Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 155-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-5
Status: in_force

As used in this article, the following terms have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(a) Prepaid Tuition Contract. A contract entered into between the Board of Directors of the College Savings Plans of Mississippi Trust Funds and a purchaser pursuant to this article.

(b) Trust fund. There is created a special fund in the State of Mississippi Treasury Department to be designated as the “Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Trust Fund” (hereinafter referred to as the trust fund or fund) and to be administered by the State of Mississippi Treasury Department. The fund shall consist of state appropriations, monies acquired from other governmental or private sources, and money remitted in accordance with prepaid tuition contracts. In the event that dividends, interest and gains exceed the amount necessary for program administration and disbursements, the board may designate a percentage of the fund to serve as a contingency fund.

(c) Purchaser. A person, corporation, trust, charitable organization or other such entity that makes or is obligated to make advance payments in accordance with a prepaid tuition contract entered into pursuant to this article. However, no purchaser may request or accept any form of compensation, fee, commission, service charge or any other form of payment or remuneration for entering into a contract for the benefit of a nonresident beneficiary.

(d) Beneficiary. (i) The beneficiary of a prepaid tuition contract must be eighteen (18) years of age or younger at the time the purchaser enters into the contract and must be: (A) a resident of this state at the time the purchaser enters into the contract; or (B) a nonresident if the purchaser is a resident of this state at the time that the contract is entered into.

(ii) The board may require a reasonable period of residence in this state for a beneficiary or the purchaser.

(iii) A beneficiary is considered a resident for purposes of tuition regardless of the beneficiary's residence on the date of enrollment. However, for contracts entered into after July 1, 2003, this provision only applies to nonresident beneficiaries if (A) the original purchaser was the parent, grandparent or legal guardian of the beneficiary; or (B) the beneficiary was a resident of Mississippi at the time the contract was purchased.

(e) Institution of higher education. Any public institution of higher learning or public community or junior college located in Mississippi.

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

(g) Board or board of directors. The Board of Directors of the College Savings Plans of Mississippi Trust Funds as provided in Section 37-155-7 .

(h) Legislature. The Legislature of Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 15-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-11
Status: in_force

Whenever any minor child seeks or applies to enroll or gain entrance to any public school in this state, and the child is not accompanied by an adult or is accompanied by an adult who is not the child's parent, guardian, if a legal guardian has been appointed for the child, or legal custodian, the school official or officials or teacher to whom the child applies or reports for enrollment or admission may delay consideration of the enrollment or enlistment of the minor child and require the child's parent, legal guardian or legal custodian to accompany the child and apply for enrollment and admission into the school for and on behalf of the minor child.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-37 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 29-37
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-37
Status: in_force

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 37-29-1 through 37-29-273 to the contrary, any existing publicly operated junior college, lying in and operated by a county bordering on the Mississippi River, may, in the discretion of the board of supervisors of such county, continue to operate said college under such terms and conditions as said board may deem necessary and requisite in the premises. The governing authorities of other counties and municipalities are authorized and empowered, in the discretion of said governing bodies, to appropriate funds for the support of said junior college.

(2) The provisions of the preceding subsection shall not impair nor abrogate the aforesaid county's obligations, duties, powers, and rights as a member county of the junior college district to which it is made a part by Section 37-29-31 .

(3) All of the property and facilities of any existing junior college located outside of the boundaries of the county owning and operating the same shall be and the same are hereby transferred to and vested in the board of trustees of the junior college district in which said county owning and operating said junior college is situated, and the board of trustees of said junior college district is authorized to continue the operation of said college under such terms and conditions as such board may deem necessary and requisite.

The governing authorities of other counties and municipalities lying outside of such junior college district are authorized and empowered, in the discretion of their governing bodies, to levy taxes and to appropriate funds for the support of such junior college.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-101 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 151-101
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-101
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the State Department of Education to file with the State Treasurer and the State Fiscal Officer such data and information as may be required to enable the said State Treasurer and State Fiscal Officer to distribute the total funding formula funds provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 by electronic funds transfer to the several school districts and charter schools at the time required and provided under the provisions of this chapter. Such data and information so filed shall show in detail the amount of funds to which each school district and charter school is entitled under the total funding formula. Such data and information so filed may be revised from time to time as necessitated by law. At the time provided by law, the State Treasurer and the State Fiscal Officer shall distribute to the several school districts and charter schools the amounts to which they are entitled under the total funding formula as provided by this chapter. Such distribution shall be made by electronic funds transfer to the depositories of the several school districts and charter schools designated in writing to the State Treasurer based upon the data and information supplied by the State Department of Education for such distribution. In such instances, the State Treasurer shall submit a request for an electronic funds transfer to the State Fiscal Officer, which shall set forth the purpose, amount and payees, and shall be in such form as may be approved by the State Fiscal Officer so as to provide the necessary information as would be required for a requisition and issuance of a warrant. A copy of the record of the electronic funds transfers shall be transmitted by the school district and charter school depositories to the Treasurer, who shall file duplicates with the State Fiscal Officer. The Treasurer and State Fiscal Officer shall jointly promulgate regulations for the utilization of electronic funds transfers to school districts and charter schools.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-203 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 23-203
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-203
Status: in_force

(1) As part of the certification process, teachers certified in the education of blind and visually impaired students shall be required to demonstrate competence in reading and writing Braille after January 1, 2010. The State Department of Education shall adopt procedures to assess such competencies.

(2) The department shall recognize Braille and Orientation & Mobility as core subject areas for all blind students, as deemed appropriate by the IEP Committee for all areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC). The department shall adopt proficiency and competency in reading and writing of Literary Braille and Nemeth Code as a minimal standard for all teachers of the blind certified after January 1, 2010.

(3) Competency in reading and writing Literary Braille and Nemeth Code must be exhibited by an individual passing the Mississippi Praxis II Braille Competency Exam.

(4) The adoption of Braille as a core subject for blind and visually impaired students recognizes that the teaching of Braille is a unique educational need unparalleled by any other subject or skill taught to either general or special education students.

(5) The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is the body of knowledge and skills that are needed by students with visual impairments due to their unique disability-specific needs. Students with visual impairments need the Expanded Core Curriculum in addition to the core academic curriculum of general education. The ECC should be used as a framework for assessing students, planning individual goals and providing instruction. The ECC includes compensatory or functional academic skills, including communication modes, orientation and mobility, social interaction skills, independent living skills, recreation and leisure skills, career education, use of assistive technology, sensory efficiency skills and self-determination.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-101 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 59-101
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-101
Status: in_force

The school board of any school district in the county is authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to borrow money under the terms and conditions specified in this article for the purpose of making repairs, alterations and additions to school buildings of such school districts, for the purpose of erecting school buildings and other buildings used for school purposes, for the purpose of purchasing heating plants, air conditioning, fixtures and equipment for such buildings, for the purpose of purchasing land for school purposes, school buses and transportation equipment, and for the purpose of improving and equipping such lands for school recreational and athletic purposes.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-18-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 18-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-18-1
Status: in_force

(1) The State Board of Education shall establish, design and implement a Superior-Performing Schools Program and an Exemplary Schools Program for identifying and rewarding public schools, including charter schools, that improve. The State Board of Education shall develop rules and regulations for the program, establish criteria and establish a process through which Superior-Performing and Exemplary Schools will be identified and rewarded. Upon full implementation of the statewide testing program, Superior-Performing, Exemplary or School At-Risk designation shall be made by the State Board of Education in accordance with the following:

(a) A growth expectation will be established by testing students annually and, using a psychometrically approved formula, by tracking their progress. This growth expectation will result in a composite score each year for each school.

(b) A determination will be made as to the percentage of students proficient in each school. This measurement will define what a student must know in order to be deemed proficient at each grade level and will clearly show how well a student is performing. The definition of proficiency shall be developed for each grade, based on a demonstrated range of performance in relation to content as reflected in the Mississippi Curriculum Frameworks. This range of performance must be established through a formal procedure including educators, parents, community leaders and other stakeholders.

(c) A school has the following two (2) methods for designation as either a Superior-Performing or an Exemplary School, to be determined on an annual basis:

(i) A school exceeds its growth expectation by a percentage established by the State Board of Education; or

(ii) A school achieves the grade level proficiency standard established by the State Board of Education.

Any school designated as a School At-Risk which exceeds its growth expectation by a percentage established by the State Board of Education shall no longer be considered a School At-Risk and shall be eligible for monetary awards under this section.

(2) Superior-Performing and Exemplary Schools may apply to the State Board of Education for monetary incentives to be used for selected school needs, as identified by a vote of all licensed and instructional personnel employed at the school. These incentive funds may be used for specific school needs, including, but not limited to:

(a) Funding for professional development activities. Staff participating in such activities will report to the school and school district or, in the case of a charter school, the governing board of the school about the benefits and lessons learned from such training;

(b) Technology needs;

(c) Sabbaticals for teachers or administrators, or both, to pursue additional professional development or educational enrichment;

(d) Paid professional leave;

(e) Training for parents, including, but not limited to, the following:

(i) Curriculum;

(ii) Chapter 1;

(iii) Special need students;

(iv) Student rights and responsibility;

(v) School and community relations;

(vi) Effective parenting.

All funds awarded under this subsection shall be subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature.

(3) The State Board of Education shall provide special recognition to all schools receiving Superior-Performing or Exemplary designation and, in the case of noncharter public schools, their school districts. Examples of such recognition include, but are not limited to: public announcements and events; special recognition of student progress and effort; certificates of recognition and plaques for teachers, principals, superintendents, support and classified personnel and parents; and media announcements utilizing the services of Mississippi Educational Television.

(4) The State Department of Education may benefit from the use of growth expectation measurements under this section in making evaluations under Section 37-19-9 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-195 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 13-195
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-195
Status: in_force

(1) There is created the Mississippi Civil Rights Education Commission. The commission shall be assigned to the Office of the Secretary of State for administrative purposes only. The commission shall provide or assist education officials and other organizations with information, coordination and modification of courses or programs that include the Civil Rights Movement, and will carry out the specific responsibilities set forth in Section 37-13-193 . In completing this task, the commission may act as a liaison with various bodies, including the United States Congress, the State Legislature, Teaching for Change, the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, as well as other national and international agencies. The commission shall consist of no more than fifteen (15) members, eleven (11) positions of which will be voluntary, to serve with a term of three (3) years on a rotating basis. These positions will be filled by application submitted to a joint committee formed by the William Winter Institute at the University of Mississippi, Tougaloo College, the Oral History Project at the University of Southern Mississippi and Jackson State University. Each of these four (4) entities shall remain permanent members of this commission, with representatives to be appointed by the President or Chancellor of the appropriate institution.

(2) The members of the commission shall be residents of this state and shall be appointed with due regard for broad geographic representation.

(3) The commission shall have a chairperson who shall be designated by the State Superintendent of Education from the commission membership for a term of four (4) years and eight (8) members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of the commission.

(4) The Mississippi Commission on Civil Rights Education shall adopt rules and regulations and set standards and policies for the organization, operation, management, budgeting and programs of the commission.

(5) The commission may apply for and receive gifts, grants and donations from any public or private sources, including federal and private foundation grants. Members of the commission may not be compensated for the performance of their duties except from nonstate funds that are specifically available therefor.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 29-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-5
Status: in_force

Title to lands may be acquired and buildings and other improvements may be erected thereon for the use and benefit of junior colleges. Title to all such property hereafter acquired shall be vested in the board of trustees and the trustees' successors in office.

Any board of supervisors or board of trustees of any municipal separate school district which presently holds title to the lands, buildings, and improvements of a junior college may convey title to same to the board of trustees and their successors in office of such junior college pursuant to a resolution of such board of supervisors or board of trustees of a municipal separate school district, duly adopted and spread on the minutes of said board of supervisors.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-329 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 7-329
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-329
Status: in_force

In a school district where there are Indian children, or children of any race not otherwise provided for by law with educational advantages, sufficient to form a school, the school board may locate one or more schools exclusively for Indians, or children of such other race, and pay salaries of teachers for same, and provide for the transportation of the children, under rules and regulations prescribed by the State Board of Education. Special licenses may be provided by the director of the division of instruction for teachers of Indian schools and other schools mentioned in this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-75 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 29-75
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-75
Status: in_force

When any land or other property owned by a junior college/community college district shall cease to be used or needed by the district, the same may be sold by the board of trustees upon sealed bids or at public auction after three (3) weeks' advertisement in a newspaper in the county where the said property is located. Personal property having a value determined by the board of less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) may be sold without such advertisement; however, in such event, notice shall be posted in at least three public places in the county where such property is situated or where it is to be sold, giving notice of the time and place of such sale, and such property shall be sold to the highest and best bidder for cash. Such notice shall be posted for ten (10) days before the sale.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-39-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 39-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-39-1
Status: in_force

The following words and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section:

(a) “ Perishables ” shall mean items which have a variable market price on which vendors are unable to submit a long-range price such as fruits and vegetables;

(b) “ Purchasing agent ” shall mean the superintendent, or other individual or individuals designated by the school board or by the school boards acting jointly as its agent or agents to negotiate and make private contract or to purchase;

(c) “ School boards ” shall mean the local governing boards of all school districts in the state, whether they act jointly or separately. The term also means the State Board of Education when acting in its role as prescribed in Section 43-5-1 et seq. ;

(d) “ Services ” shall mean maintenance, operational and scholastic services utilized within and for the school district or school districts.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-181-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 181-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-181-13
Status: in_force

(1) The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) shall prepare a biannual report, beginning in 2018 and every two (2) years thereafter, assessing efficacy of Education Scholarship Accounts, to include the sufficiency of funding, and recommending any suggested changes in state law or policy necessary to improve the ESA program.

(2) The report shall assess:

(a) The degree to which eligible schools are meeting the needs of participating students as defined by the participating students' IEPs;

(b) The level of participating students' satisfaction with the ESA program;

(c) The level of parental or guardian satisfaction with the ESA program;

(d) Participating students' performance, both pre-assessment and post-assessment, on the eligible school's current assessment used to demonstrate academic progress, a nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement test, or a current state board-approved screener, as required in Section 37-181-15(f) ;

(e) Participating students' performance on Advanced Placement examinations or similar courses and any examinations related to college or university admission; provided that eligible schools must report participating students' performance on Advance Placement examinations and any examinations related to college or university admission;

(f) The four-year high school graduation rates and college acceptance rates of participating students; provided that eligible schools must report participating students' high school graduation rates and, if known, college acceptance rates;

(g) The percentage of funds used for each qualifying expense identified in Section 37-181-5(2) ; and

(h) The fiscal impact to the state and home school districts of the ESA program, which must consider both the impact on revenue and the impact on expenses. Furthermore, the fiscal savings associated with students departing public schools must be explicitly quantified, even if the public school losing the student(s) does not reduce its spending accordingly.

(3) The report shall:

(a) Apply appropriate analytical and behavioral science methodologies to ensure public confidence in the study; and

(b) Protect the identity of participating students and schools by, among other things, keeping anonymous all disaggregated data.

(4) PEER shall provide the Legislature with a final copy of the report of the ESA program before December 31 each year the report is due. At the same time, the study shall also be placed in a prominent location on the PEER website.

(5) PEER must make its data and methodology available for public review while complying with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( 20 USCS Section 1232(g) ).
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-75 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 151-75
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-75
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Community College Board is designated as the primary support agency to the career centers and district councils. The state board may exercise the following powers:

(a) To provide the career centers the assistance necessary to accomplish the purposes of Sections 37-151-63 through 37-151-75 ;

(b) To provide the career centers consistent standards and benchmarks to guide development of the local workforce development system and to provide a means by which the outcomes of local services can be measured;

(c) To develop the staff capacity to provide, broker or contract for the provision of technical assistance to the career centers, including, but not limited to:

(i) Training local staff in methods of recruiting, assessment and career counseling;

(ii) Establishing rigorous and comprehensive local pre-employment training programs;

(iii) Developing local institutional capacity to deliver Total Quality Management training;

(iv) Developing local institutional capacity to transfer new technologists into the marketplace;

(v) Expanding the Skills Enhancement Program and improving the quality of adult literacy programs; and

(vi) Developing data for strategic planning;

(d) To collaborate with the Department of Economic and Community Development and other economic development organizations to increase the community college systems' economic development potential;

(e) To administer presented and approved certification programs by the community colleges for tax credits and partnership funding for corporate training;

(f) To create and maintain an evaluation team that examines which kinds of curricula and programs and what forms of quality control of training are most productive so that the knowledge developed at one (1) institution of education can be transferred to others;

(g) To develop internal capacity to provide services and to contract for services from universities and other providers directly to local institutions;

(h) To develop and administer an incentive certification program; and

(i) To develop and hire staff and purchase equipment necessary to accomplish the goals set forth in this section. 1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-109 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 115-109
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-109
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is directed, empowered and authorized to take necessary and proper actions to assure that the school of dentistry of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, as hereby established, acquires and maintains recognition and accreditation in local, regional and national accreditation associations at least at the level of its counterparts in the southeastern region of the United States and on a level with the other professional schools of this state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-51 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 141-51
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-51
Status: in_force

(1) There is hereby created the Regional Initiatives Program within the University Research Center as created by Section 37-141-1 et seq.

(2) The program shall provide financial assistance to counties through grants to substate economic development organizations or an aggregate of such organizations to carry out specific projects that will augment the objectives and strategies of the statewide economic development plan in accordance with the Statewide Planning Act of 1987.

(3) Counties may designate substate economic development organizations to include but not limited to economic development organizations such as local chambers of commerce, local economic development authorities, planning development districts, multicounty organizations funded by local governing authorities and the federal government or other organization deemed appropriate.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-131 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 13-131
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-131
Status: in_force

(1) The State Department of Education is designated as the state agency responsible for the administration and supervision of the Comprehensive School Health Education Program as an educational curriculum in the State of Mississippi. It is the intent of the Legislature that all funds made available to the State Department of Education for the purpose of comprehensive school health education shall be administered by the State Department of Education.

(2) Pursuant to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the State Department of Education is authorized to establish an Office of Comprehensive School Health Education within the framework of the State Department of Education for the purpose of developing standards, procedures and criteria for the administration and supervision of a statewide program of health education in Kindergarten through Grade 12. The State Department of Education, through the Office of Comprehensive School Health Education, shall assume the further responsibility for promoting a statewide effort designed to prepare local school faculties and staffs to incorporate the comprehensive health education concept into their local educational programs.

(3) The Mississippi Department of Health, in conjunction with the Office of Student Development-Branch of Health-Related Services of the State Department of Education, shall develop a long-range strategic plan for a Comprehensive School Health Education Program in Grades K through 12. The Comprehensive School Health Education Program shall encompass four (4) interdependent components: (a) health education; (b) health service; (c) physical education and fitness; and (d) a healthful school environment. These curriculum components shall be designed to develop decision-making competencies related to health and health behavior. Such curriculum components are intended to motivate health maintenance and promote wellness, not only to prevent disease or disability. The Mississippi Department of Health, in conjunction with the Office of Student Development-Branch of Health-Related Services of the Department of Education, shall develop the strategic plan and make a report thereon to the Governor and the Legislature on or before January 1, 1995.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-135 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 29-135
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-135
Status: in_force

The board of trustees is authorized to lease land and/or buildings owned by the college to any governmental agency, political subdivision, corporation, partnership, joint venture, or individual for the purpose of enabling such persons to construct thereon or repair, renovate and rehabilitate any buildings or facilities the board may determine as necessary and beneficial for additional facilities, services or educational opportunities to the college, students, faculty or the community, and to lease such building and facilities to the college.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-69 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 115-69
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-69
Status: in_force

Any county of this state now or hereafter having a population of more than one hundred thousand according to the latest available census, and in which there is located a municipality of one hundred thousand or more, acting by and through its board of supervisors, is hereby authorized and empowered to contribute the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) toward the construction, erection and equipping of educational facilities to be utilized by the University of Mississippi within such county, by the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-48 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 113-48
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-48
Status: in_force

The building located at 255 Tracy Drive in Mississippi State, Mississippi, and also known as the “Old Extension Service Building,” shall be named the “Lloyd-Ricks-Watson Building” after former university employees Edward R. Lloyd and James R. Ricks, and current university employee Vance H. Watson. Such employees have served as the Director of the Experiment Station and the Director of the Extension Service, and are the only three (3) individuals in history who have served in both capacities at Mississippi State University. Mississippi State University shall prepare a distinctive plaque to be placed in a prominent place inside the building, which states the background, accomplishments and service to the state of these university employees.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-185 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 13-185
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-185
Status: in_force

The State Board of Education shall review the proposed character education programs of the individual school districts to ascertain if the programs comply with the criteria set forth in Section 37-13-181 . Review of the programs shall not exceed a time period of sixty (60) days. If a review extends beyond this time period, the proposal will be deemed in compliance with the law.

If the proposed character education program is rejected, the State Board of Education shall set forth in writing the specific areas of objection. These objections must be based on and limited to the following criteria: the definition of the character traits chosen by the school district for implementation shall reflect and be in keeping with both the spirit and letter of our founding documents; no instruction shall promote or encourage participation in any conduct that would violate existing state or federal law; and no student shall be assessed or evaluated as to whether or not the student evidences a specific character trait in his or her own life.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-503 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 29-503
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-503
Status: in_force

All of the property owned by the Meridian Municipal Separate School District utilized by Meridian Junior College as of September 1, 1979, shall be and the same is hereby transferred to and vested in the board of trustees of the Meridian Junior College District and their successors in office.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-209 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 33-209
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-209
Status: in_force

The director, with the approval of the executive director, may accept and use gifts and donations made unconditionally or otherwise for carrying out the purposes of the Rehabilitation Law, from either public or private sources. Gifts made under such conditions as in the judgment of the director, with the approval of the executive director, are proper and consistent with the provisions of that law may be so accepted and shall be held, invested, reinvested and used in accordance with the conditions of the gift. All monies received as gifts or donations, except conditional gifts requiring other treatments, shall be deposited in the State Treasury and shall constitute a permanent fund to be called the “Special Fund for the Rehabilitation of Individuals with Disabilities through Special Disability Services” and shall be used by the office for such purposes. The director shall prepare and submit a report annually to the Legislature, through the executive director, setting forth the condition of rehabilitation of disabled persons in Mississippi, the expenditures made from state and federal funds in carrying out the provisions of that law or its purpose, and a detailed statement of all gifts and donations offered and accepted, together with the names of donors and the respective amounts prescribed by each and all the disbursements made therefrom.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-163 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 33-163
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-163
Status: in_force

The Office of Disability Determination Services established by Section 37-33-153 shall be administered by a director appointed by the Executive Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services. The director shall devote his full time to the proper administration of the office. In carrying out his duties under this chapter, the director:

(a) Shall enter into agreements on behalf of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services and the State of Mississippi with the federal Social Security Administration or its successor in order to implement the provisions of the federal Social Security Act relating to the determination of disabilities under Title II and Title XVI, and shall enter into contracts necessary to provide such disability determination functions as allowed under applicable federal regulation;

(b) Shall, with the approval of the executive director, make regulations governing Mississippi applications for disability benefits under Title II and Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act, and make such other regulations as are found necessary to implement the functions of the office prescribed under this chapter;

(c) Shall, with the approval of the executive director, establish appropriate subordinate administrative units within the office;

(d) Shall, with the approval of the executive director, be responsible for appointing supervisors, assistants, physicians, and other employees or entering into purchase of service contracts, as are necessary for the efficient performance of the functions of the office, subject to the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the State Personnel Board as created under Section 25-9-101 et seq. ;

(e) Shall prepare and submit to the board through the executive director annual reports of activities and expenditures, and estimates of the amounts to be made available to the office from all sources; and

(f) Shall, with the approval of the executive director and the board, take such other action as he deems necessary or appropriate to implement the functions of the office.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-159-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 159-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-159-19
Status: repealed

Sections 37-159-1 through 37-159-17 shall stand repealed on July 1, 2027.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-301 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 59-301
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-301
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(c) This section shall be construed to be supplemental and additional to any powers conferred by other laws on school districts and not in derogation of any such powers not existing. The section is remedial in nature and shall be liberally construed. Provided, however, that this section shall not grant any extra authority to a school board to issue debt in any amount exceeding statutory limitations on assessed value of taxable property within such school district or the statutory limitations on debt maturities, and shall not grant any extra authority to impose, levy or collect a tax which is not otherwise expressly provided for.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-147-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 147-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-147-11
Status: in_force

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of state law, an officer or employee of a university, except any chief executive officer, any chief financial officer, any chief research officer or any member of the authority, may, pursuant to subsections (2) and (3) of this section, apply to the authority which, under policies, rules and regulations established by the authority, may grant permission to establish and maintain a material financial interest in a private entity which provides or receives equipment, material, supplies or services in connection with the university in order to facilitate the transfer of technological innovations from the university to commercial and industrial enterprises for economic development.

(2) To receive consideration for permission pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the officer or employee of the university must first receive approval in writing from the chief executive officer, or his designee, of the university at which he is employed. The chief executive officer may grant approval to the officer or employee only if all the following conditions are met:

(a) The officer or employee provides a detailed description of his interest in the private entity to the chief executive officer;

(b) The nature of the undertaking or enterprise is fully described to the chief executive officer;

(c) The officer or employee demonstrates to the satisfaction of the chief executive officer that the proposed undertaking may benefit the economy of this state;

(d) The officer or employee demonstrates to the satisfaction of the chief executive officer that the proposed undertaking will not adversely affect research, public service or instructional activities at the university; and

(e) The officer's or employee's interests in the private entity, or benefit from the interest, will not adversely affect any substantial state interest.

(3) The authority may authorize an officer or employee of a university to establish and maintain a material financial interest in a private entity if all of the following conditions are met:

(a) The application as set forth in subsection (2) of this section is approved by the chief executive officer of the university at which the applying officer or employee is employed;

(b) The authority enters such application upon its minutes and reaches positive findings:

(i) That the application contains an adequately detailed description of the officer's or employee's interest in the private entity;

(ii) That the application contains a detailed description of the proposed undertaking or enterprise that is sufficient;

(iii) That the authority is satisfied that the proposed undertaking will benefit the economy of the state;

(iv) That the authority is satisfied that the proposed venture will not adversely affect research, public service or instructional activities at the university; and

(v) That the officer's or employee's interests in the private entity, or benefit from the interest, will not adversely affect any substantial state interest.

(4) On the recommendation of the authority, the chief executive officer of the university at which the officer or employee is employed may require that the university or the university's research corporation have a share in any royalties or shares or other proceeds or equity positions from the proposed undertaking of the private entity.

(5) The authority may establish policies, rules and regulations for the implementation of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-465 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 29-465
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-465
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of the Copiah-Lincoln Junior College District shall have the authority to purchase property, make capital improvements, and lease or use private or public facilities at either the Copiah-Lincoln or Natchez Campuses, in the discretion of the board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 131-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-11
Status: in_force

All demonstration or practice schools established under the provisions of Section 37-131-1 shall, as far as may be practicable, be subject to and governed by the same laws as other public schools of the State of Mississippi, and shall make all reports required by law to be made by public schools to the State Board of Education at the same time and in the same manner as such reports are made by other public schools. However, for the purpose of the allocation of total funding formula funds, the reports of children in net enrollment shall be made to the school district involved by the demonstration or practice school, and a copy thereof shall be filed with the State Board of Education. The school district shall use the reports so filed with it in making its reports to the State Board of Education for the purpose of the allocation of total funding formula funds, but the net enrollment of the pupils attending such demonstration or practice school shall be segregated and separated in such reports from the net enrollment in the regular schools of the district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 141-21
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-21
Status: in_force

(1) The director of the center, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, shall fix the salaries and wages of employees of the center, shall reimburse employees for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, and may approve receipt by employees of additional income payments from grants, fellowships and other sources.

(2) The director of the center, upon approval of the board of trustees, may contract with universities and colleges, with individuals and with public or private research organizations for their services and, under the same approval, may contract for performance by the center of services to governmental subdivisions of the state, to United States government departments and agencies, to area development organizations, to trade associations and other similar groups of public or private nature, and to private business enterprises, and may set fees for such services. Upon approval of the board of trustees, the center may establish intern programs to provide experience that supplements the education of students enrolled in state institutions of higher learning.

(3) Expenditures by and for the center and its branches shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of the funds appropriated to carry out the provisions of this chapter, upon warrant issued by the State Fiscal Management Board; and such board shall issue its warrant upon requisition signed by the director of the center, in the manner provided by law. Full and complete accounting shall be kept and made by the center for all funds received and expended by it. Representatives of the office of the State Auditor annually shall audit the expenditures of funds received by the center from all sources, and the auditor shall make a complete and detailed report of such audit to the Legislature.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-65 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / 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. § 37-51-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / 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. § 37-121-15 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 121-15
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-121-15
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Small Farm Development Center (MSFDC) on the campus of Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, shall be renamed the Mississippi Small Farm and Agribusiness Center (MSFAC).
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-137 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 23-137
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-137
Status: in_force

(1) Consent shall be obtained:

(a) Prior to initial evaluation;

(b) Prior to implementation of the initial individualized educational program for a child with a disability;

(c) Prior to reevaluation, except that such consent is not required, if the local educational agency can demonstrate that it had taken reasonable measures to obtain such consent and the parent failed to respond; and

(d) Prior to the release of educational records as required under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and IDEA.

(2) If the parent of a child with a disability refuses consent for the evaluation, the local educational agency may continue to pursue an evaluation by utilizing the due process hearing procedures under IDEA, except to the extent these are not in conflict with Mississippi law relating to parental consent.

(3) Written prior notice shall be provided to the parents of the child whenever a local educational agency proposes to initiate or change or refuses to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of the child, or the provision of a free appropriate public education to that child.

(4) Written prior notice shall be provided in the native language of the parents, unless it clearly is not feasible to do so.

(5) Written prior notice shall include:

(a) A description of the action proposed or refused by the local educational agency;

(b) An explanation of why the local educational agency proposes or refuses to take the action;

(c) A description of any other options that the local educational agency considered and the reasons why those options were rejected;

(d) A description of any other factors that are relevant to the local educational agency's proposal or refusal;

(e) A description of each evaluation procedure, test, record, or report the local educational agency used as a basis for the proposed or refused action;

(f) A description of any factors that are relevant to the local educational agency's proposal or refusal;

(g) A statement that the parents of a child with a disability have protection under the procedural safeguards under IDEA and, if the notice is not an initial referral for evaluation, notification of an individualized educational program meeting or notice for reevaluation, the means by which a copy of a description of procedural safeguards can be obtained; and

(h) Sources for parents to contact to obtain assistance in understanding the provisions under IDEA.

(6) A copy of the procedural safeguards established by the State Department of Education shall be given to the parents upon:

(a) Initial referral for evaluation, reevaluation or parent request for evaluation;

(b) The child's initial IEP meeting;

(c) Registration of a complaint under IDEA to the State Department of Education;

(d) Upon a request by a parent; and

(e) If there is no circumstance giving rise to the purpose of parents receiving a copy of the procedural safeguards under paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this subsection, then the parents shall be provided with a copy of the procedural safeguards at least once on an annual basis.

The procedural safeguards shall include provisions which allow parents to be informed of the parental right to record IEP meetings by means of an audio or visual recording device or written transcript at the parent's own expense if they so desire a record of the meeting.

(7) The State Department of Education and each local educational agency shall establish procedures to ensure parents of children with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in meetings with respect to the identification, evaluation, and education placement of the child, and the provision of a free appropriate public education of such child. Local educational agencies shall provide parents of children with disabilities an opportunity to provide input in the development of the agencies' application for funding, as required under IDEA.

(8) The parent or guardian or local educational agency shall have the right to audio record the proceedings of individualized education program team meetings. The parent or guardian or local educational agency shall notify the members of the individualized education program team of his, her, or its intent to audio record a meeting at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting.

(9) In conducting the evaluation, the local educational agency shall:

(a) Use a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional and developmental information, including information provided by the parent, that may assist in determining whether the child is a child with a disability and the content of the child's individualized education program including information related to enabling the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum or, for preschool children, to participate in appropriate activities;

(b) Not use any single procedure as the sole criterion for determining whether a child is a child with a disability or determining an appropriate educational program for the child; and

(c) Use technically sound instruments that may assess the relative contribution of cognitive and behavioral factors, in addition to physical or developmental factors.

(10) Each local educational agency shall ensure that:

(a) Tests and other evaluation materials used to assess a child are:

(i) Selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural basis; and

(ii) Provided and administered in the child's native language or other mode of communication, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so;

(b) Any standardized tests that are given to the child:

(i) Have been validated for the specific purpose for which they are used;

(ii) Are administered by trained and knowledgeable personnel; and

(iii) Are administered in accordance with any instructions provided by the producer of such tests;

(c) The child is assessed in all areas of suspected disability; and

(d) Assessment tools and strategies that provide relevant information that directly assist persons in determining the educational needs of the child are provided.

(11) Upon completion of administration of tests and other evaluation materials:

(a) The determination of whether the child is a child with a disability as defined under IDEA and state regulations established by the State Board of Education shall be made by a team of qualified professionals and the parent of the child and certified by a Screening Team as defined by the State Board of Education;

(b) In making such a determination of eligibility, a child shall not be determined to be a child with a disability if the determinant factor for such determination is lack of instruction in reading or math or limited English proficiency; and

(c) A copy of the evaluation report and the documentation of determination of eligibility will be given to the parent.

(12) Parents shall have an opportunity to obtain an independent educational evaluation of their child in accordance with the requirements under IDEA.

(13) An outside individual or entity contracting with a local educational agency for the purpose of performing an observation in order to make recommendations of possible changes in a child's IEP, or any outside individual or entity making an observation of a child which results in such recommendations, shall submit a report of the observation to the local educational agency. The local educational agency shall notify the parent upon receipt of this report.

(14) Parents and guardians shall have the right of review or to receive copies of all educational records, as such records are defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, pertaining to their child. The local educational agency shall be responsible for making the educational records available to the parent or guardian. The cost of providing a copy of any information contained in a student's educational record to the parents or guardians shall be established by the local school board in accordance with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 17-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-11
Status: in_force

The State Board of Education, in its discretion, may exempt any school district meeting the highest levels of state accreditation standards, as defined by the State Board of Education, from any compulsory standard of accreditation. However, if the standard of accreditation is an educational policy required by statute, any such exemption shall only be made if specifically authorized by law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 104-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-104-1
Status: in_force

This chapter may be cited as the “Mississippi Educational Facilities Authority Act for Private, Nonprofit Institutions of Higher Learning.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-155 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 33-155
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-155
Status: in_force

(1) There is created the State Board of Rehabilitation Services, which shall consist of two (2) appointed members and the following five (5) officials: the Executive Officer of the State Department of Health; the Executive Director of the State Department of Mental Health; the State Superintendent of Public Education, or his designee; the Director of the Division of Vocational and Technical Education of the State Department of Education; and the Executive Director of the Department of Human Services.

Of the two (2) appointed members, one (1) shall be either an individual who is a client of vocational rehabilitation services or a parent of an individual who is a client of vocational rehabilitation services, and the other shall be either an individual who is visually impaired or a parent of an individual who is visually impaired. The appointed members shall be appointed by the Governor from the state at large, with one (1) appointed for a term to expire on July 1, 1994, and the other appointed for a term to expire on July 1, 1996. Upon the expiration of the initial terms, the members shall be appointed for terms of five (5) years from the expiration date of the previous term. All original and subsequent appointments shall be with the advice and consent of the Senate. An appointment to fill a vacancy, other than by expiration of a term of office, shall be made for the balance of the unexpired term. No board appointee shall be an employee or elected official of the State of Mississippi or a political subdivision thereof, or an employee of the former State Department of Rehabilitation Services before July 1, 1989, or an employee of the Division of Rehabilitation Services of the Department of Human Services or any subordinate administrative unit of the division before July 1, 1991, or an employee of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services after June 30, 1991.

(2) The board shall elect a chairperson from its membership at the first meeting of the original board members and every two (2) years thereafter on July 15 of the year. A majority of the membership of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business, and the board shall meet at least quarterly and hold other meetings as are necessary for the purpose of conducting required business. All meetings of the board shall be called by the chairperson, except the first meeting of the original board members, which shall be called by the Governor.

(3) The appointed members of the board shall be compensated at a per diem rate as authorized by Section 25-3-69 , plus actual and necessary expenses as authorized by Section 25-3-41 . Members of the board appointed before July 1, 1991, shall be paid compensation and expenses under this subsection from funds available to the Division of Rehabilitation Services of the Department of Human Services.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-423 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 29-423
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-423
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College District, in the discretion of the board of trustees, may charge fees and tuitions in accordance with Section 37-103-25 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 25-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-1
Status: in_force

The aims and purposes of driver's education and training shall be to develop a knowledge of those provisions of the Mississippi Code of 1972 and other laws of this state relating to the operation of motor vehicles, a proper acceptance of personal responsibility in traffic, a true appreciation of the causes, seriousness and consequences of traffic accidents, and the knowledge, attitudes, habits and skills necessary for the safe operation of motor vehicles.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-31 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 45-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-31
Status: in_force

The commission, or the chairman thereof, at any regular or recessed meeting, or the chairman in vacation, or the executive secretary in vacation pursuant to the direction of the chairman made at any time, is hereby empowered to issue under the seal of the commission and in its name, subpoenas for witnesses to require their attendance and the giving of testimony before the commission at any hearing or proceeding conducted by the commission and to require the production of such books, papers and records in any proceeding before the commission as may be material upon questions before or brought by the commission. Such subpoenas for witnesses or subpoenas duces tecum shall be directed to the sheriff or other lawful officer of the county of the residence of the witness named in the subpoena and shall be served and returned by the sheriff or other officer authorized by law to serve and return process in this state as in the chancery courts of this state and shall be obeyed just as process in said chancery court. The time and place for the appearance of the witness and the production of any documents, as the case may be, shall be specified in such subpoena.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-201 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 9-201
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-201
Status: in_force

As used in Sections 37-9-201 through 37-9-213 :

(a) “ Beginning teacher ” means a teacher who:

(i) Possesses a teaching license issued by the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development;

(ii) Is employed at least half time, primarily as a classroom teacher, by a school district; and

(iii) Has taught fewer than ninety (90) consecutive days, or one hundred eighty (180) days total, as a licensed teacher in any public school.

(b) “ District ” means any local school district.

(c) “ Formal assistance ” means a program provided by a mentor teacher to a beginning teacher that includes, but is not limited to, direct classroom observation and consultation; assistance in instructional planning and preparation; support in implementation and delivery of classroom instruction; and other assistance intended to enhance the professional performance and development of the beginning teacher.

(d) “ Mentor teacher ” means a teacher who:

(i) Possesses a standard teaching personnel service or administrative license issued by the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development;

(ii) At the time of selection, is employed under contract primarily as a classroom teacher by a public school district or is retired from a public school district;

(iii) Has successfully taught for three (3) or more years as a licensed teacher in any public school;

(iv) Has been selected and trained as described in Section 37-9-211 ; and

(v) Has demonstrated mastery of teaching skills and subject matter knowledge.

(e) “ Teacher ” means a licensed employee of a local school district who has direct responsibility for instruction, coordination of educational programs or supervision of teachers and who is compensated for services from public funds.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 175-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-3
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship for Students with Speech-Language Impairments Program, which may also be cited as the Nate Rogers Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program, is established to provide a scholarship to a nonpublic school of choice, for students with an eligibility ruling of a speech-language impairment. Students in kindergarten through Grade 6 or its equivalent who have been properly evaluated and received an eligibility ruling of speech-language impairment shall be eligible to receive scholarship assistance under this program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 47-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-5
Status: in_force

For the purposes of this chapter, the term “capital improvement” shall mean the cost of (1) erecting, repairing, equipping, remodeling and enlarging school buildings and related facilities, including, but not being limited to, gymnasiums, auditoriums, lunch rooms, vocational training buildings, libraries, teachers' homes, school barns, garages for transportation vehicles, and (2) providing necessary water, lights, heating, air conditioning and sewerage facilities for school buildings. Such term shall not include the cost of the acquisition of land whereon to construct or establish any of the facilities named above.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-147-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 147-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-147-1
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Mississippi University Research Authority Act.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-51-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / 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. § 37-16-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 16-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-16-17
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(i) English I;

(ii) English II;

(iii) Technical writing;

(iv) Computer programming;

(v) Algebra I;

(vi) Personal Finance;

(vii) Advanced technical mathematics;

(viii) Computer Science;

(ix) Biology;

(x) Earth and Space Science;

(xi) U.S. History;

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

(xiii) Health;

(xiv) Physical Education;

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

(xvi) Career technical education pathway courses; and

(xvii) Integrated technology.

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

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

(3) Nothing in this section shall disallow the development of a dual enrollment program with a technical college so long as an individual school district, with approval from the State Department of Education, agrees to implement such a program in connection with a technical college and the agreement is also approved by the proprietary school's commission.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 25-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-25-3
Status: in_force

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the school board of any school district maintaining a secondary school which includes any of the grades nine (9) through twelve (12) inclusive, shall establish and maintain driver education and training programs for pupils enrolled in the day secondary schools in that district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-16-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 16-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-16-7
Status: in_force

(1) Each district school board shall establish standards for graduation from its schools which shall include as a minimum:

(a) Mastery of minimum academic skills as measured by assessments developed and administered by the State Board of Education.

(b) Completion of a minimum number of academic credits, and all other applicable requirements prescribed by the district school board.

(c) By school, information on high school graduation rates. High schools with graduation rates lower than eighty percent (80%) must submit a detailed plan to the Mississippi Department of Education to restructure the high school experience to improve graduation rates.

(2) A student who meets all requirements prescribed in subsection (1) of this section shall be awarded a standard diploma in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education.

(3) The State Board of Education may establish student proficiency standards for promotion to grade levels leading to graduation.

(4) The State Board of Education shall develop a curriculum related to the study of sign language. Any such class developed by the board may count as an academic credit for foreign languages for the purposes of high school graduation requirements.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 45-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-5
Status: in_force

The commission shall be composed of six (6) members who shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. However, no such confirmation shall be made by the Senate until said appointment or appointments have been referred to the proper Senate standing committee and an individual report has been made on each appointee by said Senate standing committee reporting that in its judgment such appointee has the proper qualifications and is a proper person to perform the duties of this office.

One (1) member shall be appointed from each congressional district of the state as presently existing. In making the original appointments, two (2) members shall be appointed for a term expiring April 1st, 1956; two (2) members shall be appointed for a term expiring April 1st, 1958; and two (2) members shall be appointed for a term expiring April 1st, 1960. Thereafter all appointments shall be for terms of six (6) years commencing on April 1st of the year in which the appointments are made. New members of the commission shall be appointed from the same district as their predecessor. Any vacancy in the membership of the commission occurring before the expiration of a term shall be filled in the manner hereinabove provided for, but only for the unexpired term.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 3-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-13
Status: in_force

The deputy superintendents, associate superintendents and directors shall be selected by and hold office subject to the will of the State Superintendent of Public Education subject to the approval of the State Board of Education. All other personnel shall be competitively appointed by the State Superintendent and shall be dismissed only for cause in accordance with the rules and regulations of the State Personnel Board. The State Board of Education shall set the salary of the members of the teaching staffs and employees of the Mississippi School of the Arts, the Mississippi School for the Blind, the Mississippi School for the Deaf, and the Mississippi School for Math and Sciences. The State Superintendent, subject to the approval of the State Personnel Board, shall fix the amount of compensation of all other employees of the State Department of Education. All salaries, compensation or expenses of any of the personnel of the department shall be paid upon the requisition of the State Superintendent of Public Education and warrant issued thereunder by the State Auditor out of funds appropriated by the Legislature in a lump sum upon the basis of budgetary requirements submitted by the Superintendent of Education or out of funds otherwise made available. The entire expense of administering the department shall never exceed the amount appropriated therefor, plus funds received from other sources other than state appropriations. For a violation of this provision, the superintendent shall be liable, and he and the sureties on his bond shall be required to restore any such excess.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-57 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 27-57
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-57
Status: in_force

Any additional or supplemental expenses incurred by the agricultural high school or community or junior college in the instruction of such pupils above that defrayed by total funding formula funds as provided in Section 37-27-55 , shall be paid either from the amounts received from the state appropriation for the support of agricultural high schools or from the tax levy for the support of such agricultural high school or community or junior college or from any other funds which such agricultural high school or community or junior college may have available for such purpose.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 113-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-9
Status: in_force

The right belongs to each county to have a number of students admitted to the Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science proportionate to its number of educable males compared with the whole number in the state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-50 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 113-50
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-50
Status: in_force

(1) The building known as the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Bureau of Plant Industry Building on the campus of Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi, shall be designated and henceforth be known as the “Robert Horne McCarty Building.”

(2) The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is hereby authorized to erect a suitable memorial marker at a site on the premises of the current Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Bureau of Plant Industry Building to be chosen with the approval of the family of Robert Horne McCarty.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-123 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 29-123
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-123
Status: in_force

In any such case the board of trustees of such junior college district by resolution or order, shall declare its intention to borrow any sum not in excess of the limitation fixed in Section 37-29-121 , and shall recite in said resolution or order with reasonable particulars the purpose for which said funds are to be borrowed, and shall fix a schedule of amounts and dates of maturities by which such loans shall be repaid. Such resolution or order shall be duly recorded in the permanent minutes of the board of trustees of such institution. All such loans shall be fully repaid within six years, and they shall be evidenced by notes signed by the president and secretary of the board of trustees, which shall bear appropriate reference to the resolution or order of the board of trustees authorizing such loan. Such loan shall be retired in installments of not less than one-fifth the amount thereof on the first day of April of the year next succeeding the date of such loan and an equal amount on the same date of each and every year thereafter until said loan is paid.

Notes issued in evidence of such loans shall bear interest at a rate of not to exceed four percent (4%) per annum, all interest payable semi-annually, and no such note shall be sold or negotiated by said institution for less than par and accrued interest. Funds received by such institution from the sale or negotiation of any such notes shall be paid into the treasury of the institution and disbursed as other funds thereof are disbursed, but for no other purpose than that authorized by Section 37-29-121 .

Such notes shall be lithographed, or engraved, and printed in two or more colors to prevent counterfeiting. Such notes shall bear the signature of the junior college issuing the same, by the president and secretary of the board of trustees thereof. They shall be impressed with the seal of such institution. Interest coupons attached may bear the facsimile signatures of the aforesaid officers of the board of trustees. Before negotiation or sale and delivery thereof, said notes shall be registered in a book kept in the business office of such institution.

All indebtedness so created shall be paid from first funds derived from tax levies for maintenance and operation of said school coming into the treasury thereof and from fees, rentals and other charges as provided in Section 37-29-125 . In order to secure the prompt payment of any and all indebtedness, whether of principal or interest incurred hereunder, a special fund shall be established in the depository of the funds of said institution, the style of which shall be, “debt retirement fund of __________ junior college district,” and immediately upon receipt of the distribution of said first funds derived from such tax levies, annually hereafter in advance of the due date of each and every installment of said indebtedness, a sufficient sum from said taxes shall be paid into said special fund for the retirement of all principal and interest coming due within said year equal to the difference, if any, between such principal and interest and the amount collected from fees, rentals and other charges, as provided in Section 37-29-125 . Said debt retirement fund shall be used for no other purpose than for the payment of principal and interest of indebtedness incurred hereunder.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 33-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-13
Status: in_force

As used in the Vocational Rehabilitation Law:

(a) “ Competitive employment ” means work in the competitive labor market that is performed on a full-time or part-time basis in an integrated setting and for which an individual is compensated at or above the minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and level of benefits paid by the employer for the same or similar work performed by individuals who are not disabled;

(b) “ Department ” or “ agency ” means the State Department of Rehabilitation Services;

(c) “ Director ” means the Director of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation;

(d) “ Executive director ” means the Executive Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services;

(e) “ Employment outcome ” means, with respect to an individual entering or retaining full-time or, if appropriate part-time competitive employment in the integrated labor market to the greatest extent practicable; supported employment; or any other type of employment, including self-employment, telecommuting, or business ownership, that is consistent with an individual's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice;

(f) “ Individual with a disability ” means any individual who has a physical or mental impairment, whose impairment constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment, and who can benefit in terms of an employment outcome from the provision of vocational rehabilitation services;

(g) “ Maintenance ” means monetary support provided to an individual for expenses, such as food, shelter, and clothing, that are in excess of the normal expenses of the individual and that are necessitated by the individual's participation in an assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs or the individual's receipt of vocational rehabilitation services under an individualized plan for employment;

(h) “ Occupational license ” means any license, permit or other written authority required by any governmental unit to be obtained in order to engage in an occupation;

(i) “ Office ” means the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services;

(j) “ Personal assistance services ” means assistance in a range of services provided by one or more persons designed to assist an eligible individual with a disability to perform daily living activities on or off the job that the individual would typically perform without assistance. The services must be designed to increase the individual's control in life and ability to perform every day activities on or off the job. The services must be necessary to the achievement of an employment outcome and may be provided only while the individual is receiving other vocational rehabilitation services. The services may include training in managing, supervising, and directing personal assistance services;

(k) “ Physical restoration services ” means (i) corrective surgery or therapeutic treatment that is likely, within a reasonable period of time, to correct or modify substantially a stable or slowly progressive physical or mental impairment that constitutes a substantial impediment to employment; (ii) diagnosis of and treatment for mental or emotional disorders by qualified personnel in accordance with state licensure laws; (iii) dentistry; (iv) nursing services; (v) necessary hospitalization (either inpatient or outpatient care) in connection with surgery or treatment and clinic services; (vi) drugs and supplies; (vii) prosthetic and orthotic devices; (viii) eyeglasses and visual services, including visual training, and the examination and services necessary for the prescription and provision of eyeglasses, contact lenses, microscopic lenses, telescopic lenses, and other special visual aids prescribed by personnel that are qualified in accordance with state licensure laws; (ix) podiatry; (x) physical therapy; (xi) occupational therapy; (xii) speech or hearing therapy; (xiii) mental health services; (xiv) treatment of either acute or chronic medical restoration services, or that are inherent in the condition under treatment; (xv) special services for the treatment of individuals with end-stage renal disease; and (xvi) other medical or medically-related rehabilitation services;

(l) “ Prosthetic appliance ” means any artificial device necessary to support, to take the place of a part of the body, or to increase the acuity of a sense organ;

(m) “ Regulations ” means regulations made by the executive director with the approval of the state board.

(n) “ Rehabilitation engineering services ” means the systematic application of engineering sciences to design, develop, adapt, test, evaluate, apply, and distribute technological solutions to problems confronted by individuals with disabilities in functional areas such as mobility, communications, hearing, vision, and cognition, and in activities associated with employment, independent living, education, and integration into the community;

(o) “ Rehabilitation training ” means all necessary training provided to an eligible individual with a disability to enable him or her to overcome his or her employment handicap, including, but not limited to, manual, preconditioning, prevocational, vocational and supplementary training and training provided for the purpose of developing occupational skills and capacities;

(p) “ State board ” means the State Board of Rehabilitation Services;

(q) “ Substantial impediment to employment ” means that a physical or mental impairment (in light of attendant medical, psychological, vocational, educational, communication, and other related factors) hinders an individual from preparing for, entering into, engaging in, or retaining employment consistent with the individual's abilities and capabilities;

(r) “ Supported employment services ” means ongoing support services and other appropriate services needed to support and maintain an individual with a most significant disability in supported employment that are provided by the designated state unit (i) for a period of time not to exceed eighteen (18) months, unless under special circumstances the eligible individual and the rehabilitation counselor jointly agree to extend the time to achieve the employment outcome identified in the individualized plan for employment; and (ii) following transition, as post-employment services that are unavailable from an extended services provider and that are necessary to maintain or regain the job placement or advance in employment;

(s) “ Vocational rehabilitation ” and “ vocational rehabilitation services ” mean, for an eligible individual with a disability, services as appropriate and required to assist in preparing for, securing, retaining, or regaining an employment outcome that is consistent with the individual's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice, including, but not limited to, services in accordance with definitions in the most current amendment of the Rehabilitation Act: (i) assessment for determining eligibility and priority for services by qualified personnel, including, if appropriate, an assessment by personnel skilled in rehabilitation technology; (ii) assessment for determining vocational rehabilitation needs by qualified personnel, including, if appropriate, an assessment by personnel skilled in rehabilitation technology; (iii) vocational rehabilitation counseling and guidance, including information and support services to assist an individual in exercising informed choice; (iv) referral and other services necessary to assist applicants and eligible individuals to secure needed services from other agencies, including other components of the statewide workforce investment system and to advise those individuals about client assistance programs; (v) physical and mental restoration services, to the extent that financial support is not readily available from a source other than the State Department of Rehabilitation Services (such as through health insurance or a comparable service or benefit); (vi) vocational and other training services, including personal and vocational adjustment training, books, tools, and other training materials, except that no training or training services in an institution of higher learning (universities, colleges, community or junior colleges, vocational schools, technical institutes, or hospital schools of nursing) may be paid for with funds under this law unless maximum efforts have been made by the state unit and the individual to secure grant assistance in whole or in part from other sources to pay for that training; (vii) maintenance; (viii) transportation in connection with the rendering of any vocational rehabilitation service; (ix) vocational rehabilitation services to family members of an applicant or eligible individual if necessary to enable the applicant or eligible individual to achieve an employment outcome; (x) interpreter services, including sign language and oral interpreter services, for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and tactile interpreting services for individuals who are deaf-blind provided by qualified personnel; (xi) reader services, rehabilitation teaching services, and orientation and mobility services for individuals who are blind; (xii) job-related services, including job search and placement assistance, job retention services, follow-up services, and follow-along services; (xiii) supported employment services: (xiv) personal assistance services; (xv) post-employment services; (xvi) occupational licenses, tools, equipment, initial stocks, and supplies; (xvii) rehabilitation technology including vehicular modification, telecommunications, sensory, and other technological aids and devices; (xviii) transition services; (xix) technical assistance and other consultation services to conduct market analyses, develop business plans, and otherwise provide resources, to the extent those resources are authorized to be provided through the statewide workforce investment system, to eligible individuals who are pursuing self-employment or telecommuting or establishing a small business operation as an employment outcome; (xx) other goods and services determined necessary for the individual with a disability to achieve an employment outcome.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 146-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-17
Status: in_force

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

(2) Upon entering the practice of dentistry, a participant in the program must serve in a dental health professional shortage area (HPSA) or rural area otherwise approved for practice under subsection (1) of this section for a number of years which corresponds to the number of years, not to exceed five (5), for which the participant received funding through the program. Any participant who fails to complete the period of practice for which he or she is obligated to provide services in a dental health professional shortage area (HPSA) or rural area in exchange for financial assistance received through the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program shall be liable for the repayment of all financial assistance provided to the participant through the program, along with other penalties that may be prescribed by the commission, an amount which shall be reduced on a pro rata basis for actual years of practice by the dentist in the area designated by the commission.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-243 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 101-243
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-243
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(3) The commission shall not:

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

(b) Prohibit institutions that do not participate in these agreements from offering postsecondary distance education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-25 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 101-25
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-25
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(c) Any appropriate financial assistance to assist such small entrepreneurs in financing their business, such as interest-free state loans similar to existing Department of Economic and Community Development programs administered out of the Emerging Crops Fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-6 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 141-6
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-6
Status: in_force

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall be authorized to charge state agencies and other entities that occupy portions of the Paul B. Johnson, Jr., Building, the Edsel E. Thrash Universities Center and the ETV Building for utilities, maintenance and security. Entities shall be charged at a rate of One Dollar and Fifty Cents ($1.50) per square foot for services provided by the board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-57 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 28-57
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-57
Status: in_force

(1) A charter school must adhere to generally accepted accounting principles.

(2) A charter school shall have its financial records audited annually, at the end of each fiscal year, either by the State Auditor or by a certified public accountant approved by the State Auditor. However, a certified public accountant may not be selected to perform the annual audit of a charter school if that accountant previously has audited the charter school for more than three (3) consecutive years. Certified public accountants must be selected in a manner determined by the State Auditor. The charter school shall file a copy of each audit report and accompanying management letter with the authorizer before October 1.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 15-21
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-15-21
Status: in_force

If any parent, guardian or other person having custody of any child affected by the assignment of such child to a school or attendance center by the school board shall feel aggrieved at the order of the school board provided for in Section 37-15-17 , such person may, at any time within thirty (30) days from the date of such order, appeal therefrom by filing a petition for appeal in the circuit court of the county in which the school district involved is located. Upon the filing of such petition for an appeal, process shall be issued for and served upon the president of the school board of the school district involved. Upon being served with process, it shall be the duty of the school board to transmit promptly to the court a certified copy of the entire record of the proceedings as shown by the file of the school board. From the judgment of the circuit court, an appeal may be taken to the Supreme Court in the same manner as other appeals are taken from other judgments of such court.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-49-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 49-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-49-5
Status: in_force

Any written obligation that is not usurious signed by a minor sixteen or more years of age in consideration of an educational loan received by him from any person is enforceable as if he were an adult at the time of execution, but only if prior to the making of the educational loan an educational institution has certified in writing to the person making the educational loan that the minor is enrolled, or has been accepted for enrollment, in the educational institution and only if the making of said educational loan is approved in writing prior to the making thereof by at least one parent, legal guardian or person in loco parentis to said minor.

The laws of the State of Mississippi regarding usury shall be applicable regarding all such loans.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-43-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 43-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-43-17
Status: in_force

If any person related within the third degree by blood or marriage, as computed by civil law, to any member of the board, or if any person that is associated in any business or partnership with any member of said board, shall be employed in good faith by any school book company, firm, corporation or agent in connection with the adoption of textbooks within this state, the said member of the board so related by blood or marriage, or so associated in business or partnership with such person, shall not vote in the rating and adoption of any school book or books offered by such school book company, firm, corporation or agent for adoption.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-119 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 155-119
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-119
Status: in_force

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

(a) Admitted to any institution of higher education;

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

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

(d) Graduated from an institution of higher education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-55 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 113-55
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-55
Status: in_force

There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the “Mississippi State University Veterinary School Fund.” The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed by the Department of Finance and Administration to assist Mississippi State University with paying costs associated with the design, construction, renovation, repairs, and equipping of the Wise Center. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 28-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-17
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

(2) An approved charter application may not serve as the school's charter contract.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-109-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 109-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-109-5
Status: in_force

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

(a) “ Institution ” means any postsecondary educational institution that is a public state-supported institution of higher learning, a public state-supported community or junior college, or any not-for-profit private institution of higher learning in the state. The term does not include proprietary colleges or universities.

(b) “ Student ” means a high school student in a public school or charter school program in Mississippi.

(c) “ Board ” means the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board established in Section 37-106-9 , which is authorized and empowered to administer the provisions of Title 37, Chapter 106, Mississippi Code of 1972 .

(d) “ Director ” means the individual designated by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning to administer the provisions of the various financial assistance programs by promulgating the necessary rules and regulations for their effective administration.

(e) “ Dual enrolled student ” means a student who is enrolled in a community or junior college or state institution of higher learning while enrolled in high school, as defined in Section 37-15-37(1)(a) .

(f) “ Dual credit student ” means a student who is enrolled in a community or junior college or state institution of higher learning while enrolled in high school and who is receiving high school and college credit for postsecondary coursework, as defined in Section 37-15-38(1)(b) .

(g) “ Manual ” means the procedures manual for the State of Mississippi Dual Enrollment and Accelerated Programs of which the contents of the manual are evaluated and approved by the academic officers of both the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges and the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning.

(h) “ Program ” means the Mississippi Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship Program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-261 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 33-261
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-261
Status: in_force

(1) Such assessments as are collected under subsections (1) and (2) of Section 99-19-73 , shall be deposited in a special fund that is created in the State Treasury and designated the Spinal Cord and Head Injury Trust Fund. Unexpended amounts remaining in the Spinal Cord and Head Injury Trust Fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and all interest received from the investment of monies in the trust fund shall be credited to the trust fund and shall not be deposited into the State General Fund. Monies deposited in the fund shall be expended beginning in fiscal year 1997 by the Department of Rehabilitation Services as authorized and appropriated by the Legislature for the following purposes:

Providing the cost of care for spinal cord and traumatic brain injury as a payer of last resort to residents of the State of Mississippi for a multilevel program of rehabilitation as prescribed in Sections 37-33-251 through 37-33-259 . Authorization of expenditures for spinal cord injury care and traumatic brain injury care from this trust fund shall be made only by the Department of Rehabilitation Services. Authorized expenditures shall include three (3) or more of the following forms of assistance: acute care; rehabilitation; transitional living; assistive technology services, devices and equipment; respite care; transportation; housing; home modifications; and other services and/or assistance as deemed appropriate by the advisory council for individuals with spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries to accomplish a successful re-entry into the community. Such activities may also include expanding the public's awareness of how spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries occur and how they can be prevented and identifying advanced treatment and prevention techniques. Other authorized expenditures may include costs associated with salary and other support costs for personnel sufficient to carry out the program or to subcontract all or part of the authorized services, and to pay the travel and meeting expenses of the advisory council.

(2) The department shall issue a report to the Legislature and the Governor by January 1 of each year, summarizing the activities supported by the trust fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-65 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 29-65
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-65
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(9) No county superintendent of education, by virtue of his or her office, shall be automatically placed on the board of trustees for any community college district to which this section applies. The number of trustees from each county shall be reduced by one (1) member if such member is superintendent of education. However, if the county board of supervisors, in making an appointment to the community college district board of trustees, chooses to appoint the county superintendent of education at the expiration of the term of the at large member, the superintendent may serve, unless otherwise disqualified.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-315 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 101-315
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-315
Status: in_force

The bonds issued under the provisions of Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 shall be general obligations of the State of Mississippi, and for the payment thereof the full faith and credit of the State of Mississippi are hereby irrevocably pledged. If the funds appropriated by the Legislature be insufficient to pay the principal of and the interest on such bonds as they become due, then the deficiency shall be paid by the State Treasurer from any funds in the State Treasury not otherwise appropriated. All such bonds shall contain recitals on their faces substantially covering the foregoing provisions of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-183-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 183-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-183-3
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

(d) “ Eligible postsecondary educational institution ” means:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(i) “ Program ” means the Postsecondary Education COVID-19 Mitigation Relief Program established in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-437 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 29-437
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-437
Status: in_force

After the budget shall have been prepared as is provided for in Section 37-29-415 , the board of trustees of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College District shall certify the same in writing to the boards of supervisors of the several counties and shall certify to the said boards of supervisors the number of mills of ad valorem taxation required to make provisions for the revenue required in said budget. It shall thereupon become the duty of the board of supervisors of each of the four counties to levy the taxes in the number of mills specified by the board of trustees. The tax levy for maintenance and operation of the district shall not exceed four mills nor shall the levy for capital outlay, including purchase of lands, construction and equipment of buildings and structures, making of major repairs, and for the retirement of bonds, exceed three mills.

Promptly upon having certified the requirements of the district to the several boards of supervisors the board of trustees of the district shall cause publication of notice to be made in each county in a newspaper published or having general circulation therein giving notice of the filing of the request for the levy aforesaid. Said notice shall be published at least one time and within ten days after the certification of the request for such levy to the boards of supervisors. The said notice shall provide that the said levy requested will be made in each county unless a petition signed by twenty percent (20%) of the qualified electors of the district shall be filed with the secretary of the board of trustees of the said district within thirty (30) days from the date of the first publication protesting against the said levy and demanding an election thereon. In the event of the filing of such a petition, it shall be the duty of the secretary forthwith to call a special meeting of the board of trustees of the district setting forth the fact of the filing of such petition in the notice of the call and the said board shall promptly meet and consider the said petition. If it shall find that the same does in fact protest against the said levies and is in fact signed by at least twenty percent (20%) of the qualified electors of the said district, it shall then so certify to the boards of supervisors of the several counties. As early as possible but not later than fifteen (15) days after the receipt of such notice, it shall be the duty of the board of supervisors of each county to enter an order directing the election commissioners of the county to proceed to hold an election in all of the voting precincts of said county to determine whether or not the levy shall be made as requested by the board of trustees of the district.

The said election shall be held within thirty (30) days from the date of the said order of the board of supervisors requesting that the same be called and notice thereof shall be published once a week for three (3) weeks during the period between the order directing the election commissioners to hold the same and the actual date thereof.

The election shall be held in accordance with the laws governing general elections as nearly as is practicable and the election commissioners of each county shall, promptly after the holding of said election, certify to the secretary of the board of trustees of the district the result thereof in each county, certifying also the number of qualified electors in each county on the date of the holding of said election. The board of trustees of the district shall promptly meet and consider the several certificates of the election commissioners and shall determine the result of said election in the district. If it shall be determined that a majority of the qualified electors of the district have voted against the levy requested, the same shall not be made but the board of supervisors in each county shall continue in effect the levy made for the preceding fiscal year. If it be determined that a majority of the qualified electors has not voted against said levy, it shall be the duty of the board of supervisors of each county to make the levy as requested. In any event, the levy for full faith and credit bonds outstanding as obligations of the county before May 10, 1962, for capital outlays and improvements for Perkinston Junior College and/or bonds subsequently issued shall be continued in effect in accordance with the obligations undertaken in the issuance of said bonds. All of such bond levies, however, as are reasonably required to meet the annual maturities and interest on outstanding bonds shall be considered a part of the three mill maximum above provided for capital outlays, buildings, purchase of land and other similar items hereinbefore mentioned.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-83 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 27-83
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-83
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of any agricultural high school in the state, which on account of loss or destruction of school property by fire, storm, or other like unforeseen disaster, can no longer be maintained and operated successfully, is, with the approval of the board of supervisors, hereby authorized to sell and dispose of the lands, buildings, and other property belonging to such school, and place the proceeds derived from the sale of same to the credit of the county common school fund.

Sale of said property may be made at public or private sale on such terms as the board of trustees may elect, subject to the approval of the board of supervisors. In case of sale on credit, the deferred payments shall be evidenced by notes payable to the county, for the benefit of the county common school fund and shall bear interest at a rate of not less than six percent (6%) per annum, and the county shall have a lien on the property for the purchase-money, as against all persons, until paid.

The deed or deeds of conveyance shall be executed by the president or chairman and the secretary of the board of trustees, pursuant to an order of the board of trustees, entered on its minutes, and pursuant to an order of approval by the board of supervisors entered on its minutes, and when so executed shall be fully effective to convey title to said property.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-235 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 29-235
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-235
Status: in_force

A public junior college fraternity, sorority or secret society, as contemplated by Sections 37-29-235 through 37-29-243 is hereby defined to be any organization composed wholly, or in part, of public junior college pupils, which seeks to perpetuate itself by taking in additional members from the pupils enrolled in such junior college on the basis of the decision of the membership of such fraternity, sorority or secret society, rather than upon the free choice of any pupil in the junior college. However, this does not apply to the Order of DeMolay or a similar organization sponsored by any branch of the Masonic Orders or like adult fraternal organization.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-6 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 113-6
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-6
Status: in_force

The lands and property of Mississippi State University shall not be subject to state, county or municipal taxation. The buildings and improvements that are or may be erected on any land belonging to the university that has been or may be leased to private entities for the purpose of affording affordable board to the students attending the institution shall not be subject to taxation.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-77 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 9-77
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-77
Status: in_force

(1) There is established the Mississippi School Administrator Sabbatical Program which shall be available to licensed teachers employed in Mississippi school districts for not less than three (3) years, for the purpose of allowing such teachers to become local school district administrators under the conditions set forth in this section. The State Board of Education, in coordination with the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, shall develop guidelines for the program. Application shall be made to the State Department of Education for the Mississippi School Administrator Sabbatical Program by qualified teachers meeting the criteria for a department-approved administration program and who have been recommended by the local school board. Administration programs that are eligible for the administrator sabbatical program shall be limited to those that have been approved by the department by the January 1 preceding the date of admission to the program. Admission into the program shall authorize the applicant to take university course work and training leading to an administrator's license.

(2) The salaries of the teachers approved for participation in the administrator sabbatical program shall be paid by the employing school district from funds other than total funding formula funds as provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 . However, the State Department of Education shall reimburse the employing school districts for the cost of the salaries and paid fringe benefits of teachers participating in the administrator sabbatical program for one (1) contract year. Reimbursement shall be made in accordance with the then current salary schedule under Section 37-19-7 , except that the maximum amount of the reimbursement from state funds shall not exceed the salary prescribed for a teacher holding a Class A license and having five (5) years' experience. The local school district shall be responsible for that portion of a participating teacher's salary attributable to the local supplement and for any portion of the teacher's salary that exceeds the maximum amount allowed for reimbursement from state funds as provided in this subsection, and the school board may not reduce the local supplement payable to that teacher. Any reimbursements made by the State Department of Education to local school districts under this section shall be subject to available appropriations and may be made only to school districts determined by the State Board of Education as being in need of administrators.

(3) Such teachers participating in the program on a full-time basis shall continue to receive teaching experience and shall receive the salary prescribed in Section 37-19-7 . Such participants shall be fully eligible to continue participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System and the Public School Employees Health Insurance Plan during the time they are in the program on a full-time basis.

(4) As a condition for participation in the School Administrator Sabbatical Program, such teachers shall agree to employment as administrators in the sponsoring school district for not less than five (5) years following completion of administrator licensure requirements. Any person failing to comply with this employment commitment in any required school year, unless the commitment is deferred as provided in subsection (5) of this section, shall immediately be in breach of contract and become liable to the State Department of Education for that amount of his salary and paid fringe benefits paid by the state while the teacher was on sabbatical, less twenty percent (20%) of the amount of his salary and paid fringe benefits paid by the state for each year that the person was employed as an administrator following completion of the administrator licensure requirements. In addition, the person shall become liable to the local school district for any portion of his salary and paid fringe benefits paid by the local school district while the teacher was on sabbatical that is attributable to the local salary supplement or is attributable to the amount that exceeds the maximum amount allowed for reimbursement from state funds as provided in subsection (2) of this section, less twenty percent (20%) of the amount of his salary and paid fringe benefits paid by the school district for each year that the person was employed as an administrator following completion of the administrator licensure requirements. Interest on the amount due shall accrue at the current Stafford Loan rate at the time the breach occurs. If the claim for repayment of such salary and fringe benefits is placed in the hands of an attorney for collection after default, then the obligor shall be liable for an additional amount equal to a reasonable attorney's fee.

(5) If there is not an administrator position immediately available in the sponsoring school district after a person has completed the administrator licensure requirements, or if the administrator position in the sponsoring school district in which the person is employed is no longer needed before the completion of the five-year employment commitment, the local school board shall defer any part of the employment commitment that has not been met until such time as an administrator position becomes available in the sponsoring school district. If such a deferral is made, the sponsoring school district shall employ the person as a teacher in the school district during the period of deferral, unless the person desires to be released from employment by the sponsoring school district and the district agrees to release the person from employment. If the sponsoring school district releases a person from employment, that person may be employed as an administrator in another school district in the state that is in need of administrators as determined by the State Board of Education, and that employment for the other school district shall be applied to any remaining portion of the five-year employment commitment required under this section. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent a school district from not renewing the person's contract before the end of the five-year employment commitment in accordance with the School Employment Procedures Law ( Section 37-9-101 et seq. ). However, if the person is not employed as an administrator by another school district after being released by the sponsoring school district, or after his contract was not renewed by the sponsoring school district, he shall be liable for repayment of the amount of his salary and fringe benefits as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(6) All funds received by the State Department of Education from the repayment of salary and fringe benefits paid by the state from program participants shall be deposited in the Mississippi Critical Teacher Shortage Fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-29 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 28-29
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-29
Status: in_force

(1) The performance provisions within a charter contract must be based on a performance framework that clearly sets forth the academic and operational performance indicators, measures and metrics that will guide the authorizer's evaluations of the charter school. The performance framework must include indicators, measures and metrics, at a minimum, for the following:

(a) Student academic proficiency;

(b) Student academic growth;

(c) Achievement gaps in both proficiency and growth between major student subgroups;

(d) Attendance;

(e) Recurrent enrollment from year to year;

(f) In-school and out-of-school suspension rates and expulsion rates;

(g) For charter high schools, postsecondary readiness, including the percentage of graduates submitting applications to postsecondary institutions, high school completion, postsecondary admission and postsecondary enrollment or employment;

(h) Financial performance and sustainability; and

(i) Board performance and stewardship, including compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and terms of the charter contract.

(2) The charter contract of each charter school serving Grades 9-12 must include a provision ensuring that graduation requirements meet or exceed those set by the Mississippi Department of Education for a regular high school diploma. Nothing in this section shall preclude competency-based satisfaction of graduation requirements.

(3) Annual performance targets must be set by each charter school in conjunction with the authorizer and must be designed to help each school meet applicable federal, state and authorizer expectations.

(4) The performance framework must allow the inclusion of additional rigorous, valid and reliable indicators proposed by a charter school to augment external evaluations of its performance; however, the authorizer must approve the quality and rigor of any indicators proposed by a charter school, which indicators must be consistent with the purposes of this chapter.

(5) The performance framework must require the disaggregation of all student performance data by major student subgroups (gender, race, poverty status, special education status, English learner status and gifted status).

(6) The authorizer shall collect, analyze and report all data from state assessments in accordance with the performance framework for each charter school. Multiple schools overseen by a single governing board must report their performance as separate, individual schools, and each school must be held independently accountable for its performance.

(7) Information needed by the authorizer from the charter school governing board for the authorizer's reports must be required and included as a material part of the charter contract.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-95 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / 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. § 37-23-201 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 23-201
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-201
Status: in_force

(1) Before December 1, 2008, the State Board of Education shall appoint an ongoing Advisory Committee to expedite the implementation of Sections 37-23-191 through 37-23-203 . The Advisory Committee shall be composed of at least twelve (12) persons nominated by the State Superintendent of Public Education from within or outside of the state, including, but not limited to, representatives of the following groups:

(a) The National Federation of the Blind;

(b) The Mississippi Council of the Blind;

(c) A parent or guardian of a blind student;

(d) The Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities;

(e) Special education directors having one or more blind or visually impaired students in their respective school districts;

(f) Specialists in Braille education or deaf-blindness or certified teachers of the blind and visually impaired students, or both. Specialists in Braille shall be deemed competent in reading and writing Literary Braille and Nemeth Code as certified by successful passage of the Mississippi Praxis II Braille Competency Exam and/or certified under National Certification in Literary Braille;

(g) Employees of the State Department of Education;

(h) Consumers, or an advocate of consumers, of Braille materials;

(i) The Mississippi School for the Blind;

(j) The Mississippi Instructional Resource Center; and

(k) Individuals from higher education programs that address issues specific to visual impairment.

(2) The State Superintendent of Public Education shall appoint a chairperson from among the members of the Advisory Committee. The committee shall meet at least semiannually upon the call of the superintendent, and its functions shall be to perform the duties prescribed in subsection (3) of this section. Members of the committee shall receive no compensation or per diem, but each member shall be entitled to reimbursement for all actual and necessary expenses incurred by his participation in the committee's activities.

(3) The committee shall perform the following duties:

(a) Provide expertise to maximize collaboration with the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) at the American Printing House for the Blind and, when necessary, textbook publishers on the development of NIMAS and associated graphics files to be converted into accessible textbooks with translation software;

(b) Recommend potential authorized users for the NIMAS program to the State Director of Special Education to ensure that all accessible textbook needs are met within the state on a timely basis, being no later than such time that all other students receive their corresponding textbooks;

(c) Study any other issues that the committee determines are relevant and necessary to the implementation of this article and to the improvement of the education of students who are blind or visually impaired in Mississippi; and

(d) Assist the State Department of Education in promulgating regulations, policies and procedures in implementing Sections 37-23-191 through 37-23-203 .

(4) The State Superintendent of Public Education shall respond to the recommendations of the Advisory Committee within sixty (60) days of the annually published report.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-305 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 29-305
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-305
Status: in_force

(1) In funding community and junior colleges, the actual amount of the annual appropriation of the community and junior colleges general support bill shall be computed as follows:

(a) Calculate the state funding per student for Grades K-12 by dividing the total revenue from state funds by the ADA. Both the funding and ADA figures shall be provided by the State Department of Education.

(b) Calculate the state funding per FTE for regional universities by dividing the state funds for E & G operations by FTE enrollment. Both funding and enrollment figures shall come from the SREB State Data Exchange.

(c) Mid-level funding for community and junior colleges shall be the average as computed from paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection multiplied by the total community and junior college FTEs. This amount shall be appropriated annually by the Legislature to the community and junior colleges.

(2) Data used in the calculation of paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of subsection (1) shall be the most current available data utilizing the same fiscal year for all entities involved. Information from the SREB State Data Exchange shall be used to ensure common denominators in the calculation of FTE enrollment and to ensure consistent reporting of financial data.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-121-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 121-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-121-17
Status: in_force

The basketball court within the Davey L. Whitney Complex located on the campus of Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, shall be named the Shirley A. Walker Basketball Court. The Department of Finance and Administration is authorized to prepare a distinctive plaque to be placed in a prominent place within the Davey L. Whitney Complex, which states the background, accomplishments and service to the university of Mrs. Walker.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 28-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-1
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-177-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 177-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-177-7
Status: in_force

The State Department of Education shall:

(a) Select schools most in need for the reading intervention program and create criteria for selection for participation based on number and percentages of students scoring in the lowest two (2) achievement levels on state-adopted yearly reading assessments, screening results, and other relevant data;

(b) Assign a supervisory position within each school to be responsible for the faithful implementation of the Reading Intervention Program; and

(c) Subject to legislative appropriation, the Mississippi Department of Education shall conduct a program with willing “C” level or low-performing districts and/or schools. The program shall focus on the use of data coaches to improve reading and literacy, to determine the effectiveness of intense data-focused professional development, provide expert support in literacy and early reading instruction but it shall not necessarily be limited to literacy. Data coaches should be experts in both pedagogy and data analysis who facilitate professional learning community meetings, and provide observation and feedback, to help teachers and district leaders build skills in using data to inform instruction. Schools and districts selected by the department to participate in the program shall agree to involve the school and district leadership team as directed by the department. The Mississippi Department of Education is authorized to include pre-school programs it deems appropriate. The department is authorized to contract with a private sector provider to implement the program and work in partnership with four-year institutions of higher learning to develop and implement the program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 138-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-138-9
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(k) To discharge such other duties, responsibilities and powers as are necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-71-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 71-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-71-1
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known, and may be cited as the “Mississippi Learn to Earn Act.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-31 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 27-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-31
Status: in_force

The board of trustees of any agricultural high school is hereby authorized to lease the buildings and equipment thereof to any responsible individual for the purpose of carrying on a private school when there are no funds available for running said institution, and to lease the lands of said institution to some responsible person for agricultural purposes. Said leases shall not extend for any greater length of time than a period of three years from date of granting said lease.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-16 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 23-16
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-16
Status: in_force

(1)(a) The State Department of Education shall select early literacy and numeracy screening assessment instrument or instruments to be used throughout the state in the screening of students in Kindergarten through Grade 3.

(b) All school districts shall use the literacy and numeracy screening instrument or instruments selected by the department; however, no literacy or numeracy screening instrument or instruments shall be used by school districts for the purpose of determining whether or not a student will be promoted to the next grade level. For the purposes of this section, “ literacy ” means ability to read and write and “ numeracy ” means fluency in understanding numbers and mathematical operations.

(2) In addition to those funds that are appropriated by the Legislature, the State Department of Education may receive and expend funds made available to the department from any source, including any federal or other governmental agency, private business, industry, foundation or other organization, to screen students for literacy and numeracy difficulties.

(3) The State Department of Education shall establish a reporting system for school districts in order to monitor the effectiveness of the literacy or numeracy screening assessment instruments. The department shall require school districts to annually submit data requested by the department which may be utilized to determine whether or not the assessment instruments are accurately identifying students in need.

(4) The requirements of this section shall be effective beginning with the 2008-2009 school year and compliance with the mandates of this section shall be subject to appropriation by the Legislature.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 113-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-5
Status: in_force

The interest arising from the proceeds of the fund known as the “Agricultural Land Scrip Fund” is appropriated and devoted, to the extent of one-half of it, to the Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, and may be drawn from the treasury, upon warrant of the auditor, to be issued upon the requisitions of the treasurer, from time to time, as such interest may accrue and be wanted for the use of the university.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-99 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 41-99
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-99
Status: in_force

The principal of and interest upon all notes or bonds issued under the authority of Section 37-41-89 shall be paid out of such transportation funds of the school district as may be available for such purpose. It shall be the duty of the school board to set aside each year out of such transportation funds a sufficient amount to pay the principal of and interest upon said notes or bonds as and when the same shall respectively mature and accrue. It shall be the duty of the superintendent of schools to include in the school budget each year separate items showing the amount required for the payment of the principal of and the interest upon all notes or bonds issued under the authority of said section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-53 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 106-53
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-53
Status: in_force

(1) Forgivable loans shall be made and based upon the following options for repayment or conversion to interest-free scholarships:

(a) Payment in full of principal plus a penalty of five percent (5%) of the principal and interest on the combined principal and penalty must be made in monthly installments, the maximum number of which will be determined by the board, unless set forth in this chapter. Interest will begin to accrue at the date of separation from the approved program of study at a rate equal to the unsubsidized Federal Stafford loan rate at the time of separation. Repayment will commence one (1) month after separation from the program of study, unless the recipient is granted a grace period or deferment by the board. The availability and length of a grace period will be determined by the board. The availability and length of any deferments will be determined by the board.

(b) In lieu of payment in full of both principal and interest, a loan recipient may elect to repay by entry into service employment. Service requirements for each forgivable loan program will be determined by the board, unless set forth in this chapter. Unless excepted by this chapter, repayment under this option shall convert loan to scholarship, and discharge the same, on the basis of one (1) year's full-time service for one (1) year's loan amount or its equivalent if the recipient attended part-time, or the appropriate proportion of the total outstanding balance of principal and interest, all as shall be established by rule and regulation of the board. The period of service shall in no event be less than one (1) year. If at any time prior to the repayment in full of the total obligation the recipient abandons or abrogates repayment by this option, the provisions of subsection (1)(c) of this section shall apply.

(c) In the event of abandonment or abrogation of the option for repayment as provided for in subsection (1)(b) of this section, the remaining balance of unpaid or undischarged principal plus a penalty of five percent (5%) of the unpaid or undischarged principal and interest on the combined principal and penalty shall become due and payable over the remaining period of time as if the option provided for in subsection (1)(a) of this section had been elected upon separation and the conclusion of any applicable grace and deferment periods.

(2) Any person failing to complete a program of study which will enable that person to enter service employment, or failing to obtain any required licensure or additional credentials necessary for that person to enter service employment shall become liable to the board for the sum of all forgivable loan awards made to that person plus a penalty of five percent (5%) of the loan awards and interest on the combined amount accruing at the current unsubsidized Federal Stafford loan rate at the time the person abrogates his participation in the program.

(3) If a claim for payment under this subsection is placed in the hands of a collection agency or an attorney for collection, the obligor shall be liable for an additional amount equal to a reasonable collection commission or attorney's fee as well as any court costs.

(4) The obligations made by the recipient of a forgivable loan award shall not be voidable by reason of the age of the student at the time of receiving the scholarship.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-35 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / 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. § 37-4-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 4-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-4-9
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Community College Board is authorized to receive income from voluntary fees, contributions, donations, other forms of financial assistance, materials or manpower from persons, corporations, organizations and other sources, private or public, to be utilized and expended by the board in carrying out the incentive certification program mandated by the Work Force and Education Act of 1994 in Sections 37-151-63 through 37-151-75 and 37-153-1 through 37-153-13 . Additionally, awards or scholarships to industry or to students or both are authorized.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 144-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-3
Status: in_force

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

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

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

(i) Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians;

(ii) Mississippi Chapter, American College of Physicians;

(iii) Mississippi Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics;

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

(v) Mississippi Psychiatric Association;

(vi) Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association;

(vii) Mississippi Osteopathic Association;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(8) Funding for the establishment and continued operation of the program and commission shall be appropriated out of any money in the General Fund not already appropriated to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-57-104 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 57-104
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-57-104
Status: in_force

(1) Each school board shall submit to the levying authority for the school district a certified copy of an order adopted by the school board requesting an ad valorem tax effort in dollars for the support of the school district. The copy of the order shall be submitted by the school board when the copies of the school district's budget are filed with the levying authority pursuant to Section 37-61-9 . Upon receipt of the school board's order requesting the ad valorem tax effort in dollars, the levying authority shall determine the millage rate necessary to generate funds equal to the dollar amount requested by the school board. For the purpose of calculating this millage rate, any additional amount that is levied pursuant to Section 37-57-105(1) to cover anticipated delinquencies and costs of collection or any amount that may be levied for the payment of the principal and interest on school bonds or notes shall be excluded from the limitation of fifty-five (55) mills provided for in subsection (2) of this section.

(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided under paragraph (b) or (c) of this subsection, if the millage rate necessary to generate funds equal to the dollar amount requested by the school board is greater than fifty-five (55) mills, and if this millage rate is higher than the millage then being levied pursuant to the school board's order requesting the ad valorem tax effort for the currently existing fiscal year, then the levying authority shall call a referendum on the question of exceeding, during the next fiscal year, the then existing millage rate being levied for school district purposes. The referendum shall be scheduled for not more than six (6) weeks after the date on which the levying authority receives the school board's order requesting the ad valorem tax effort.

When a referendum has been called, notice of the referendum shall be published at least five (5) days per week, unless the only newspaper published in the school district is published less than five (5) days per week, for at least three (3) consecutive weeks, in at least one (1) newspaper published in the school district. The notice shall be no less than one-fourth ( 1 / 4 ) page in size, and the type used shall be no smaller than eighteen (18) point and surrounded by a one-fourth-inch solid black border. The notice may not be placed in that portion of the newspaper where legal notices and classified advertisements appear. The first publication of the notice shall be made not less than twenty-one (21) days before the date fixed for the referendum, and the last publication shall be made not more than seven (7) days before that date. If no newspaper is published in the school district, then the notice shall be published in a newspaper having a general circulation in the school district. The referendum shall be held, as far as is practicable, in the same manner as other referendums and elections are held in the county or municipality. At the referendum, all registered, qualified electors of the school district may vote. The ballots used at the referendum shall have printed thereon a brief statement of the amount and purpose of the increased tax levy and the words “FOR INCREASING THE MILLAGE LEVIED FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT PURPOSES FROM (MILLAGE RATE CURRENTLY LEVIED) MILLS TO (MILLAGE RATE REQUIRED UNDER SCHOOL BOARD'S ORDER) MILLS,” and “AGAINST INCREASING THE MILLAGE LEVIED FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT PURPOSES FROM (MILLAGE RATE CURRENTLY LEVIED) MILLS TO (MILLAGE RATE REQUIRED UNDER SCHOOL BOARD'S ORDER) MILLS.” The voter shall vote by placing a cross (X) or checkmark (✓) opposite his choice on the proposition.

If a majority of the registered, qualified electors of the school district who vote in the referendum vote in favor of the question, then the ad valorem tax effort in dollars requested by the school board shall be approved. However, if a majority of the registered, qualified electors who vote in the referendum vote against the question, the millage rate levied by the levying authority shall not exceed the millage then being levied pursuant to the school board's order requesting the ad valorem tax effort for the then currently existing fiscal year.

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. Further, nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require a referendum in a school district where the requested ad valorem tax effort in dollars requires a millage rate of greater than fifty-five (55) mills but the requested dollar amount does not require any increase in the then existing millage rate. Further, nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require a referendum in a school district where, because of a decrease in the assessed valuation of the district, a millage rate of greater than fifty-five (55) mills is necessary to generate funds equal to the dollar amount generated by the ad valorem tax effort for the currently existing fiscal year.

(b) 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 .

(c) If the levying authority for any school district lawfully has decreased the millage levied for school district purposes, but subsequently determines that there is a need to increase the millage rate due to a disaster in which the Governor has declared a disaster emergency or the President of the United States has declared an emergency or major disaster, then the levying authority may increase the millage levied for school district purposes up to an amount that does not exceed the millage rate in any one (1) of the immediately preceding ten (10) fiscal years without any referendum that otherwise would be required under this subsection.

(3) If the millage rate necessary to generate funds equal to the dollar amount requested by the school board is equal to fifty-five (55) mills or less, but the dollar amount requested by the school board 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%) (as provided for under subsection (4) of this section), then the school board shall publish notice thereof at least five (5) days per week, unless the only newspaper published in the school district is published less than five (5) days per week, for at least three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper published in the school district. The notice shall be no less than one-fourth ( 1 / 4 ) page in size, and the type used shall be no smaller than eighteen (18) point and surrounded by a one-fourth-inch solid black border. The notice may not be placed in that portion of the newspaper where legal notices and classified advertisements appear. The first publication shall be made not less than fifteen (15) days before the final adoption of the budget by the school board. If no newspaper is published in the school district, then the notice shall be published in a newspaper having a general circulation in the school district. If at any time before the adoption of the budget a petition signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1500), whichever is less, of the registered, qualified electors of the school district is filed with the school board requesting that a referendum 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%), then the school board shall adopt, not later than the next regular meeting, a resolution calling a referendum to be held within the school district upon the question. The referendum shall be called and held, and notice thereof shall be given, in the same manner provided for in subsection (2) of this section. 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 registered, qualified electors of the school district who vote in the referendum vote in favor of the question, then the increase requested by the school board shall be approved. For the purposes of this subsection, the revenue sources excluded from the increase limitation under Section 37-57-107 also shall be excluded from the limitation described in this subsection in the same manner as they are excluded under Section 37-57-107 . Provided, however, that any increases requested by the school board as a result of the required local contribution to the total funding formula as required by Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 , as certified to the local school district by the State Board of Education under Section 37-151-211 , shall not be subject to the four percent (4%) and/or seven percent (7%) tax increase limitations provided in this section.

(4) If the millage rate necessary to generate funds equal to the dollar amount requested by the school board is equal to fifty-five (55) mills or less, but the dollar amount requested by the school board exceeds the seven percent (7%) increase limitation provided for in Section 37-57-107 , the school board may exceed the seven percent (7%) increase limitation only after the school board has determined the need for additional revenues and three-fifths ( 3 / 5 ) of the registered, qualified electors voting in a referendum called by the levying authority have voted in favor of the increase. The notice and manner of holding the referendum shall be as prescribed in subsection (2) of this section for a referendum on the question of increasing the millage rate in school districts levying more than fifty-five (55) mills for school district purposes.

(5) The aggregate receipts from ad valorem taxes levied for school district purposes pursuant to Sections 37-57-1 and 37-57-105 , excluding collection fees, additional revenue from the ad valorem tax on any newly constructed properties or any existing properties added to the tax rolls or any properties previously exempt which were not assessed in the next preceding year, and amounts received by school districts from the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund pursuant to Section 37-61-35 , shall be subject to the increase limitation under this section and Section 37-57-107 .

(6) The school board shall pay to the levying authority all costs that are incurred by the levying authority in the calling and holding of any election under this section.

(7) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to affect in any manner the authority of school boards to levy millage for the following purposes:

(a) The issuance of bonds, notes and certificates of indebtedness, as authorized in Sections 37-59-1 through 37-59-45 and Sections 37-59-101 through 37-59-115 ;

(b) The lease of property for school purposes, as authorized under the Emergency School Leasing Authority Act of 1986 ( Sections 37-7-351 through 37-7-359 );

(c) The lease or lease-purchase of school buildings, as authorized under Section 37-7-301 ;

(d) The issuance of promissory notes in the event of a shortfall of ad valorem taxes and/or revenue from local sources, as authorized under Section 27-39-333 ; and

(e) The construction of school buildings outside the school district, as authorized under Section 37-7-401 .

Any millage levied for the purposes specified in this subsection shall be excluded from the millage limitations established under this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-15 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 153-15
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-15
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this article:

(a) The words “ industry certification ” mean a process through which students are assessed by an independent, third-party certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge, skills and competencies, resulting in the award of a credential that is nationally recognized and must be at least one (1) of the following:

(i) Within an industry that addresses a critical local, regional or statewide economic need;

(ii) Linked to an occupation that is included in the State Department of Employment Security's occupations in high-demand list; or

(iii) Linked to an occupation that is identified as emerging.

(b) The words “ qualifying industry certification ” mean an industry certification that is linked to an occupation with wages of at least seventy percent (70%) of the median state income unless the industry certification is stackable to another postsecondary or professional credential which is linked to an occupation which meets the wage criterion.

(2) The State Workforce Investment Board shall provide the State Board of Education annually with a list of qualifying industry certifications. If the occupations identified in the list are not substantially the same as those occupations identified in the prior year, the State Board of Education shall provide reasonable notice of the changes to school districts.

(3) Beginning in fiscal year 2019-2020 and subject to available funding, the Department of Education shall pay a career and technical education incentive grant to the public school for each student enrolled in the public school who earns a qualifying industry certification. The amount per student for the career and technical education incentive grant shall be Six Hundred Dollars ($600.00). If the statewide sum of the career and technical education incentive grants awarded pursuant to this section exceeds the amount of available funds appropriated for the grants, the grants per student shall be reduced proportionately to cover all eligible grants under this section. Any costs accrued during one (1) fiscal year may be claimed and reimbursed in the following fiscal year.

(4) The grants may be used for qualifying industry certification examination fees, professional development for teachers in career and technical education programs under this section, student instructional support for programs that lead to qualifying industry certifications, or to increase access to qualifying industry certifications. Any grants awarded under this section may not be used to supplant funds provided for the basic operation of the career and technical education programs.

(5) On or before October 1 of each year, the Department of Education, working in collaboration with the Office of Workforce Development and any other entities as necessary, shall submit a report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairmen of the House and Senate Education Committees, the Chairman of the House Workforce Development Committee and the Chairman of the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee on the following:

(a) The number of students who enrolled in a career and technical education course or program that leads to a qualifying industry certification.

(b) The number of students who earned a qualifying industry certification by certification.

(c) The amount of career and technical education incentive grants awarded by the school.

(d) The amount of career and technical education incentive grants awarded per student.

(e) Aggregated demographic data on the students who earned a qualifying industry certification, including the qualifying industry certifications earned by rural and urban students.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 106-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-11
Status: in_force

(1) The members of the board shall serve without pay.

(2) The board is hereby vested with full and complete authority and power to sue in its own name any person for any balance, including principal, interest and reasonable collection costs or attorney's fees, due and owing the state on any uncompleted contract.

(3) The board shall promulgate rules and regulations to govern the state grant and forgivable loan programs authorized in this chapter.

(4) When appropriate, the board shall administer the Nissan Scholarship Program.

(5) All funds administered by the board shall be accounted for in an annual report that shall be submitted to the Legislature within ten (10) days after the convening thereof each year. The report should detail for each grant or forgivable loan program the number of recipients, the total amount of awards made, and the average award amount. The report shall include the number of students at each institution receiving financial assistance and the amount of the assistance. For forgivable loan programs, the report shall also include a summary of the repayment status and method of repayment for student cohorts as well as an accounting of the receipt of funds in repayment.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-97 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 41-97
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-97
Status: in_force

The proceeds of all notes or bonds issued under the authority of Section 37-41-89 shall be deposited in the proper county or municipal treasury to the credit of a special school transportation equipment fund and shall be used and expended by the school board for the purpose or purposes for which they were issued under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the State Board of Education, and for no other purposes.

All such funds shall be paid out on warrants issued by the clerk of the board of supervisors or the municipal clerk, as the case may be, on pay certificates issued by the superintendent of schools upon order of the school board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-25 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 151-25
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-25
Status: in_force

There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the “Tech-Prep Fund.” Any unexpended balance in said fund at the end of the fiscal year shall carry over to the succeeding fiscal year and shall not lapse into the State General Fund. The fund shall be credited with any funds appropriated by the Legislature for the implementation of the Tech-Prep program in Grades 7-12 and in the public community colleges and junior colleges through approved programs and from the proceeds of bonds issued under Sections 31 through 51 of Laws, 1997, Chapter 612, and shall be allocated to school districts by the State Board of Education for the following purposes:

(a) Equip labs for hands-on: Career Discovery Course in the 7th grade, Computer Discovery Course in the 8th grade, and Technology Discovery Course in the 9th grade;

(b) Implement application based teaching methodology in existing academic courses;

(c) Develop and implement articulation, integration and sequential course study plans in Vocational and Academic courses;

(d) Administer Occupational Tests;

(e) Implement and Update Career/Educational Plans for each student;

(f) Implement Career Centers for each school;

(g) To provide equipment upgrades to meet technology demands, staff development and teaching materials to implement application based methodology for each of the community college sites.

The State Department of Education is authorized to escalate spending authority based upon the proceeds of bonds issued under Sections 31 through 51 of Laws, 1997, Chapter 612.

No community or junior college shall deny admittance into its Tech-Prep program funded under this section to any student who has graduated from high school with a qualifying grade point average, regardless of the curriculum or course work completed by the student.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-105 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 23-105
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-105
Status: in_force

There shall be held an election, conforming in all respects to applicable statutes governing special elections, in which the proposition authorized in Sections 37-23-91 through 37-23-103 shall be submitted for approval or rejection by the electorate of said county. The power and authority to levy taxes or to issue bonds as provided in Sections 37-23-101 and 37-23-103 , shall be contingent upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the qualified electors of said county participating in said election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-49 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 27-49
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-49
Status: in_force

All conveyances of property under the authority of Section 37-27-47 shall be for a cash consideration and the proceeds of such sale shall be placed in the maintenance fund of the agricultural high school. If any sale embraces realty, and the agricultural high school selling same owes outstanding bonds or notes, then in that event the proceeds of such sale shall be placed to the credit of the bond and interest sinking fund of such agricultural high school, or used to construct, renovate or purchase, under provisions elsewhere provided by law, similar type property or property of comparable value at attendance centers to be used for the same or other reasonably necessary purposes.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-19 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 146-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-146-19
Status: in_force

The Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program, acting through the commission, shall make an effort to establish an initial practice entry support system for participants in the program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-17 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 106-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-17
Status: in_force

Any student desiring financial assistance shall submit an application to the board on an annual basis. The director shall adhere to the board's rules and regulations promulgated under authority of this chapter in determining the eligibility of each applicant and in administering the programs authorized in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 113-21
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-113-21
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(b) Be obligated to pay all costs to return the property to its same or similar condition at the time of lease execution.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-101 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 151-101
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-101
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the State Department of Education to file with the State Treasurer and the State Fiscal Officer such data and information as may be required to enable the said State Treasurer and State Fiscal Officer to distribute the total funding formula funds provided in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 by electronic funds transfer to the several school districts and charter schools at the time required and provided under the provisions of this chapter. Such data and information so filed shall show in detail the amount of funds to which each school district and charter school is entitled under the total funding formula. Such data and information so filed may be revised from time to time as necessitated by law. At the time provided by law, the State Treasurer and the State Fiscal Officer shall distribute to the several school districts and charter schools the amounts to which they are entitled under the total funding formula as provided by this chapter. Such distribution shall be made by electronic funds transfer to the depositories of the several school districts and charter schools designated in writing to the State Treasurer based upon the data and information supplied by the State Department of Education for such distribution. In such instances, the State Treasurer shall submit a request for an electronic funds transfer to the State Fiscal Officer, which shall set forth the purpose, amount and payees, and shall be in such form as may be approved by the State Fiscal Officer so as to provide the necessary information as would be required for a requisition and issuance of a warrant. A copy of the record of the electronic funds transfers shall be transmitted by the school district and charter school depositories to the Treasurer, who shall file duplicates with the State Fiscal Officer. The Treasurer and State Fiscal Officer shall jointly promulgate regulations for the utilization of electronic funds transfers to school districts and charter schools.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-121 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 29-121
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-121
Status: in_force

Any junior college district, supported in whole or in part by tax levies of one or more counties, may borrow not exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), for the purpose of receiving, transporting, erecting on the ground of said institution, and equipping and furnishing any prefabricated houses, or other materials, or appliances, fixtures, machines, furnishings or equipment, obtained by grant or otherwise from the United States of America or any department or agency thereof, or from any other source, where the same may be acquired for the use of the institution, any student personnel, or faculty members.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-103-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 103-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-103-9
Status: in_force

Children of parents who are members of the faculty or staff of any institution under the jurisdiction of the board of trustees of any junior college in this state or the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning may be classified as residents for the purpose of attendance at the institution where their parents are faculty or staff members.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-37 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 29-37
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-37
Status: in_force

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 37-29-1 through 37-29-273 to the contrary, any existing publicly operated junior college, lying in and operated by a county bordering on the Mississippi River, may, in the discretion of the board of supervisors of such county, continue to operate said college under such terms and conditions as said board may deem necessary and requisite in the premises. The governing authorities of other counties and municipalities are authorized and empowered, in the discretion of said governing bodies, to appropriate funds for the support of said junior college.

(2) The provisions of the preceding subsection shall not impair nor abrogate the aforesaid county's obligations, duties, powers, and rights as a member county of the junior college district to which it is made a part by Section 37-29-31 .

(3) All of the property and facilities of any existing junior college located outside of the boundaries of the county owning and operating the same shall be and the same are hereby transferred to and vested in the board of trustees of the junior college district in which said county owning and operating said junior college is situated, and the board of trustees of said junior college district is authorized to continue the operation of said college under such terms and conditions as such board may deem necessary and requisite.

The governing authorities of other counties and municipalities lying outside of such junior college district are authorized and empowered, in the discretion of their governing bodies, to levy taxes and to appropriate funds for the support of such junior college.