lessee shall be given a reasonable opportunity therefor.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-109-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 109-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-109-9
Status: in_force

In addition to the criteria established in Section 37-109-7 , the following program participation criteria must be adhered to:

(a) Future enrollment at the providing institution cannot be a requirement for a student to be eligible for Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship Program funds;

(b) Community college career and technical education (CTE) courses approved in the manual shall be eligible for funding;

(c) The board shall promulgate rules as necessary to implement and administer this section;

(d) The board shall develop rules for ensuring that expenses of the scholarship program in each fiscal year do not exceed funding for the program in that fiscal year. For that purpose, and any other provision of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, the board may limit the acceptance of scholarship applications and may limit the award amount of scholarships;

(e) If the state appropriation is insufficient to fully fund all students eligible for participation in the program in a given year, those funds shall be prorated to the student's account at the eligible participating institution by an amount to be determined by the board. The student or school district will then be responsible for the remaining balance due for the course taken at the providing institution;

(f) The board may conduct its own annual audits of any institution participating in the Mississippi Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship Program. The board may suspend or revoke an institution's eligibility to receive future funds under the program if it finds that the institution has not complied with the provisions of the manual and the requirements established in Section 37-109-7(1) ;

(g) The board may conduct its own annual audits of students participating in the Mississippi Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship Program. The board may suspend or revoke a high school's eligibility to participate in the program if it finds the student or high school has not complied with the provisions of the manual and the requirements established in Section 37-109-7(2) ;

(h) The average community college credit hour tuition amount for the current academic year, as referenced in Section 37-109-7(1)(e) , shall be provided annually by the Mississippi Community College Board to the executive director of the board;

(i) If a public institution chooses not to participate in the program, or if a public institution in the eligible student's region does not have a particular program the eligible student wants to enroll in but the program is available at another public institution, a student shall have the option of enrolling at a program at another participating public institution;

(j) Public school districts or charter schools and institutions participating in the program shall be permitted to enter into agreements under Section 37-15-38 , which allow students to enroll and complete additional dual credit or dual enrollment courses, with the goal of increasing the number of students graduating from high school with an associate level degree or other nationally recognized credential. This chapter is intended to provide funding and structure for a minimum standardized dual enrollment/dual credit program across the state;

(k) To encourage more participation in the program, a final grade of C or above in a three (3) credit hour dual credit course, academic or career and technical, shall be weighted the same as a three (3) or above in an Advanced Placement course final examination in the Mississippi Statewide Accountability System. Only courses included in the approved dual credit course list referenced in the manual shall be weighted in the model; and

(l) There is established in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated the “Mississippi Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship Program” into which shall be deposited those funds appropriated by the Legislature, and any other funds that may be made available, for the purpose of implementing the program established under this chapter. Money in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall not lapse into the General Fund, and interest earned on any amounts deposited into the fund shall be credited to the special fund;

(m) The program requires specific appropriation by the Legislature.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-77 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 113-77
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-77
Status: in_force

(1)(a) Subject to the availability of funds, the program may annually enter into agreements with up to an average of two (2) veterinary students as determined by the criteria established for the administration of the Dr. Elton Mac Huddleston Rural Veterinarians Scholarship Program.

(b) Each student entering into a program agreement under this section shall receive annual assistance in an amount not to exceed the in-state tuition rate assessed for attending the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine for a period not to exceed four (4) years for tuition and fees incurred by the student in pursuit of his or her veterinary medicine degree. Upon completion of all commitments under the provisions of the agreement and the provisions of this section, the financial obligations pursuant to this section shall be deemed satisfied and forgiven.

(2) To be eligible for program scholarship funds, recipients shall:

(a) Be a student of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine;

(b) Agree to become licensed in the practice of veterinary medicine in the State of Mississippi upon graduation;

(c) Complete all requirements in public health, livestock biosecurity, foreign animal disease diagnosis, regulatory veterinary medicine and zoonotic disease, and an externship and mentoring requirement with a licensed, accredited veterinarian in a rural area, as required by the veterinary medical school;

(d) Enter into a contract with the program to provide full-time veterinary medicine services as a food supply animal veterinarian or as a rural mixed animal veterinarian for a minimum of four (4) years in one or more communities approved by the program; and

(e) Commence the full-time practice of veterinary medicine in a rural community within ninety (90) days after completion of the degree program or, if the scholarship recipient enters a post-degree training program, such as graduate school, internship or residency program, within ninety (90) days after completion of the post-degree training program; and

(f) Be accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services to provide services relating to food supply animals within six (6) months of graduation or passage of veterinary licensure examination.

(3) Priority shall be given to Mississippi residents. If the number of Mississippi residents applying for scholarship funds is less than the number of slots available, nonresident students may be considered. Nonresident students shall only receive scholarship funds sufficient to pay for in-state tuition rates, and they must meet the same obligations as specified in subsection (2) of this section for students who are residents of the State of Mississippi.

(4) Recipients of the scholarship must remain in good academic standing while in receipt of this scholarship, as specified in the rules and regulations promulgated by the Dean of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine with the advice and consent of the President of Mississippi State University of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. If a student is dismissed or withdraws from the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, the dean shall assess the circumstances of the student's dismissal or withdrawal and make a formal recommendation regarding whether the student shall be liable for the repayment of all or a portion of the financial assistance provided to the student through the program, along with other penalties that may be prescribed in accordance with the policies adopted by the dean as prescribed in Section 37-113-81 .

(5) The dean may adopt additional provisions, requirements or conditions for participating in the program as are practicable and appropriate to accomplish the provisions of the program or which may be required for the implementation or administration of the program, and which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-49 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 115-49
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-49
Status: in_force

(1) During fiscal year 2010, the State Fiscal Officer shall transfer the sum of Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) from the State General Fund to the University of Mississippi Medical Center--ACT Center Fund created in subsection (2) of this section.

(2)(a) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the “University of Mississippi Medical Center--ACT Center Fund,” which shall consist of monies deposited therein under subsection (1) of this section and monies from any other source designated for deposit into the fund. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the special fund.

(b) Monies in the fund may be used by the University of Mississippi Medical Center, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purpose of providing funds for the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education and Research at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 144-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-5
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Commission shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) Developing the administrative policy for the commission and the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program;

(b) Promulgating rules and regulations, with the advice and consent of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, pertaining to the implementation and operation of the Rural Physicians Scholarship Program;

(c) Developing and implementing strategies and activities for the identification and recruitment of students and for marketing the program and for the implementation of the program. In developing these strategies, the board shall seek the input of various organizations and entities, including the Mississippi State Medical Association, the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians, the Mississippi Chapters of the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of OB-GYN, Mississippi Psychiatric Association, the Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association, the Mississippi Osteopathic Medicine Association and the American Psychiatric Association;

(d) Establishing a budget, with the advice and consent of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, to support the activities of the program and periodically reviewing and if appropriate, revising, the scholarship and other stipends offered through the program;

(e) Advising the University of Mississippi Medical Center regarding hiring an executive director and support staff necessary for the commission's work. The commission shall nominate at least two (2) individuals to serve as executive director;

(f) Reviewing participants progress in the program and mentoring students and physicians participating in the program;

(g) Developing and participating in programs that provide initial practice support in collaboration with other interested professional organizations;

(h) The commission shall have the authority through use of generally applicable definitions, to designate an area of the state as underserved or rural. The method by which these designations shall be made shall be contained in rules and regulations promulgated by the commission.

(i) The commission shall produce an annual report to the Legislature showing certain information relating to the program for the previous fiscal year, including the following:

(i) Budget, including funds provided in addition to legislative appropriations;

(ii) Number of participants enrolled in medical or osteopathic school along with their matriculation status;

(iii) The status of, to include location of practice, participants who have entered a medicine or other generalist residency program;

(iv) The number and cause of participants who breached their obligation(s) to the program; and

(v) The status of, to include location of practice, participants who have entered into the practice of medicine in a rural or medically underserved area in Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-185-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / 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. § 37-11-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 11-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-13
Status: in_force

No person suffering from tuberculosis in an infectious or communicable stage will be employed in any school in this state, public or private, as an administrator, teacher, secretary, janitor, cook in lunchroom, bus driver, or in any other capacity.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-26-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 26-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-26-3
Status: in_force

(1) In addition to any other fees or costs now or as may hereafter be provided by law, there is hereby charged in all civil cases in the chancery, circuit, county, justice and municipal courts of this state a court education and training cost in the amount of Two Dollars ($2.00), except in justice court cases where the amount sued for is less than Fifteen Dollars ($15.00). Such cost shall be collected by the clerk or judicial officer from the party bringing the civil action at the time of filing and taxed as costs.

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

(3) From and after July 1, 2017, no state agency shall charge another state agency a fee, assessment, rent or other charge for services or resources received by authority of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-129-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 129-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-129-3
Status: in_force

No provision of this section and Section 37-129-1 shall apply to or in any wise affect the school of nursing heretofore established in the University of Mississippi pursuant to Section 37-115-51 , and no provision of this section and Section 37-129-1 shall apply to or affect the scholarship program for advanced study in nursing established under Sections 37-129-5 through 37-129-13 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-15 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 23-15
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-15
Status: in_force

(1) The State Department of Education, in accordance with Sections 37-23-1 through 37-23-75 , and any additional authority granted in this chapter, shall:

(a) Adopt pilot programs under which certain students enrolled or enrolling in public schools in this state shall be tested for dyslexia and related disorders as may be necessary. The pilot programs shall provide that upon the request of a parent, student, school nurse, classroom teacher or other school personnel who has reason to believe that a student has a need to be tested for dyslexia, such student shall be reviewed for appropriate services. However, a student shall not be tested for dyslexia whose parent or guardian objects thereto on grounds that such testing conflicts with his conscientiously held religious beliefs.

(b) In accordance with the pilot programs adopted by the State Department of Education, such school boards shall provide remediation in an appropriate multi-sensory, systematic language-based regular education program or programs, as determined by the school district, such as the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital Dyslexia Training Program, pertinent to the child's physical and educational disorders or the sensory area in need of remediation for those students who do not qualify for special education services.

(c) The State Department of Education, by not later than January 1, 1997, shall make recommendations to the school boards designated for the pilot programs for the delivery of services to students who are identified as dyslexic.

(d) For the purposes of this section:

(i) “ Dyslexia ” means a language processing disorder which may be manifested by difficulty processing expressive or receptive, oral or written language despite adequate intelligence, educational exposure and cultural opportunity. Specific manifestations may occur in one or more areas, including difficulty with the alphabet, reading comprehension, writing and spelling.

(ii) “ Related disorders ” shall include disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such as developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, dyspraxia, developmental dysgraphia and developmental spelling disability.

(e) Local school districts designated for the pilot programs may utilize any source of funds other than the total funding formula funds provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 to provide any services under this section.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any school district to implement this section unless the local school board, by resolution spread on its minutes, voluntarily agrees to comply with this section and any regulations promulgated under this section. Any local school board may withdraw from participation in the program authorized under this section by providing written notice of its determination to withdraw to the State Department of Education no later than June 1 of the preceding fiscal year.

(2) State funding for the pilot programs for testing students for dyslexia shall be subject to the availability of funds specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 29-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-3
Status: in_force

Each junior college shall have an official seal to be impressed upon all instruments of the junior college requiring seal. Said seal may be in the form of a circle. Said seal shall imprint the name and location of the college and the words “Official Seal.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-61 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 47-61
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-61
Status: in_force

For the purpose of providing for the payment of the principal of and interest upon bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter according to the terms thereof, there shall be and there is hereby established in the state treasury a sinking fund for such payment. Said sinking fund shall consist of the premiums and accrued interest paid upon any such bonds so issued and of such other amount as shall be paid into such fund by appropriation or other authorization by the legislature. In cases where the loan or advance to a school district was made from the proceeds of bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter, the state educational finance commission shall annually pay into said sinking fund the amounts of annual grants to which any school district is entitled and which are used for the repayment of the principal of and interest upon a loan or grant made to such school district under the authority of Section 37-47-25 . However, where the loan or advance was made from accumulations in the state public school building fund the amounts of the annual grants to which the school districts are entitled which are used for the repayment of principal of and interest upon such loan or grant shall be paid into the state public school building fund and not into the bond and interest sinking fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-35 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 61-35
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-35
Status: in_force

There is hereby created a special fund in the State Treasury to be designated School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund into which proceeds collected pursuant to Sections 27-65-75(7) and 27-67-31(a) shall be deposited. Beginning with the 1994 state fiscal year, the entire amount of monies in such special fund shall be appropriated annually to the State Department of Education which shall distribute the appropriated amount to the various school districts in the proportion that the net enrollment of each school district bears to the net enrollment of all school districts within the state. On or before June 1 of each year, the State Department of Education shall notify each school district of the amount to which such district is entitled pursuant to this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-57-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 57-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-57-105
Status: repealed

(1) In addition to the taxes levied under Section 37-57-1 , the levying authority for the school district, as defined in Section 37-57-1 , upon receipt of a certified copy of an order adopted by the school board of the school district requesting an ad valorem tax effort in dollars for the support of the school district and any charter schools located in the district, shall, at the same time and in the same manner as other ad valorem taxes are levied, levy an annual ad valorem tax in the amount fixed in such order upon all of the taxable property of such school district, which shall not be less than the millage rate certified by the State Board of Education as the uniform minimum school district ad valorem tax levy required for the support of the total funding formula as required by Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 in such school district under Sections 37-57-1 and 37-151-211 . However, any school district levying less than the uniform minimum school district ad valorem tax levy on July 1, 1997, shall only be required to increase its local district maintenance levy in four (4) mill annual increments in order to attain such millage requirements. 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 is requested by the school board. The proceeds of such tax levy, excluding levies for the payment of the principal of and interest on school bonds or notes and excluding levies for costs of collection, shall be placed in the school depository to the credit of the school district and shall be expended in the manner provided by law for the purpose of supplementing teachers' salaries, extending school terms, purchasing furniture, supplies and materials, and for all other lawful operating and incidental expenses of such school district.

The monies authorized to be received by school districts from the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund pursuant to Section 37-61-35 shall be included as ad valorem tax receipts. The levying authority for the school district, as defined in Section 37-57-1 , shall reduce the ad valorem tax levy for such school district in an amount equal to the amount distributed to such school district from the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund each calendar year pursuant to Section 37-61-35 . Such reduction shall not be less than the millage rate necessary to generate a reduction in ad valorem tax receipts equal to the funds distributed to such school district from the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund pursuant to Section 37-61-35 . The millage levy certified by the State Board of Education as the minimum tax levy shall be subject to the provisions of this paragraph.

In any county where there is located a nuclear generating power plant on which a tax is assessed under Section 27-35-309(3) , such required levy and revenue produced thereby may be reduced by the levying authority in an amount in proportion to a reduction in the base revenue of any such county from the previous year. Such reduction shall be allowed only if the reduction in base revenue equals or exceeds five percent (5%). “ Base revenue ” shall mean the revenue received by the county from the ad valorem tax levy plus the revenue received by the county from the tax assessed under Section 27-35-309(3) and authorized to be used for any purposes for which a county is authorized by law to levy an ad valorem tax. For purposes of determining if the reduction equals or exceeds five percent (5%), a levy of millage equal to the prior year's millage shall be hypothetically applied to the current year's ad valorem tax base to determine the amount of revenue to be generated from the ad valorem tax levy. For the purposes of this section and Section 37-57-107 , the portion of the base revenue used for the support of any school district shall be deemed to be the aggregate receipts from ad valorem taxes for the support of any school district. This paragraph shall apply to taxes levied for the 1987 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter. If the Mississippi Supreme Court or another court finally adjudicates that the tax levied under Section 27-35-309(3) is unconstitutional, then this paragraph shall stand repealed.

The State Department of Education shall calculate a local pro rata amount for the aggregate receipts of the tax levied in this section by dividing the aggregate receipts by the sum of the school district's net enrollment, as determined under Section 37-151-211 , and the net enrollment of any charter school students who reside in the district.

(2) When the tax is levied upon the territory of any school district located in two (2) or more counties, the order of the school board requesting the levying of such tax shall be certified to the levying authority of each of the counties involved, and each of the levying authorities shall levy the tax in the manner specified herein. The taxes so levied shall be collected by the tax collector of the levying authority involved and remitted by the tax collector to the school depository of the home county to the credit of the school district involved as provided above, except that taxes for collection fees may be retained by the levying authority for deposit into its general fund.

(3) The aggregate receipts from ad valorem taxes levied for school district purposes, excluding collection fees, pursuant to this section and Section 37-57-1 shall be subject to the increased limitation under Section 37-57-107 ; however, if the ad valorem tax effort in dollars requested by the school district for the fiscal year exceeds the next preceding fiscal year's ad valorem tax effort in dollars by more than four percent (4%) but not more than seven percent (7%), then the school board shall publish notice thereof once each week for at least three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the school district involved, with the first publication thereof to be made not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the final adoption of the budget by the school board. If at any time prior to the adoption a petition signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1500), whichever is less, of the qualified electors of the school district involved shall be filed with the school board requesting that an election be called on the question of exceeding the next preceding fiscal year's ad valorem tax effort in dollars by more than four percent (4%) but not more than seven percent (7%), then the school board shall, not later than the next regular meeting, adopt a resolution calling an election to be held within such school district upon such question. The election shall be called and held, and notice thereof shall be given, in the same manner for elections upon the questions of the issuance of the bonds of school districts, and the results thereof shall be certified to the school board. The ballot shall contain the language “For the School Tax Increase Over Four Percent (4%)” and “Against the School Tax Increase Over Four Percent (4%).” If a majority of the qualified electors of the school district who voted in such election shall vote in favor of the question, then the stated increase requested by the school board shall be approved. For the purposes of this paragraph, the revenue sources excluded from the increased limitation under Section 37-57-107 shall also be excluded from the limitation described herein in the same manner as they are excluded under Section 37-57-107 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-104.5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 7-104.5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-104.5
Status: in_force

(1) Not later than July 1, 2019, the local school boards of the Lumberton Public School District, Lamar County School District and Poplarville Separate School District shall, under the authority provided in Section 37-7-103 , enter into an agreement, by which the approval of such agreement shall be spread upon each board's minutes of their regularly scheduled meetings or at special meetings called for the specific purpose of such agreement, to abolish and dissolve the Lumberton School District and its central administrative office to be effective for the start of the 2019-2020 school year. The agreement between each school board made parties thereto must consider:

(a) The composition of the district boundaries of the Lumberton Public School District, as it existed on January 1, 2016, to ensure that the student population to be transferred to the Lamar County School District and Poplarville Separate School District does not disparately impact the desegregation of either school district entering into agreement;

(b) The territory embraced by Lumberton, Mississippi, located within the bounded territory of Lamar County, from which the school district to be abolished by agreement draws a portion of its student population, shall be absorbed into the boundary lines of the Lamar County School District, which shall spread a legal description of the district's new boundaries upon its minutes. It shall be the responsibility of the board of supervisors of such county to apportion the school district into five (5) new single-member board of education election districts, which shall be consistent with the apportioned population of the existing Lamar County School District and that portion of the former Lumberton Public School District situated within Lamar County as the former district existed on July 1, 2016. The board of supervisors of the county shall thereafter publish the same in some newspaper of general circulation in the county for at least three (3) consecutive weeks and after having given notice of publication and recording the same upon the minutes of the school boards of each appropriate school district in the county, the new district lines will thereafter be effective; and

(c) The territory embraced by Lumberton, Mississippi, located within the bounded territory of Pearl River County, from which the school district to be abolished by agreement draws a portion of its student population, shall be absorbed into the boundary lines of the Poplarville Separate School District as added territory, which shall spread a legal description of the district's new boundaries with added territory upon its minutes. It shall be the responsibility of the municipal governing authority having jurisdiction over the territory wherein the Poplarville Separate School District is located to provide residents of the added territory with representation on the school board as authorized under the provisions of Section 37-7-203(1) , which shall be consistent with the apportioned population of the existing Poplarville Separate School District and the percentage of the student population from that portion of the former Lumberton Public School District situated in Pearl River County within the added territory of the Poplarville Separate School District as the former district existed on July 1, 2016. The municipal governing authority shall thereafter publish the same in some newspaper of general circulation in the county for at least three (3) consecutive weeks and after having given notice of publication and recording the same upon the minutes of the school boards of each appropriate school district in the county, the new member districts will thereafter be effective; and

(2)(a) There is hereby created and established an advisory council to be known as the Commission on the Administrative Consolidation of the Lumberton Public School District. The commission shall be composed of eleven (11) members as follows:

(i) The State Superintendent of Education, or his designee, who shall serve as Chairman of the Commission;

(ii) The Superintendent of the Lumberton Public School District;

(iii) The Superintendent of Education of the Lamar County School District;

(iv) The Superintendent of the Poplarville Separate School District;

(v) Two (2) members of the Lamar County Board of Education to be appointed by the Lamar County Board of Education;

(vi) One (1) member of the Board of Trustees of the Poplarville Separate School District to be appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Poplarville Separate School District;

(vii) One (1) member of the Board of Trustees of the Lumberton Public School District to be appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Lumberton Public School District;

(viii) One (1) resident of the area which comprises the Lumberton Public School District to be appointed by the State Superintendent of Public Education;

(ix) One (1) resident of the area which comprises the Lamar County School District to be appointed by the Lamar County Board of Supervisors; and

(x) One (1) resident of the area which comprises the Poplarville Separate School District to be appointed by the Pearl River Board of Supervisors.

(b) The Commission on the Administrative Consolidation of the Lumberton Public School District shall meet within thirty (30) days of July 1, 2016, upon the call of the State Superintendent of Education and shall hold hearings and meet as necessary and develop a report to the Legislature, the Governor and the State Board of Education on or before December 1, 2017, with the agreed-upon plan for proceeding with the abolition and dissolving of the Lumberton Public School District, which shall include a reasonable effort to maintain and operate a school in the former Lumberton Public School District by which students desiring may, in the discretion of the parents of such students, attend.

(c) The plan may provide an option for students enrolled in the schools of the Lumberton Public School District on May 1, 2017, and children registered for kindergarten on that date with the Lumberton Public School District may be granted an automatic transfer by the Lamar County Board of Education or the Poplarville School Board, as determined by the agreed-upon plan.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the closing or maintenance of any school or school facility, unless the facility is an unneeded administrative office located within a school district which has been abolished under the provisions of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-102-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 102-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-102-11
Status: in_force

Extracurricular items such as dormitories, gymnasiums, stadiums, and such related items shall not be constructed for use by off-campus sites of universities.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-22-25 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 22-25
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-22-25
Status: in_force

(1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Mississippi School District Emergency Bridge Loan Act.”

(2)(a) There is established a bridge loan program to be administered by the State Department of Education for the purpose of assisting local school districts that suffer revenue losses as a result of an economic downturn that substantially impacts the state and local revenues available to school districts. Loan proceeds distributed to school districts shall be specifically for school district operations identified as essential by the department.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department endeavor to ensure that the costs of the administration of this section are as low as possible.

(3)(a) There is created a special fund in the State Treasury to be designated as the “Mississippi School District Emergency Bridge Loan Fund,” referred to in this section as the “fund.” The fund shall consist of money designated for deposit in the fund from any source including, but not limited to, appropriations, bond proceeds, grants, gifts, donations or funds from any source, public or private. The fund shall be credited with all repayments of principal and interest derived from loans made from the fund. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the State General Fund. Monies in the fund may not be used or expended for any purpose except as authorized under this section.

(b) The department shall establish a loan program by which loans may be made available to school districts to assist those school districts. Any school district that demonstrates for the current fiscal year a projected revenue loss equal to or exceeding one-third ( 1 / 3 ) of its revenues in the preceding fiscal year may qualify for a loan. The interest rate on loans made under this section may vary from time to time and from loan to loan and shall be at or below market interest rates as determined by the department. The department shall act as quickly as is practicable and prudent in deciding on any loan request that it receives.

(c) The aggregate amount of any loans received under this section by a school district shall not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the difference between the revenue received by the school district to fund essential operations in the preceding fiscal year and the estimated revenue from those sources in the current fiscal year plus sixteenth section principal funds that may be expended under law, cash reserves or fund balances at the fiscal year end, as determined by the department. The State Board of Education shall set the maximum amount of any loan made under this section at an amount that will ensure the equitable distribution of the amounts available for loans to the eligible school districts.

(d) A school district that receives a loan from the fund shall pledge for repayment of the loan any part of the homestead exemption annual tax loss reimbursement to which it may be entitled under Section 27-33-77 , as may be required by the department. Each recipient of a loan shall establish a dedicated source of revenue for repayment of the loan. Before any school district shall receive a loan, it must execute with the department a loan agreement evidencing the loan, a copy of which must be filed by the department with the State Tax Commission. The loan agreement may not be construed to prohibit any recipient from prepaying any part or all of the funds received. The repayment schedule in each loan agreement shall provide for: (i) monthly payments; (ii) semiannual payments; or (iii) other periodic payments. The loan agreement shall provide for the repayment of all funds received from the fund within not more than ten (10) years. At the request of the department, the State Tax Commission shall withhold semiannually from the amount to be remitted to a school district the sum necessary to pay all or a portion of the periodic payments for the loan.

(e) A school district that receives a loan from the state which is not eligible to pledge for repayment of the loan under paragraph (d) of this subsection shall repay the loan by making payments each month to the State Treasurer through the Department of Finance and Administration for and on behalf of the department according to Section 7-7-15 , to be credited to the fund in lieu of pledging homestead exemption annual tax loss reimbursement.

Loan repayments shall be according to a repayment schedule contained in each loan agreement as required under paragraph (d) of this subsection.

(f) Evidences of indebtedness that are issued under this section may not be deemed indebtedness within the meaning specified in Section 37-59-5 .

(g) The State Auditor, upon the request of the department, shall audit the receipts and expenditures of a school district if loan repayments appear to be in arrears. If the Auditor finds that the school district is in arrears in the repayments, the Auditor immediately shall notify the State Superintendent of Public Education, who may take any action necessary to enforce the terms of the loan agreement. The superintendent, in his discretion, may notify the State Tax Commission to withhold all future payments to the school district of homestead exemption annual tax loss reimbursements under Section 27-33-77 until such time that the school district is again current in its loan repayments, as certified by the department.

(h) All monies deposited in the fund may be used only for providing the loans authorized under this section. In addition, any amounts in the fund may be used to defray the reasonable costs of administering the fund. The department is authorized to use amounts available to it from the fund to contract for those facilities and staff needed to administer and provide routine management for the funds and loan program.

(4) In administering this section, the State Department of Education shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) To supervise the use of all funds made available under this section;

(b) To promulgate rules and regulations and to establish procedures in accordance with this section for the implementation of the loan program;

(c) To requisition monies in the fund and distribute those monies in accordance with this section;

(d) To maintain, in accordance with generally accepted government accounting standards, an accurate record of all monies in the fund made available to school districts under this section; and

(e) To file annually with the Legislature a report detailing how monies in the fund were spent during the preceding fiscal year in each school district.

(5) The State Bond Commission, at one time or from time to time, may declare the necessity for general funds for the purposes provided in this section, including the costs incident to the administration of the loan program. Upon approval by the State Bond Commission, the Department of Finance and Administration may transfer the necessary amount from the General Fund to the fund in ample time to discharge such loans and incidental costs.

(6) The Department of Finance and Administration, without further process of law, may certify the necessity for warrants and issue those warrants in such amounts as may be necessary to make loans under the program authorized by this section.

(7) After any state funds in the fund are no longer needed for the particular purpose for which they were appropriated, deposited or transferred into the fund, the Department of Finance and Administration shall transfer those state funds back to the particular fund or funds in the State Treasury from which they were appropriated or transferred into the fund, upon certification of the State Superintendent of Public Education that the state funds currently are not needed.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 51-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-13
Status: in_force

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

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

In the event that the applicant transfers to another approved school within the state, he shall cause the certification to immediately go forth to the commission, setting out the school from which and to which he has transferred.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 15-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-7
Status: in_force

In addition to the cumulative records provided for in Section 37-15-1 , there shall be kept a continuing census of all children below the age of nineteen within each school district. Such record shall be kept as a part of the permanent office records of the superintendent of the district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-187-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 187-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-187-3
Status: in_force

(1) The Legislature finds and declares that due to the COVID-19 pandemic there is an immediate increased need for reliable Internet service in Mississippi, including expanded broadband access, to facilitate and assist with distance learning. Therefore, the Mississippi Department of Education shall establish the Mississippi Pandemic Response Broadband Availability Grant Program to provide grants to Mississippi public school districts, independent schools and Native American tribal schools for the purpose of expanding broadband access in the unserved areas of the State of Mississippi.

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

(a) “ Broadband access ” means access to broadband services as defined in Section 77-17-3(d) .

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

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

(3) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the “Mississippi Pandemic Response Broadband Availability Grant Program Fund,” which shall consist of funds made available by the Legislature in any manner and funds from any other source designated for deposit into such fund. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any investment earnings or interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund. Monies in the fund shall be used for the purpose of providing payments to eligible Mississippi public school districts, independent schools and Native American tribal school districts as provided in this chapter. Monies in the fund shall be administered and disbursed by the department in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. If on December 1, 2020, there are undistributed monies in the fund, or if at any other time undistributed monies in the fund are determined by the department to be ineligible to be spent by the department, those monies shall be transferred to the Unemployment Compensation Fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-97 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 23-97
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-97
Status: in_force

The county board of education may acquire necessary lands, equipment and furnishings by purchase, barter, gift or otherwise and may participate in federal or private grants for the construction, development or operation of such a center.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 175-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-13
Status: in_force

(1) The maximum scholarship granted per eligible student with speech-language impairment shall be an amount equivalent to the state share of per student funding under the total funding formula provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 in the school district in which a student resides.

(2)(a) Any nonpublic school under this program shall report to the State Department of Education the number of students with speech-language impairment who are enrolled in nonpublic schools on the Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarships as of September 30 of each year in order to determine funding for the subsequent year. Funds may not be transferred from any funding provided to the Mississippi School for the Deaf and the Blind for program participants who are eligible under Section 37-175-5 .

(b) The State Department of Education shall make payments to nonpublic schools for each student at the nonpublic school equal to the state share of the total funding formula payments for each student in net enrollment at the school district from which the student transferred. In calculating the local contribution for purposes of determining the state share of the total funding formula payments, the department shall deduct the pro rata local contribution of the school district in which the student resides, to be determined as provided in Section 37-151-211(2) .

(c) Payments made pursuant to this subsection by the State Department of Education must be made at the same time and in the same manner as the total funding formula payments are made to school districts under Sections 37-151-101 and 37-151-103 . Amounts payable to a nonpublic school must be determined by the State Department of Education.

(3) If the parent opts to remove a child from a public school to a nonpublic special purpose school and to receive a scholarship under this chapter, then transportation shall be provided at the parent's or guardian's expense.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-71-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 71-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-71-7
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

(i) Nonprofit organizations;

(ii) Businesses with established locations in the state;

(iii) Trade associations;

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

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

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

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

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

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

(f) Provide a process for student credit transfer.

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

(4) The State Department of Education shall have the authority to audit approved alternative educational programs at any time. If the audit results in findings that an approved program is not meeting the provisions of this chapter or the policy outlined in subsection (2) of this section, then the local school board shall disqualify the program immediately.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-105-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 105-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-105-1
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is hereby authorized and empowered to enact traffic rules and regulations for the control, direction, parking and general regulation of traffic and automobiles on the campus and streets of any state institution of higher learning under the supervision of such board.

Any rules and regulations promulgated hereunder shall become effective only after notice of the enactment of same has been published in three consecutive weekly issues of the college newspaper and in a newspaper published and having general circulation in the county or municipality where the institution to which same pertain is located; such notice shall state where the full text of such rules and regulations may be found on file. In addition, such rules and regulations shall be posted on five bulletin boards at each such institution for a period of four weeks after their promulgation.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 17-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-5
Status: in_force

It shall be the purpose of the Commission on School Accreditation to continually review the standards on accreditation and the enforcement thereof and to make recommendations thereon to the State Board of Education. All controversies involving the accreditation of schools shall be initially heard by a duly authorized representative of the commission before whom a complete record shall be made. After the conclusion of the hearing, the duly authorized representative of the commission shall make a recommendation to the commission as to the resolution of the controversies, and the commission, after considering the transcribed record and the recommendation of its representative, shall make its decision which becomes final unless the local school board of the school district involved shall appeal to the State Board of Education, which appeal shall be on the record previously made before the commission's representative except as may be provided by rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education. Such rules and regulations may provide for the submission of new factual evidence. All appeals from the State Board of Education shall be on the record and shall be filed in the Circuit Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi. The commission shall select a competent and qualified court reporter to record and transcribe all hearings held before its duly authorized representative whose fees and costs of transcription shall be paid by the school district involved within forty-five (45) days after having been notified of such costs and fees by the commission. An appropriate member of the staff of the State Department of Education shall be designated by the State Superintendent of Public Education to serve as executive secretary of the commission.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-121 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 65-121
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-121
Status: in_force

A signed duplicate original copy or a photostatic or other reproduced copy, not a hand or typewritten copy, of the petition or petitions provided for in Section 37-65-119 , shall be sent by registered or certified mail to the state superintendent of public education on the day when one such copy shall have been filed with or delivered to the president or secretary of the board of trustees to which such petitions be directed. Such copy or copies above mentioned may be transmitted to the state superintendent of public education by the person or persons filing or delivering same to said president or secretary of said board of trustees and shall be accompanied by the oath of such person or persons as to such facts and the date or dates on which such action was done. If such is not done the original petition shall have no validity.

All duplicate original signed copies or other copy or copies of said petitions, as hereinabove provided for, shall be preserved for not less than one calendar year from the date of said filing and same shall be public records.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-185-31 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 185-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-185-31
Status: repealed

(1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (MAICU) Infrastructure Grant Program Act of 2022.”

(2) There is hereby established within the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration, the Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (MAICU) Infrastructure Grant Program under which independent colleges and universities 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 utilizing Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds made available under the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Such grants shall be made available to the following institutions: Belhaven University, Blue Mountain College, Millsaps College, Mississippi College, Rust College, Tougaloo College and William Carey University. Grant program funds shall be distributed to each listed institution based on the pro rata share of full-time equivalent students enrolled in the respective college or university. For purposes of this distribution, a full-time equivalent student shall be calculated as follows:

(a) One (1) full-time student shall be considered one (1) full-time equivalent student;

(b) One (1) part-time student shall be considered one-half ( 1 / 2 ) of a full-time equivalent student; and

(c) One (1) online student shall be considered one-fourth ( 1 / 4 ) of a full-time equivalent student.

(3) For purposes of this section, unless the context requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed herein:

(a) “ MAICU Grant Program ” shall mean the Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (MAICU) Infrastructure Grant Program.

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

(c) “ State Recovery Funds ” shall mean 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 ” shall mean the Department of Finance and Administration.

(4) On or before July 1, 2022, the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to administer the MAICU Grant Program prescribed under this section, including application procedures and deadlines.

(5) Funds under the MAICU Grant 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.

(6) The boards of trustees of the respective members of the Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (MAICU) may submit an application for grant funds under this section. Applicants shall certify to the Department of Finance and Administration 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 State Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds. Subsequent submissions will be due by the dates established by the department.

(7) 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 projects; estimated project cost; estimated project schedule; and readiness to proceed. The Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration is authorized to accept additional rounds of grant proposals for application consideration as needed.

(8) Applications shall be reviewed, and the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration shall certify that each project submitted is eligible under the American Rescue Plan Act 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 the American Rescue Plan Act and all applicable guidance issued by the United States Department of the Treasury. Grant agreements shall be executed between the recipient and the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration. All final awards will 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.

(9) Grant requirements shall be used prospectively and grants are not available to cover the costs of debt incurred prior to the enactment of this program.

(10)(a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the “Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (MAICU) Grant Program Fund,” which shall consist of funds appropriated by the Legislature from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies or other available federal grant funds for the purposes of awarding grants under this section. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall not lapse into the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund or the State General Fund, and any interest earned on amounts in the fund shall remain in the fund. The expenditure of monies in the Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (MAICU) Grant Program Fund shall be under the direction of the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration;

(b) All monies shall be disbursed from the fund created in this subsection shall be in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies received by or on behalf of the State of Mississippi through the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ( Public Law No. 117-2 ). Unexpended amounts remaining in the funds at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund or the State General Fund, and any investment earnings or interest earned on amounts in the program fund shall be deposited to the credit of COVID-19 Hospital Expanded Capacity Program Fund;

(c) If there are unobligated Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund monies remaining in the fund created in this section, on the later of December 17, 2024, or fourteen (14) days prior to the fund obligation deadline provided by the federal government, the Department of Finance and Administration shall transfer these unobligated balances to the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund. The Department of Finance and Administration shall then transfer the unobligated balance of Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund to the State and School Employees' Life and Health Insurance Fund for an amount not to exceed the lesser of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00) or the amount of allowable ARPA expenditures, by no later than December 31, 2024, or on the date of the fund obligation deadline provided by the federal government. The Department of Finance and Administration shall then transfer all remaining unobligated balances of Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund to the Unemployment Compensation Fund up to the ARPA allowable amount, by no later than December 31, 2024, or on the date of the fund obligation deadline provided by the federal government; and

(d) The use of funds allocated under this program 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. Each person receiving funds under these programs found to be fully or partially noncompliant with the requirements in this section shall return to the state all or a portion of the funds received.

(11) The department shall submit to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee by October 1 of each year an annual report. 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.

(12) Grant funds shall be available under this section through December 31, 2026. Each grant recipient shall certify for any project that a grant is awarded that in the event 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 any other funds available.

(13) The Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration may retain an amount not to exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) of the total funds allocated to the program to defray administrative costs.

(14) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2026.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-79 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 113-79
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-79
Status: in_force

(1) The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine is authorized to accept gifts, donations, bequests, trusts, grants, endowments, transfers of money or securities, repayments and any other monies from any source whatsoever to be used for the purposes of administering the Dr. Elton Mac Huddleston Rural Veterinarians Scholarship Program.

(2) The dean shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Legislature not later than December 1 of each year, which shall include, but not be limited to, information about who received scholarships under the program and how much each person received, and the amount of any funds received under subsection (1) of this section and how those funds were used for the purpose of the program.

(3) The appropriation request of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the program shall be reduced if a saturation point is achieved and the shortage of veterinary services in rural Mississippi is adequately addressed.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-41 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 115-41
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-41
Status: in_force

(1) For the purposes of this section:

(a) “ Applicant ” means any person who is applying to become an employee of UMMC.

(b) “ Employee ” means an employee, contractor, temporary worker or consultant.

(c) “ UMMC ” means the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

(2) The University of Mississippi Medical Center shall fingerprint and perform a criminal history record check on all new employees that work in or provide direct patient care. In addition, UMMC shall perform a disciplinary check with the professional licensing agency of the employee, if any, to determine if any disciplinary action has been taken against the employee by that agency. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no employee of UMMC hired on or after July 1, 2004, shall be permitted to provide direct patient care until the results of the criminal history record check have revealed no disqualifying record or the employee has been granted a waiver. In order to determine the applicant's suitability for employment, the applicant shall be fingerprinted. Fingerprints shall be submitted to the Department of Public Safety by UMMC via scanning or other electronic method, with the results processed through the Department of Public Safety's Criminal Information Center. If no disqualifying record is identified at the state level, the applicant's fingerprints shall be forwarded by the Department of Public Safety to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history record check. If the criminal history record check discloses a felony conviction, guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere to a felony of possession or sale of drugs, murder, manslaughter, armed robbery, rape, sexual battery, sex offense listed in Section 45-33-23(h) , child abuse, arson, grand larceny, burglary, gratification of lust or aggravated assault, or felonious abuse and/or battery of a vulnerable adult that has not been reversed on appeal or for which a pardon has not been granted, the applicant shall not be eligible to be employed at UMMC.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, any such applicant may be employed on a temporary basis pending the results of the criminal history record check. Any employment contract with an applicant during the application process shall be voidable upon receipt of a disqualifying criminal history record check if no waiver is granted under subsection (4) of this section.

(4) UMMC may, in its discretion, allow any applicant aggrieved by an employment decision under this section to appear before the UMMC hiring officer, or his or her designee, to show mitigating circumstances that may exist and allow the applicant to be employed at UMMC. UMMC, upon report and recommendation of the hiring officer, may grant waivers for those mitigating circumstances, which shall include, but not be limited to: (a) age at which the crime was committed; (b) circumstances surrounding the crime; (c) length of time since the conviction and criminal history since the conviction; (d) work history; (e) current employment and character references; and (f) other evidence demonstrating the ability of the individual to perform the employment responsibilities competently and that the individual does not pose a threat to the health or safety of the patients admitted to UMMC.

(5) Upon the receipt of an applicant's criminal history record check that reveals no disqualifying event, UMMC shall, within two (2) weeks of the notification of no disqualifying event, provide the applicant with a notarized letter signed by the vice chancellor, or his or her authorized designee, confirming the applicant's suitability for employment based on his or her criminal history record check. An applicant or employee may use that letter for a period of two (2) years from the date of the letter to seek employment at any covered entity, as defined in Section 43-11-13(5) , without the necessity of an additional criminal history record check under Section 43-11-13(5) . Any covered entity presented with the letter may rely on the letter for a period of two (2) years from the date of the letter without having to conduct or have conducted a criminal history record check on the applicant or employee.

(6) UMMC may charge a fee not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for fingerprinting applicants, students, employees, contractors, consultants, outside agency personnel, visiting faculty, researchers or any other individual(s) that may provide direct services to UMMC.

(7) UMMC and its agents, officers, employees, attorneys and representatives shall be presumed to be acting in good faith for any employment decision or action taken under this section. The presumption of good faith may be overcome by a preponderance of the evidence in any civil action. UMMC or its agents, officers, employees, attorneys and representatives shall not be held liable in any employment decision or action based in whole or in part on compliance with or attempts to comply in good faith with the requirements of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 51-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-5
Status: in_force

There shall be, and there is hereby, created in the state treasury, a special fund to be known as the “state educational loan fund.” The said fund shall consist of such amounts as may be paid into said fund by appropriation and also such amounts as may be returned to said fund as repayments, both principal and interest, from loans provided for in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 146-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-3
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(i) Mississippi Dental Society;

(ii) Mississippi Academy of General Dentistry; and

(iii) Mississippi Chapter, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry;

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

(d) Two (2) dental students, one (1) of whom shall be selected yearly through a process developed by the Dean of the School of Dentistry in consultation with the chairs of the various departments.

(2) The pre-professional advisors from the accredited four-year colleges and universities in the State of Mississippi shall comprise an advisory committee to the commission in the administration of the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program.

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

(4) All appointments to the commission must be made no later than September 1, 2013. After the members are appointed, the Program Director of the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program shall set a date for the organizational meeting that is mutually acceptable to the majority of the commission members. The organizational meeting shall be for the purposes of organizing the commission and establishing rules for transacting its business. A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum at all commission meetings. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting shall be required in the adoption of rules, reports and in any other actions taken by the commission. At the organizational meeting, the commission shall elect a chair and vice chair from the members appointed according to paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (1). The chair shall serve for a term of two (2) years, upon the expiration of which, the vice chair shall assume the office of chair.

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

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

(7) Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed, subject to the availability of funding, for mileage and actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the commission, as provided in Section 25-3-41 .

(8) Funding for the establishment and continued operation of the program and commission shall be appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not already appropriated to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 145-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-13
Status: in_force

The annual and aggregate loan limits for each eligible student borrower shall be in accordance with those limits established for the Stafford Loan Program authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. The board of trustees has established an agency to carry out the functions of providing guarantees to student loans in accordance with the Stafford Loan Program. This agency, entitled the Mississippi Guarantee Student Loan Agency, guarantees payment of loans qualifying under federal law which are thereby eligible for reinsurance from the federal Department of Education. The board is authorized to operate the Mississippi Opportunity Loan Program as a guaranteed program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-101 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 31-101
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-101
Status: in_force

Sections 37-31-101 through 37-31-111 shall be called the “Mississippi Manpower Development and Training Act of 1974.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 33-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-19
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(c) To prescribe and provide such courses of vocational training as may be necessary for the vocational rehabilitation of eligible individuals with disabilities.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-69 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 23-69
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-69
Status: in_force

The State Department of Education may determine and pay the amount of the financial assistance to be made available to each applicant, and see that all applicants and the programs for them meet the requirements of the program for exceptional children. No financial assistance shall exceed the obligation actually incurred by the applicant for educational costs, which shall include special education and related services as defined by the Mississippi Department of Education Policies and Procedures Regarding Children with Disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Within the amount of available state funds for that purpose, each such applicant may receive assistance according to the following allowances:

(a) If the applicant chooses to attend a private school, a parochial school or a speech, hearing and/or language clinic having an appropriate program for the applicant, and if the school or clinic meets federal and state regulations, then the educational costs reimbursement will be one hundred percent (100%) of the first Six Hundred Dollars ($600.00) in educational costs charged by the school or clinic; or, if the applicant is under six (6) years of age, and no program appropriate for the child exists in the public schools of his domicile, then the reimbursement shall be one hundred percent (100%) of the first Six Hundred Dollars ($600.00) in educational costs charged by the school or clinic, and fifty percent (50%) of the next Eight Hundred Dollars ($800.00) in educational costs charged by the school or clinic;

(b) A public school district shall be reimbursed for the educational costs of an applicant up to an annual maximum based on a cost factor determined by the State Board of Education if the following conditions are met: (i) an applicant in the age range six (6) through twenty (20) requests the public school district where he resides to provide an education for him and the nature of the applicant's educational problem is such that, according to best educational practices, it cannot be met in the public school district where the child resides; (ii) the public school district decides to provide the applicant a free appropriate education by placing him in a private school, a parochial school or a speech, hearing and/or language clinic having an appropriate program for the applicant; (iii) the program meets federal and state regulations; and (iv) the applicant is approved for financial assistance by a State Level Review Board established by the State Board of Education. The Review Board will act on financial assistance requests within five (5) working days of receipt. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent two (2) or more public school districts from forming a cooperative to meet the needs of low incidence exceptional children, nor shall the public school be relieved of its responsibility to provide an education for all children. If state monies are not sufficient to fund all applicants, there will be a ratable reduction for all recipients receiving state funds under this section. School districts may pay additional educational costs from available federal, state and local funds.

If an exceptional child, as defined in Section 37-23-3 , is placed in a therapeutic or other group home licensed or approved by the state that has no educational program associated with it, the local school district in which the home is located shall offer an appropriate educational program to that child.

At any time that the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Committee in the district where the home is located determines that an exceptional child, as defined in Section 37-23-3 , residing in that home can no longer be provided a free appropriate public education in that school district, and the State Department of Education agrees with that decision, then the State Department of Education shall recommend to the Department of Human Services placement of the child by the Department of Human Services, which shall take appropriate action. The placement of the exceptional child in the facility shall be at no cost to the local school district. Funds available under Sections 37-23-61 through 37-23-77 , as well as any available federal funds, may be used to provide the educational costs of the placement. If the exceptional child is under the guardianship of the Department of Human Services or another state agency, the State Department of Education shall pay only for the educational costs of that placement, and the other agency shall be responsible for the room, board and any other costs. The special education and related services provided to the child shall be in compliance with State Department of Education and any related federal regulations. The State Board of Education may promulgate regulations that are necessary to implement this section; and

(c) If an appropriate local or regional system of care, including a free appropriate public education, is available for exceptional children who are currently being served in out-of-district or Department of Human Services placements under paragraph (b) of this section or Section 37-23-77 , then the state funds from the State Department of Education that would have been used for those placements may be paid into a pool of funds with funds from other state agencies to be used for the implementation of the individualized plans of care for those children. If there are sufficient funds to serve additional exceptional children because of cost savings as a result of serving these students at home and/or matching the pooled funds with federal dollars, the funds may be used to implement individualized plans of care for those additional exceptional children. Each local or regional provider of services included in the individualized plans of care shall comply with all appropriate state and federal regulations. The State Board of Education may promulgate regulations that are necessary to implement this section.

The State Department of Education may also provide for the payment of that financial assistance in installments and for proration of that financial assistance in the case of children attending a school or clinic for less than a full school session and, if available funds are insufficient, may allocate the available funds among the qualified applicants and local school districts by reducing the maximum assistance provided for in this section.

Any monies provided an applicant under Sections 37-23-61 through 37-23-75 shall be applied by the receiving educational institution as a reduction in the amount of the educational costs paid by the applicant, and the total educational costs paid by the applicant shall not exceed the total educational costs paid by any other child in similar circumstances enrolled in the same program in that institution. However, this limitation shall not prohibit the waiving of all or part of the educational costs for a limited number of children based upon demonstrated financial need, and the State Department of Education may adopt and enforce reasonable rules and regulations to carry out the intent of these provisions.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 65-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-65-105
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of any such school district may, in its discretion, pay all or any part of the salary of all superintendents, principals, teachers and other employees during or for the period when any of the said schools are closed in accordance with the terms of this article, and funds shall be drawn from the same source or sources as such funds would be drawn to pay such items if the school or schools had not been closed.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 11-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-11
Status: in_force

(1) For the purposes of this section, the term “ hospital ” shall include community-based programs and facilities licensed or approved by the Department of Mental Health for treatment of chemical substance use and abuse.

(2) When five (5) or more children of educable mind between the ages of six (6) and twenty-one (21) years who are capable of pursuing courses of instruction at secondary school level or below shall be confined in a hospital for an extended period of time, such children shall be eligible for and shall be provided with a program of education, instruction and training within such hospital in the manner hereinafter set forth, provided that the need for hospitalization for an extended period of time shall be certified by the chief of staff of such hospital and that the ability of such children to do school work shall be certified by qualified psychologists and/or educators approved by the State Board of Education.

(3) When five (5) or more children as set forth herein shall be confined in the same hospital, then the board of trustees of the school district in which such hospital is located shall be authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to provide a program of education, instruction and training to such children within such hospital. For such purpose the board shall be authorized and empowered to employ and contract with teachers, provide textbooks and other instructional materials, correspondence courses and instructional equipment and appliances, and otherwise provide for the furnishing of such program and to administer and supervise the same. Such program shall be furnished in a manner as prescribed by rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education. The state board shall have full power to adopt such rules, regulations, policies and standards as it may deem necessary to carry out the purpose of this section, including the establishment of qualifications of any teachers employed under the provisions hereof. It is expressly provided, however, that no program shall be furnished under this section except in a hospital licensed for operation by the State of Mississippi and only in cases where such hospital shall consent thereto, shall provide any classroom space, furniture and facilities which may be deemed necessary, and otherwise shall cooperate in carrying out the provisions of this section. Before such program of education, instruction and training shall be provided, the governing authorities of said hospital shall enter into a contract with the board of trustees of the school district which stipulates that said hospital agrees to furnish the necessary classroom space, furniture and facilities and provide for their upkeep, fuel and such other things as may be necessary for the successful operation of the program of education, instruction and training.

(4) In cases when children who are residents of school districts other than the school district providing such education program may participate in the program prescribed in this section. The boards of trustees of the districts of which such children are residents shall pay to the board of trustees of the school district furnishing such school program the pro rata part of the expenses of furnishing such school program within such hospital, which payments may be made from any funds available for the operation and maintenance of the schools of the district in which such child is a resident. The amount so paid shall be based upon, but shall not exceed, the current per pupil cost of education in the school district of the child's residence, and the amount to be so paid by the school district of the child's residence shall be fixed by the State Board of Education. If the amount to be paid which has been so fixed shall not be paid upon due demand made by the school district providing a program therefor, then the State Board of Education shall deduct any such amounts from the next allocation of total funding formula funds as provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 attributable to any such district and shall remit the same to the board of trustees of such school district which is furnishing such school program. If the amounts so paid by such school districts of the child's residence shall not be sufficient to pay the expenses of furnishing such program, then the remainder of such expenses over and above that so paid by such school districts shall be paid by the State Board of Education to the school district providing such school program out of any funds available to the State Board of Education, including total funding formula funds. However, such payments shall not exceed Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00) per child in net enrollment in such program. Provided, however, the State Board of Education shall in its discretion be authorized and empowered to exceed the said Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00) per pupil limitation where such limitation would make it impractical to operate such a program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 141-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-3
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

(a) Administrative services;

(b) Libraries;

(c) Computer services.

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

(5) The Commissioner of Higher Education shall use savings realized through personnel attrition and other economies created by the reorganization effected in Senate Bill No. 2925, 1988 Regular Session [Laws, 1988, Chapter 518] to establish a special account in the University Research Center out of which funds may be expended to conduct priority research projects by contracting with universities, agencies and individuals.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-83 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 101-83
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-83
Status: in_force

(a)(i) A special fund, to be designated as the “2022 IHL Capital Improvements Fund,” is created within the State Treasury. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund.

(ii) Monies deposited into the fund shall be disbursed, in the discretion of the Department of Finance and Administration, with the approval of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning on those projects related to the universities under its management and control to pay the costs of capital improvements, renovation and/or repair of existing facilities, furnishings and/or equipping facilities for public facilities as hereinafter described:

AMOUNT

NAME

PROJECT

ALLOCATED

Alcorn State University․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․․$ 5,040,000.00

Preplanning for repair, renovation, and expansion of and upgrades and improvements to the David L. Whitney Complex and Wellness Center; campus safety and security project, including open space development, sprinkler systems for dormitories, security camera installation, card access systems, street lighting, and emergency kiosks; and repair, renovation and upgrading of campus infrastructure

․․․․$ 1,040,000.00

Repair and renovation of and upgrades and improvements to the Math and Science Building

․․․․$ 4,000,000.00

Delta State University․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․․$ 5,640,000.00

Repair, renovation and replacement of and upgrades and improvements to HVAC systems and related equipment and infrastructure

․․․․$ 3,937,500.00

Repair and renovation for ADA compliance for the Bologna Performing Arts Center

․․․․$ 1,702,500.00

Jackson State University․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․$ 12,000,000.00

Construction, furnishing and equipping of a new dining facility and related facilities

․․․$ 12,000,000.00

Mississippi State University․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․$ 14,680,000.00

Repair, renovation, construction, acquisition of property, furnishing and equipping of related facilities to house the College of Architecture, Art and Design

․․․$ 14,680,000.00

Mississippi State University/Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine

․․․․$ 9,610,000.00

Repair and renovation of and upgrades and improvements to Dorman Hall and related facilities

․․․․$ 9,610,000.00

Mississippi University for Women․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․․$ 2,500,000.00

Repair, renovation, and upgrading of campus buildings and facilities

․․․․$ 2,500,000.00

Mississippi Valley State University․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․$ 10,200,000.00

Repair, renovation, expansion of and improvements to existing buildings and facilities on the main campus

․․․$ 10,200,000.00

University of Mississippi․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․․$ 5,500,000.00

Construction, furnishing and equipping of a new mechanical and power plant building and related facilities

․․․․$ 4,500,000.00

Preplanning for construction, furnishing and equipping of a new building and related facilities to house the School of Accountancy

․․․․$ 1,000,000.00

University of Mississippi Medical Center․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․․$ 8,000,000.00

Repair, renovation, and upgrading of campus buildings and facilities

․․․․$ 8,000,000.00

University of Southern Mississippi․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․$ 11,000,000.00

Construction, furnishing and equipping of a new science research facility

․․․$ 11,000,000.00

IHL Education and Research Center․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․․$ 1,400,000.00

Repair and replacement of chillers and related equipment for the campus air conditioning and heating system

․․․․$ 1,400,000.00

TOTAL ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․ $ 85,570,000.00

(b)(i) Amounts deposited into such special fund shall be disbursed to pay the costs of projects described in paragraph (a) of this section. If any monies in such special fund are not used within four (4) years after the date funds are transferred under Section 1 of Chapter 510, Laws of 2022 from the Capital Expense Fund created in Section 27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972 , into the special fund, then the institution of higher learning for which any unused monies are allocated under paragraph (a) of this section shall provide an accounting of such unused monies to the Department of Finance and Administration.

(ii) Monies in the special fund may be used to reimburse reasonable actual and necessary costs incurred by the Department of Finance and Administration, acting through the Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management, in administering or providing assistance directly related to a project described in paragraph (a) of this section. An accounting of actual costs incurred for which reimbursement is sought shall be maintained for each project by the Department of Finance and Administration, Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management. Reimbursement of reasonable actual and necessary costs for a project shall not exceed two percent (2%) of the monies in the special fund used for such project. Monies authorized for a particular project may not be used to reimburse administrative costs for unrelated projects.

(c) The Department of Finance and Administration, acting through the Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management, is expressly authorized and empowered to receive and expend any local or other source funds in connection with the expenditure of funds provided for in this section. The expenditure of monies deposited into the special fund shall be under the direction of the Department of Finance and Administration, and such funds shall be paid by the State Treasurer upon warrants issued by such department, which warrants shall be issued upon requisitions signed by the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration, or his designee.

(d) Any amounts allocated to an institution of higher learning that are in excess of that needed to complete the projects at such institution of higher learning that are described in paragraph (a) of this section may be used for general repairs and renovations at the institution of higher learning.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-39 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 145-39
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-145-39
Status: in_force

Sections 37-145-23 through 37-145-41 shall be deemed to be full and complete authority for the exercise of the powers therein granted.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-42 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 101-42
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-42
Status: in_force

There is created an advisory committee to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning for the lease of the property described in Sections 37-101-41 , 37-101-43 and 37-101-44 , which shall be composed of the following members:

(a) The respective Chairmen of the Public Property Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate;

(b) The respective Chairmen of the Universities and Colleges Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate;

(c) One (1) member of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; and

(d) One (1) member of the Senate, to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor.

Before selecting the private developer to which to lease the property described in Sections 37-101-41 , 37-101-43 and 37-101-44 , and while negotiating the terms of the lease with the private developer that has been selected, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall consult with the advisory committee and consider any suggestions and recommendations made by the advisory committee regarding the lease of the property.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-199 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 23-199
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-199
Status: in_force

(1) All textbook publishers that sell textbooks published after December 2008 to school districts within the state must furnish the State Department of Education with computer files for literary and nonliterary subjects in the National Instructional Media Access Standard (NIMAS) from which Braille, audio and large print versions of the textbooks can be produced. The publishers also shall furnish the department with NIMAS files, American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) or other electronically formatted files compatible with Braille conversion for all adopted textbooks and supplementary materials, in both literary and nonliterary subjects, including natural sciences, computer science, mathematics and music, published after December 2008. All books purchased must have appropriate accompanying reproduction files.

(2) The State Board of Education shall promulgate and publish regulations, policies, and procedures for the administrative operation of the Mississippi Instructional Resource Center (MIRC) to further assure that blind and visually impaired students are annually identified and registered in order that all materials and textbooks required by blind and visually impaired students are received and distributed at the same time and in the same manner as textbooks and materials for their sighted peers. The MIRC manual must address, but is not limited to, addressing the following:

(a) The Federal Quota Program, established to promote the educational interests of blind and visually impaired students, which qualifies the state for funds from American Printing House for the Blind;

(b) The on-time delivery of textbooks and materials to blind and visually impaired students, so that the delivery of Braille and large print textbooks and all related supplementary materials will be commensurate with the delivery of regular print textbooks and materials for sighted students as outlined in textbook policies and procedures effective January 1, 2013; and

(c) Communication policies between MIRC, the department and local school districts designating a timeline for book orders, confirmations of orders, status and tracking of orders, delivery dates of orders and the return of books at the end of use by a district.

(3) The board also shall develop and publish policies and procedures for support for district level production of literary and nonliterary Braille textbooks and materials by August 1, 2013, in order to better facilitate the on-time delivery of textbooks to blind and visually impaired students.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-357 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 101-357
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-357
Status: in_force

The board shall submit to the Legislature and report no later than December 1, 1990, and December 1 of the next two (2) years thereafter outlining the status, structure and programs of the institute.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-95 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 23-95
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-95
Status: in_force

The county board of education may employ such trained teachers and other personnel as it deems necessary for the proper administration and management of a child development center.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-15 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 106-15
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-15
Status: in_force

The earned interest paid into the post-secondary education assistance fund as provided in Section 37-106-13 shall be utilized to finance the cost of administration of this chapter. All remaining interest after payment of such administrative expenses shall be utilized to provide additional loans.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-161-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 161-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-161-1
Status: in_force

(1) This act [Laws of 2006, Chapter 504] shall be known and may be referred to as the “Mississippi Education Reform Act of 2006.”

(2) The Legislature finds and determines that the quality and accountability of public education and its effect upon the social, cultural and economic enhancement of the people of Mississippi is a matter of public policy, the object of which is the education and performance of its children and youth.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-183-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 183-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-183-9
Status: in_force

There is created a special fund in the State Treasury, to be known as the “Postsecondary Education COVID-19 Mitigation Relief Grant Fund,” from which the grants authorized by this chapter shall be disbursed by the department. All monies shall be disbursed from the fund in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-107 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 7-107
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-107
Status: in_force

If a petition signed by two-thirds ( 2 / 3 ) of the qualified electors of an existing school district shall be filed with the school board requesting that such district be abolished, then the school board shall enter an order abolishing such school district. Such order shall become final without publication thereof upon such date as may be fixed by the school board but not later than July 1 next succeeding the date of such order.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-119-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / 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.