Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 115-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-5
Status: in_force

The lands belonging to the University of Mississippi shall not be leased without a provision in the lease for the payment of an annual rent to the treasurer of the institution.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 28-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-5
Status: in_force

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

(a) “ Applicant ” means any person or group that develops and submits an application for a charter school to the authorizer.

(b) “ Application ” means a proposal from an applicant to the authorizer to enter into a charter contract whereby the proposed school obtains charter school status.

(c) “ Authorizer ” means the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board established under Section 37-28-7 to review applications, decide whether to approve or reject applications, enter into charter contracts with applicants, oversee charter schools, and decide whether to renew, not renew, or revoke charter contracts.

(d) “ Charter contract ” means a fixed-term, renewable contract between a charter school and the authorizer which outlines the roles, powers, responsibilities and performance expectations for each party to the contract.

(e) “ Charter school ” means a public school that is established and operating under the terms of charter contract between the school's governing board and the authorizer. The term “ charter school ” includes a conversion charter school and start-up charter school.

(f) “ Conversion charter school ” means a charter school that existed as a noncharter public school before becoming a charter school.

(g) “ Education service provider ” means a charter management organization, school design provider or any other partner entity with which a charter school intends to contract for educational design, implementation or comprehensive management.

(h) “ Governing board ” means the independent board of a charter school which is party to the charter contract with the authorizer and whose members have been elected or selected pursuant to the school's application.

(i) “ Noncharter public school ” means a public school that is under the direct management, governance and control of a school board or the state.

(j) “ Parent ” means a parent, guardian or other person or entity having legal custody of a child.

(k) “ School board ” means a school board exercising management and control over a local school district and the schools of that district pursuant to the State Constitution and state statutes.

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

(m) “ Start-up charter school ” means a charter school that did not exist as a noncharter public school before becoming a charter school.

(n) “ Student ” means any child who is eligible for attendance in a public school in the state.

(o) “ Underserved students ” means students qualifying as low-income or qualifying for a special education program under Section 37-151-201 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-14-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 14-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-14-7
Status: in_force

(1) There is established in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program Fund, which shall be comprised of the funds specified in subsection (2) of this section and any other funds that are authorized or required to be deposited into the special fund.

(2) The Legislature shall annually appropriate the funds in the special fund to the Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education, which shall expend the funds solely for the purposes specified in Section 37-14-3 . None of the funds in the special fund may be transferred to any other fund or appropriated or expended for any other purpose.

(3) All income from the investment of the funds in the special fund shall be credited to the account of the special fund. Any funds in the special fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-95 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 27-95
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-95
Status: in_force

(1) In the event the State Board of Education does not approve the application of the Board of Trustees of the Coahoma Agricultural High School to establish an Early College High School, effective July 1, 2018, the Coahoma Agricultural High School shall be closed. Upon closure, all real property titled to or used by Coahoma Agricultural High School will become the property of the Coahoma Community College District.

(2) All personal property used by the Coahoma Agricultural High School for secondary school purposes, including all nondisposable sports and/or extracurricular equipment (i.e., football helmets, shoulder pads, baseball bats and helmets, and band equipment) will become the property of the Coahoma Community College. Any cost of transferring title of such real or personal property will be paid by Coahoma Community College District.

(3) Any such joint order directing the transfer of the personal property of the Coahoma Agricultural High School shall be submitted and approved by the State Board of Education. The finding of the State Board of Education shall be final and conclusive for the purpose of the transfer of property required by such administrative consolidation.

(4) The students attending the said agricultural high school shall be deemed to be students of the school district where they reside. After closure of Coahoma Agricultural High School, any student who is enrolled at the Coahoma Agricultural High School when the closure is effected may receive two (2) diplomas upon successful completion of all graduation requirements of the school district they subsequently attend: one (1) diploma to be the official completion with the school district they subsequently attend and the second to be a courtesy diploma reflecting graduation from Coahoma Agricultural High School.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-205 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 151-205
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-205
Status: in_force

(1) The preliminary weighted enrollment of each school district and charter school under Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 is determined by applying the weights prescribed in this section, none of which are mutually exclusive of another, to each applicable school district or charter school's net enrollment, as determined by Section 37-151-207 . To determine additional funding authorized under this section, the number of students in a school district that are identified as the applicable weight shall be calculated as a percentage of the students in the school district. Such amount shall be referred to as the “percentage of applicable students.”

(2) For students identified as low-income, as defined in Section 37-151-201 , the percentage of applicable students in the school district is multiplied by thirty one-hundredths ( 30 / 100 ), and then multiplied by net enrollment.

(3) For students identified as English Language Learners, as defined in Section 37-151-201 , the percentage of applicable students in the school district is multiplied by fifteen one-hundredths ( 15 / 100 ), and then multiplied by net enrollment.

(4) The following weights are applied to students who are identified as entitled to and receiving services in a special education program:

(a) Tier I: For students diagnosed with a specific learning disability, speech and language impairment, or developmental delay, the percentage of applicable students in the school district is multiplied by sixty one-hundredths ( 60 / 100 ), and then multiplied by net enrollment.

(b) Tier II: For students diagnosed with autism, hearing impairment, emotional disability, orthopedic impairment, intellectual disability, or other health impairment, the percentage of applicable students in the school district is multiplied by one hundred ten one-hundredths (1 10 / 100 ), and then multiplied by net enrollment.

(c) Tier III: For students diagnosed with visual impairment, deaf-blindness, multiple disabilities, or traumatic brain injury, the percentage of applicable students in the school district is multiplied by one hundred thirty one-hundredths (1 30 / 100 ), and then multiplied by net enrollment.

For the purpose of student counts, a student entitled to and receiving special education services may not be included under more than one (1) tier prescribed in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this subsection. A student having multiple diagnoses must be counted under the highest tier applicable to that student.

(5) A weight of five percent (5%) is applied to five percent (5%) of a school district or charter school's net enrollment for the purpose of providing gifted education, regardless of the number of students in a school district or charter school that have been identified as gifted students: the total number of students in net enrollment in a school district or charter school, as determined by Section 37-151-207 , is multiplied by five one-hundredths ( 5 / 100 ), which is again multiplied by five one-hundredths ( 5 / 100 ).

(6) For Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Grade students enrolled in a career and technical education course, as defined in Section 37-151-201 , the percentage of applicable students in the school district is multiplied by ten one-hundredths ( 10 / 100 ), and then multiplied by net enrollment. Students enrolled in multiple career and technical education courses are counted once.

(7) In each school district or charter school where the number of students identified as low income, as defined in Section 37-151-201 , exceeds thirty-five percent (35%) of the school district or charter school's net enrollment, a weight of ten percent (10%) is applied only to the number of low income students in excess of the number of low income students which constitute thirty-five percent (35%) of net enrollment. The number of students eligible for this weight is calculated by subtracting the number of students equivalent to thirty-five percent (35%) of the net enrollment of that school district or charter school from the total number of students in that school district or charter school identified as low income: if the total percentage of applicable students identified in subsection (2) exceeds thirty-five percent (35%) of the school district or charter school's total net enrollment, as determined in Section 37-151-207 , the difference between the total percentage of applicable students identified in subsection (2) and thirty-five percent (35%) of the school district or charter school's total net enrollment is multiplied by ten one-hundredths ( 10 / 100 ), and then multiplied by net enrollment.

(8) The final weighted enrollment of each school district and charter school under the total funding formula as provided for in Sections 37-151-200 through 37-151-215 is determined as follows:

(a) The final weighted enrollment for each school district or charter school that is not classified as a sparsely populated district or charter school, as defined in Section 37-151-201 , is equivalent to the preliminary weighted enrollment of that school district or charter school, as determined in subsections (1) through (7) of this section: the State Department of Education shall add to the school district or charter school's net enrollment, as determined under Section 37-151-207 , each of the additional figures calculated in accordance with subsections (2) through (7), and this total is the final weighted enrollment.

(b) The final weighted enrollment for each sparsely populated district or charter school, as defined in Section 37-151-201 , is determined by multiplying the sparsity weight by the preliminary weighted enrollment, as determined in subsections (1) through (7) of this section, and then adding that figure to the preliminary weighted enrollment. To calculate the final weighted enrollment, the State Department of Education shall add to the school district or charter school's net enrollment, each of the additional figures calculated in accordance with subsections (2) through (7) to determine the preliminary weighted enrollment, multiply this figure by the sparsity weight as determined below, and add this resulting number to the preliminary weighted enrollment to find the final weighted enrollment. To calculate the sparsity weight, the State Department of Education shall find the difference between the number of students per square mile in that district or charter school and a sparsity threshold of eight (8) students per square mile, and then shall divide the resulting figure by one hundred (100) to create a percentage: for example, if the number of students per square mile in a district is three (3), the difference is five (5) (eight (8) minus three (3)), and the sparsity weight is five percent (5%), or five one-hundredths ( 5 / 100 ).
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 175-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-175-9
Status: in_force

(1) Each local school district shall make an initial determination of whether a student has an eligibility ruling of speech-language impairment that qualifies under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to receive services and funding under the provisions of the IDEA before proceeding to the development of a plan for each speech-language impaired student eligible for educational services or equipment, or both, under Sections 37-23-1 through 37-23-150 .

Furthermore, these provisions do not prohibit a parent or legal guardian of a student who has an eligibility ruling of speech-language impairment, at any time, from choosing the option of a Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship which would allow the student to attend another nonpublic special purpose school.

(2) If the parent or legal guardian chooses the nonpublic school option and the student is accepted by the nonpublic school pending the availability of a space for the student, the parent or legal guardian of the student must notify the department thirty (30) days before the first scholarship payment and before entering the nonpublic school in order to be eligible for the scholarship when a space becomes available for the student in the nonpublic school.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 173-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-7
Status: in_force

(1) A student is not eligible for a Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship while he or she is:

(a) Enrolled in a school operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice commitment programs;

(b) Participating in a homeschool education program;

(c) Participating in a virtual school, correspondence school, or distance learning program that receives state funding under the student's participation unless the participation is limited to no more than two (2) courses per school year;

(d) Not having regular and direct contact with his or her private school teachers at the school's physical location.

(2)(a) For purposes of continuity of educational choice, a Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship shall remain in force until the student returns to a public school or completes Grade 12, whichever occurs first.

(b) Upon reasonable notice to the department and the school district, the student's parent or legal guardian may remove the student from the nonpublic school and place the student in a public school in accordance with this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-277 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 29-277
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-277
Status: in_force

When the board of trustees of any community or junior college or educational building corporation created under Sections 37-29-601 through 37-29-613 acquires auxiliary facilities by lease, lease purchase or service contract, or borrows money to purchase the property, the board of trustees or educational building corporation shall obtain business interruption insurance in an amount sufficient to pay lease payments or debt service payments for the period of time required to restore or rebuild leased or financed facilities damaged or destroyed by a catastrophic event such as a fire, storm, tornado or earthquake.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-57 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 47-57
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-57
Status: in_force

The state educational finance commission is hereby authorized and directed to pay, on approval of the governor, out of any funds derived from the issuance of state school bonds or otherwise in its hands and available for such purpose, any expense which may be incurred by the state bond commission or by the State of Mississippi or its officials in connection with the authorization and issuance of bonds and interim certificates under the provisions of this chapter, including the expense of preparing and delivering said bonds or interim certificates, legal fees, and all other expenses necessarily incurred in connection with the issuance, sale, and delivery of any such bonds and interim certificates.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-51 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 21-51
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-51
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this section:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(i) Voluntary enrollment of children;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(xiii) Family engagement opportunities;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(i) Kindergarten readiness;

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

(iii) Math proficiency in grades 3 through 8;

(iv) Science proficiency in grades 5 and 8;

(v) Disciplinary incidents;

(vi) Chronic absenteeism;

(vii) On-time graduation rate;

(viii) College enrollment;

(ix) Grade retention; and

(x) Special education services/exits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Participation in Excel By 5;

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

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

4. Participation in the Mississippi Building Blocks.

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

(vii) All authority granted to the State Department of Education to establish program rules is subject to the public processes established in the provisions of the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, including, but not limited to, filing notice of the proposed rules, public hearings and any economic impact statement with the Office of the Secretary of State before presenting such information to the State Board of Education for final approval.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 61-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-61-3
Status: in_force

The total funding formula allotments to the public school districts and the funds derived from the supplemental school district tax levies authorized by law shall be used exclusively for the support, maintenance and operation of the schools in the manner provided by law for the fiscal years for which such funds were appropriated, collected or otherwise made available, and no part of said funds or allotments shall be used in paying any expenses incurred during any preceding fiscal year. However, this shall not be construed to prohibit the payment of expenses incurred during the fiscal year after the close of such fiscal year from amounts remaining on hand at the end of such fiscal year, provided that such expenses were properly payable from such amounts. Moreover, this shall not be construed to prohibit the payment of the salaries of superintendents, principals and teachers and other school employees whose salaries are payable in twelve (12) monthly installments after the close of the fiscal year from amounts on hand for such purpose at the end of the fiscal year.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-15 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 31-15
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-15
Status: in_force

The school board may, in its discretion, cooperate with the State Board of Education in the establishment and maintenance of vocational and technical schools or classes giving instruction in vocational and technical training which does not terminate in a bachelors degree to persons in need of such instruction, and may use for paying the cost of such cooperation any monies raised by public taxation in the same manner as monies for other school purposes are used for the maintenance and support of public schools.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-27 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 9-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-27
Status: in_force

The superintendent of any school district, before entering upon the duties of his office, shall furnish a good and sufficient surety bond in the penal sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), with sufficient surety. Such bond shall be filed and recorded in the office of the clerk of the chancery court in which the school district is located, and shall be payable, conditioned and approved in the manner provided by law. The premium on said bond shall be paid out of the school district maintenance fund.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-163 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 29-163
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-163
Status: in_force

It is hereby declared to be the intent of the legislature that those funds appropriated to the state building commission for the junior college vocational and technical training fund shall be expended to expand immediately and improve existing programs, to institute new programs and to provide adequate equipment and facilities for existing and new programs for vocational and technical training individually or collectively within the public junior colleges of the state. The legislature further declares its intent to be that the presently existing physical facilities of the junior colleges shall be utilized in the development and implementation of such vocational and technical training programs where possible.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-181-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 181-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-181-9
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

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

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

(6) The home school district shall provide the parent or guardian of a participating student with a complete copy of the student's school records, while complying with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 ( 20 USCS Section 1232(g) ). The record shall be provided no later than thirty (30) days after a parent signs an agreement to participate in the ESA program.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-113 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 29-113
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-113
Status: in_force

For the purpose of refunding any bonds issued under the provisions of Section 37-29-109 , including refunding bonds, any board of trustees may make and issue refunding bonds in such amount as may be necessary to pay off and redeem the bonds to be refunded together with unpaid and past due interest thereon and any premium which may be due under the terms of such outstanding bonds, together also with the cost of issuing such refunding bonds. Said board may sell the same in like manner as provided for the initial issuance of bonds. With the proceeds of any such refunding bonds such board shall pay off, redeem and cancel such old bonds and interest coupons as may have matured, or such bonds as may have been called for payment and redemption together with the past due interest and premium, if any, due thereon; such bonds may be issued and delivered in exchange for a like par value amount of bonds to refund which the refunding bonds were issued. No refunding bonds issued hereunder shall be payable in more than twenty-five (25) years from the date thereof, nor shall any such refunding bonds bear interest at a rate in excess of that allowed in Section 75-17-101, Mississippi Code of 1972 , payable semiannually. All such refunding bonds shall be payable from the same source or sources as were pledged to the payment of the bonds refunded thereby and, in the discretion of such board of trustees, may be payable from any other source or sources which may be pledged to the payment of revenue bonds issued hereunder. Bonds of two (2) or more outstanding issues of the same board may be refunded in a single issue of refunding bonds.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-81 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 106-81
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-81
Status: in_force

(1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “State Representative Bill Kinkade Fostering Access and Inspiring True Hope (FAITH) Scholarship Program.”

(2) As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meaning ascribed in this subsection, unless context of use clearly requires otherwise:

(a) “ Approved postsecondary educational institution ” means any public state-supported institution of higher learning, 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) “ 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 .

(c) “ 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.

(d) “ Department ” means the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services.

(e) “ Eligible student ” means:

(i) Any individual who is younger than twenty-five (25) years of age who was placed in the legal custody of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services by a youth court or through other legal means and who was in the legal custody of the department at any time on or after attaining thirteen (13) years of age;

(ii) Any individual who is younger than twenty-five (25) years of age who was placed in a qualified residential child care agency by a parent, legal guardian, court of competent jurisdiction, or other person or entity acting in the best interest of the individual and who did reside in a qualified residential child care agency at any time on or after attaining thirteen (13) years of age; or

(iii) Any individual who is younger than twenty-five (25) years of age who was adopted from the department's legal custody or adopted while residing at a qualified residential child care agency as described in paragraph (f) of this subsection at any time on or after attaining thirteen (13) years of age.

(f) “ Qualified residential child care agency ” means an entity that provides a home for children and was licensed by the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services at the time that the scholarship applicant was housed by the agency.

(g) “ Scholarship ” means the State Representative Bill Kinkade Fostering Access and Inspiring True Hope (FAITH) Scholarship.

(3) The Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board, with the assistance of the Mississippi Department Child Protection Services shall develop and administer the Kinkade FAITH Scholarship Program for eligible students. Commencing with the 2023-2024 academic year, the board shall approve scholarships to eligible students who meet the general requirements set forth in subsection (8) of this section. Scholarships shall be used to pay up to the cost of attendance at any approved postsecondary educational institution, provided that payments to any not-for-profit private institution of higher learning shall not exceed the average cost of attendance required by all of the public state-supported institutions of higher learning.

(4) Payments up to the cost of attendance are considered program scholarships.

(5) The Kinkade FAITH Scholarship Program shall include a mentor service administered by the department as a support system for scholarship recipients. This service shall include mentors who shall be compensated by the department, as employees or contractors, to help participants adapt to independent living, academics and other college or university activities.

(6)(a) Initial recipients shall be selected from all eligible students based on rules promulgated by the board. In the second and subsequent years of the program, priority consideration shall first be given to renewal applicants.

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

(7) The program shall pay up to the student's cost of attendance for up to five (5) years, except as otherwise provided in subsection (10) of this section. In no event shall the cost of attendance be paid pursuant to this section for more than seventy-two (72) credit hours at a community college or one hundred forty-four (144) credit hours at a four-year college. The program shall only pay up to cost of attendance for courses leading to an undergraduate credential or degree. Scholarship funds may be disbursed only if sufficient funding for the scholarship program is available.

(8) To participate in the program, a scholarship applicant shall satisfy the following general eligibility requirements:

(a) Be an eligible student as defined in subsection (2)(e) of this section;

(b) Be accepted for enrollment in a degree or certificate program at an approved postsecondary educational institution; and

(c) Have completed and submitted to the United States Department of Education a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before each year in which he or she receives a scholarship. He or she shall have applied for all federal student financial assistance, including Educational and Training Vouchers.

(9) To receive a renewal scholarship, a student shall satisfy the following continuing eligibility requirements:

(a) Make satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of a degree or certificate as determined by rules promulgated by the board and maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA for consecutive or nonconsecutive semesters of enrollment; and

(b) Remain in good standing with the policies established by the approved postsecondary educational institution.

(10) The age limitation under subsection (2)(e) of this section shall be extended by the total number of years during which the student was on active duty status in the United States Armed Forces. The number of months served on active duty status in the United States Armed Forces shall be rounded up to the next higher year to determine the maximum length of eligibility extension allowed.

(11) The scholarship will include any costs associated with room and board during institutional holidays at approved postsecondary educational institutions where such accommodations are available.

(12) Funds can be combined with any other federal, institutional, or private scholarships to meet the student's full cost of attendance. No other gift aid should be reduced or supplanted by the Kinkade FAITH scholarship. However, in no case shall the FAITH scholarship be combined with other gift aid to exceed cost of attendance.

(13) The board shall promulgate rules as necessary to implement and administer this section.

(14) Nothing in this section shall be construed to:

(a) Guarantee acceptance of or entrance into any approved postsecondary educational institution for an eligible student;

(b) Limit the participation of an eligible student in any other program of financial assistance for postsecondary education;

(c) Require any approved postsecondary educational institution to waive costs or fees relating to room and board; or

(d) Restrict any approved postsecondary educational institution, the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board, or the Department of Child Protection Services from accessing other sources of financial assistance, except loans, that may be available to an eligible student.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-181-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 181-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-181-11
Status: in_force

(1) To ensure that funds are spent appropriately, the State Department of Education shall adopt rules and policies necessary for the administration of the ESA program, including the auditing of Education Scholarship Accounts, and shall conduct or contract for random audits throughout the year.

(2)(a) The department shall develop a system for payment of benefits, including, but not limited to, allowing educational service providers to invoice the department for qualified expenses consistent with Section 37-181-5(2) , or allowing the parent or guardian who submitted the ESA program application to seek reimbursement for qualified expenses consistent with Section 37-181-5(2) .

(b) The department may make payments to educational service providers or reimbursement to the parent or guardian who submitted the ESA program application via check or warrant or electronic funds transfer or any other means of payment deemed to be commercially viable or cost-effective.

(c) The department may also establish by rule that some payments to educational service providers will be made on a quarterly basis, rather than an annual basis, if the educational services will be rendered over an extended period of time.

(3) The department shall adopt a process for removing educational service providers that defraud parents and for referring cases of fraud to law enforcement.

(4) The department shall establish or contract for the establishment of an online anonymous fraud reporting service.

(5) The department shall establish or contract for the establishment of an anonymous telephone hotline for fraud reporting.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-21 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 173-21
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-21
Status: in_force

(1) The State Board of Education in conjunction with each nonpublic school and local school board operating under the provisions of this chapter, may:

(a) Extend the school day or length of the scholastic year;

(b) Develop and establish a curriculum that is consistent with the Mississippi Curriculum Framework in the subject areas of mathematics, social studies, science, music, art and physical education; and

(c) Select, purchase and use textbooks, literature and other instructional materials that would improve educational attainment by students in the school, subject to the approval of the board.

(2) The qualified personnel to facilitate the educational process of learning and instruction for children with dyslexia who attend the schools shall consist of the following:

(a) An administrator or director with additional training in the characteristics of dyslexia;

(b) A dyslexia therapist licensed by the department in dyslexia therapy;

(c) Dyslexia therapists in training participating in a department approved dyslexia therapy graduate internship program; and

(d) Licensed elementary teachers under the supervision of a state department licensed dyslexia therapist.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-71 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 115-71
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-115-71
Status: in_force

Any such county as is provided for in Section 37-115-69 is hereby authorized and empowered to issue and sell its bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness for the purpose of providing funds with which to make the contribution or donation authorized under the provisions of said section. Such bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness shall not be issued in an amount which will exceed the limit of indebtedness of said county as such limit is prescribed by Sections 19-9-1 through 19-9-31, Mississippi Code of 1972 . Before issuing any such bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness, the board of supervisors acting for such county shall adopt a resolution declaring its intention to issue the same, stating the amount and purpose thereof and fixing the date upon which an election will be held on the proposition. Notice of such election shall be given by publication of such resolution once a week for at least three consecutive weeks in at least one newspaper published in said county. The first publication of such notice shall be made not less than twenty-one days prior to the date fixed in such resolution for the holding of said election as aforesaid and the last publication shall be made not more than seven days prior to such date. At such election all qualified electors of said county may vote and the ballots used shall have printed thereon a brief statement of the amount and purpose of the bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness proposed to be issued and the voter shall vote by placing a cross (x) or check (✓) opposite his choice on the proposition. The bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness authorized herein shall not be issued unless authorized by the affirmative vote of a majority of the qualified voters of said county who vote on the proposition at such election.

Such election shall be conducted and the returns thereof made, canvassed, and declared as nearly as may be in like manner as is now or may hereafter be provided by law in the case of general elections in counties. In the event that the question of the issuance of such bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness be not authorized at such election, such question shall not again be submitted to a vote until the expiration of a period of six months, from and after the date of such election.

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

Any bonds authorized to be issued at an election as provided for in this section shall be issued by such county, acting by and through its board of supervisors, at such times and in such amounts as shall be provided for by resolution of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning.

All bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued hereunder shall be secured by a pledge of the full faith, credit and resources of such county. There shall annually be levied upon all taxable property within said county an ad valorem tax in addition to all other taxes, sufficient to provide for the payment of the principal of and the interest on said bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness as the same respectively mature and accrue.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-279 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 101-279
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-279
Status: in_force

(1) If a borrower defaults on an educational loan or scholarship, the Attorney General of the State of Mississippi shall bring suit against the defaulting party as soon as practicable.

(2) A suit against a defaulting party under this section may be brought in the county in which the defaulting person resides, in which the lender is located, or in any Hinds County court.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-153-15 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / 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. § 37-101-303 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 101-303
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-303
Status: in_force

Before the issuance of any of the bonds herein authorized, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall forward to the State Bond Commission its recommendation declaring the necessity for the issuance of general obligation bonds as authorized by Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 for the purpose of erecting, repairing, constructing, remodeling, adding to or improving capital facilities for institutions of higher learning. The State Bond Commission shall have the power and is hereby authorized, upon receipt of the aforesaid recommendations, at one (1) time or from time to time, to declare the necessity for issuance of negotiable general obligation bonds of the State of Mississippi in an aggregate amount not to exceed Forty Million Dollars ($40,000,000.00) to provide funds for the purposes hereinabove set forth and to issue and sell bonds in the amount specified.

Out of the total amount of bonds authorized to be issued, funds shall be allocated among the institutions of higher learning as follows:

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

․․․․․․․․․․$4,416,000.00

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

․․․․․․․․․․․1,882,000.00

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

․․․․․․․․․․․2,396,000.00

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

․․․․․․․․․․․9,810,000.00

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

․․․․․․․․․․․1,909,000.00

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

․․․․․․․․․․․1,775,000.00

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

․․․․․․․․․․․6,086,000.00

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

․․․․․․․․․․․5,971,000.00

University of Southern Mississippi--Gulf Park Campus․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․․․․․․․․․․․309,000.00

University Medical Center․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․․․․․․․․․3,465,000.00

Gulf Coast Research Laboratory․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․․․․․․․․․․․260,000.00

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

․․․․․․․․․․․․․475,000.00

Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․

․․․․․․․․․․․1,246,000.00

It is expressly provided, however, that in the event any emergencies or unforeseen contingencies arise, the amount set forth above for any institution may be increased by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, provided that the amount of such increase is achieved by a pro rata reduction in the amounts allocated to the other institutions.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 9-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-1
Status: in_force

(1) For the purposes of this chapter, the terms “superintendent” and “principal” shall have such meaning as are ascribed to them under the provisions of Section 37-19-1 . The term “ licensed employee ” shall mean any other employee of a public school district required to hold a valid license by the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development. The term “ non-instructional employee ” shall include all employees of school districts other than superintendents, principals and licensed employees.

(2) Unless a statute in this chapter specifically is made applicable to charter schools, the provisions of this chapter only apply to public school districts, the employees of public school districts and the public schools that are within those school districts.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-15 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 101-15
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-15
Status: repealed

(a) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall succeed to and continue to exercise control of all records, books, papers, equipment, and supplies, and all lands, buildings, and other real and personal property belonging to or assigned to the use and benefit of the board of trustees formerly supervising and controlling the institutions of higher learning named in Section 37-101-1 . The board shall have and exercise control of the use, distribution and disbursement of all funds, appropriations and taxes, now and hereafter in possession, levied and collected, received, or appropriated for the use, benefit, support, and maintenance or capital outlay expenditures of the institutions of higher learning, including the authorization of employees to sign vouchers for the disbursement of funds for the various institutions, except where otherwise specifically provided by law.

(b) The board shall have general supervision of the affairs of all the institutions of higher learning, including the departments and the schools thereof. The board shall have the power in its discretion to determine who shall be privileged to enter, to remain in, or to graduate therefrom. The board shall have general supervision of the conduct of libraries and laboratories, the care of dormitories, buildings, and grounds; the business methods and arrangement of accounts and records; the organization of the administrative plan of each institution; and all other matters incident to the proper functioning of the institutions. The board shall have the authority to establish minimum standards of achievement as a prerequisite for entrance into any of the institutions under its jurisdiction, which standards need not be uniform between the various institutions and which may be based upon such criteria as the board may establish.

(c) The board shall exercise all the powers and prerogatives conferred upon it under the laws establishing and providing for the operation of the several institutions herein specified. The board shall adopt such bylaws and regulations from time to time as it deems expedient for the proper supervision and control of the several institutions of higher learning, insofar as such bylaws and regulations are not repugnant to the Constitution and laws, and not inconsistent with the object for which these institutions were established. The board shall have power and authority to prescribe rules and regulations for policing the campuses and all buildings of the respective institutions, to authorize the arrest of all persons violating on any campus any criminal law of the state, and to have such law violators turned over to the civil authorities.

(d) For all institutions specified herein, the board shall provide a uniform system of recording and of accounting approved by the State Department of Audit. The board shall annually prepare, or cause to be prepared, a budget for each institution of higher learning for the succeeding year which must be prepared and in readiness for at least thirty (30) days before the convening of the regular session of the Legislature. All relationships and negotiations between the State Legislature and its various committees and the institutions named herein shall be carried on through the board of trustees. No official, employee or agent representing any of the separate institutions shall appear before the Legislature or any committee thereof except upon the written order of the board or upon the request of the Legislature or a committee thereof.

(e) For all institutions specified herein, the board shall prepare an annual report to the Legislature setting forth the disbursements of all monies appropriated to the respective institutions. Each report to the Legislature shall show how the money appropriated to the several institutions has been expended, beginning and ending with the fiscal years of the institutions, showing the name of each teacher, officer, and employee, and the salary paid each, and an itemized statement of each and every item of receipts and expenditures. Each report must be balanced, and must begin with the former balance. If any property belonging to the state or the institution is used for profit, the reports shall show the expense incurred in managing the property and the amount received therefrom. The reports shall also show a summary of the gross receipts and gross disbursements for each year and shall show the money on hand at the beginning of the fiscal period of the institution next preceding each session of the Legislature and the necessary amount of expense to be incurred from said date to January 1 following. The board shall keep the annual expenditures of each institution herein mentioned within the income derived from legislative appropriations and other sources, but in case of emergency arising from acts of providence, epidemics, fire or storm with the written approval of the Governor and by written consent of a majority of the senators and of the representatives it may exceed the income. The board shall require a surety bond in a surety company authorized to do business in this state of every employee who is the custodian of funds belonging to one or more of the institutions mentioned herein, which bond shall be in a sum to be fixed by the board in an amount that will properly safeguard the said funds, the premium for which shall be paid out of the funds appropriated for said institutions.

(f) The board shall have the power and authority to elect the heads of the various institutions of higher learning and to contract with all deans, professors, and other members of the teaching staff, and all administrative employees of said institutions for a term not exceeding four (4) years. The board shall have the power and authority to terminate any such contract at any time for malfeasance, inefficiency, or contumacious conduct, but never for political reasons. It shall be the policy of the board to permit the executive head of each institution to nominate for election by the board all subordinate employees of the institution over which he presides. It shall be the policy of the board to elect all officials for a definite tenure of service and to reelect during the period of satisfactory service. The board shall have the power to make any adjustments it thinks necessary between the various departments and schools of any institution or between the different institutions.

(g) The board shall keep complete minutes and records of all proceedings which shall be open for inspection by any citizen of the state.

(h) The board shall have the power to enter into an energy performance contract, energy services contract, on a shared-savings, lease or lease-purchase basis, for energy efficiency services and/or equipment as prescribed in Section 31-7-14 .

(i) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, for and on behalf of Jackson State University, is hereby authorized to convey by donation or otherwise easements across portions of certain real estate located in the City of Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi, for right-of-way required for the Metro Parkway Project.

(j) In connection with any international contract between the board or one (1) of the state's institutions of higher learning and any party outside of the United States, the board or institution that is the party to the international contract is hereby authorized and empowered to include in the contract a provision for the resolution by arbitration of any controversy between the parties to the contract relating to such contract or the failure or refusal to perform any part of the contract. Such provision shall be valid, enforceable and irrevocable without regard to the justiciable character of the controversy. Provided, however, that in the event either party to such contract initiates litigation against the other with respect to the contract, the arbitration provision shall be deemed waived unless asserted as a defense on or before the responding party is required to answer such litigation.

(k) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (“board”), on behalf of any institution under its jurisdiction, shall purchase and maintain business property insurance and business personal property insurance on all university-owned buildings and/or contents as required by federal law and regulations of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as is necessary for receiving public assistance or reimbursement for repair, reconstruction, replacement or other damage to those buildings and/or contents caused by the Hurricane Katrina Disaster of 2005 or subsequent disasters. The board is authorized to expend funds from any available source for the purpose of obtaining and maintaining that property insurance. The board is authorized to enter into agreements with the Department of Finance and Administration, local school districts, community/junior college districts, community hospitals and/or other state agencies to pool their liabilities to participate in a group business property and/or business personal property insurance program, subject to uniform rules and regulations as may be adopted by the Department of Finance and Administration.

(l) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, or its designee, may approve the payment or reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses incurred by candidates for open positions at the board's executive office or at any of the state institutions of higher learning, when the job candidate has incurred expenses in traveling to a job interview at the request of the board, the Commissioner of Higher Education or a state institution of higher learning administrator.

(m)(i) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning is authorized to administer and approve contracts for the construction and maintenance of buildings and other facilities of the state institutions of higher learning, including related contracts for architectural and engineering services, which are paid for with self-generated funds.

(ii) Additionally, the board is authorized to oversee, administer and approve contracts for the construction and maintenance of buildings and other facilities of the state institutions of higher learning, including related contracts for architectural and engineering services, which are funded in whole or in part by general obligation bonds of the State of Mississippi at institutions designated annually by the board as being capable to procure and administer all such contracts. Prior to the disbursement of funds, an agreement for each project between the institution and the Department of Finance and Administration shall be executed. The approval and execution of the agreement shall not be withheld by either party unless the withholding party provides a written, detailed explanation of the basis for withholding to the other party. The agreement shall stipulate the responsibilities of each party, applicable procurement regulations, documentation and reporting requirements, conditions prior to, and schedule of, disbursement of general obligation bond funds to the institution and provisions concerning handling any remaining general obligation bonds at the completion of the project. Such agreement shall not include provisions that constitute additional qualifications or criteria that act to invalidate the designation of an institution as capable of procuring and administering such project. Inclusion of any such provisions may be appealed to the Public Procurement Review Board. This paragraph (ii) shall stand repealed from and after July 1, 2025.

(n) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (“board”) shall require all on-campus faculty and staff employed by, and all students attending, any of the state institutions of higher learning identified in Section 37-101-1 to be issued an identification badge in physical or electronic format. Any identification card issued or renewed pursuant to this section, whether physical or in an electronic format, shall include the words “Crisis Lifeline--Dial or Text 988, or chat 988lifeline.org” or like language for formatting purposes.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-83 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 41-83
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-41-83
Status: in_force

The school boards are authorized and empowered to expend the necessary amounts from the available transportation funds of the school district for the purchase of such transportation equipment, the servicing, repair and maintenance thereof and for the payment of the salaries of persons employed to drive or operate such transportation equipment, and to establish, erect and equip school bus shops or garages, and purchase land therefor.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-67 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 101-67
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-67
Status: in_force

All bonds issued by an educational building corporation shall be solely and exclusively obligations of the corporation and shall not create an obligation or debt of the State of Mississippi. The state shall not pledge its full faith or credit for the payment of any debt incurred or bonds issued by such corporation.

All such bonds shall not constitute a debt of the college or university for which the facilities are to be constructed.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 131-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-3
Status: in_force

The president or executive head of any institution of higher learning which has established a demonstration or practice school, subject to the approval of the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning, shall have the power and authority to enter into contracts and agreements with the board of trustees of any school district providing for the attendance of pupils, or one or more, or parts of, grades, from the educable children of such school district at such demonstration or practice school. The board of trustees of any school district is hereby authorized and empowered to enter into contracts and agreements with the president or executive head of an institution of higher learning for such purpose. All such contracts shall be upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon by and between the president or executive head of the institution of higher learning and the board of trustees of the school district involved.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-51 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 21-51
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-51
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this section:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(i) Voluntary enrollment of children;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(xiii) Family engagement opportunities;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(i) Kindergarten readiness;

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

(iii) Math proficiency in grades 3 through 8;

(iv) Science proficiency in grades 5 and 8;

(v) Disciplinary incidents;

(vi) Chronic absenteeism;

(vii) On-time graduation rate;

(viii) College enrollment;

(ix) Grade retention; and

(x) Special education services/exits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Participation in Excel By 5;

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

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

4. Participation in the Mississippi Building Blocks.

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

(vii) All authority granted to the State Department of Education to establish program rules is subject to the public processes established in the provisions of the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, including, but not limited to, filing notice of the proposed rules, public hearings and any economic impact statement with the Office of the Secretary of State before presenting such information to the State Board of Education for final approval.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-57 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 45-57
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-45-57
Status: in_force

In the event of an appeal by any county board of education or board of trustees of any municipal separate school district from any final rule, regulation or order of the state educational finance commission, it shall be the duty and responsibility of such appealing county board or board of trustees, under the supervision of the executive secretary of said commission, to prepare or cause to be prepared the record on appeal, which, when approved by the commission or by the chairman thereof in vacation, shall be and constitute the record on appeal. The same shall thereupon be filed, as required by law, in the chancery court to which the appeal is taken. The cost of making and filing such record shall be an item of cost of said appeal, which shall be paid by said appellant. The cost of such record shall not be in excess of the cost of a similar record on appeal from a chancery court of this state to the supreme court of Mississippi.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-217 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 33-217
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-217
Status: in_force

Any individual applying for or receiving services provided by the Office of Special Disability Programs who is aggrieved by any action or inaction of the office shall be entitled, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the department, to a fair hearing.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-33 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 33-33
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-33
Status: in_force

Budget estimates of the amount of appropriations needed each fiscal year for vocational rehabilitation services and for the administration of said program shall be submitted in such manner as may be provided by law, and sufficient funds for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Vocational Rehabilitation Law shall be appropriated by the legislature. In the event federal funds are available to the State of Mississippi for vocational rehabilitation purposes, the division of vocational rehabilitation is authorized to comply with such requirements as may be necessary to obtain said federal funds in the maximum amount and most advantageous proportion possible insofar as this may be done without violating other provisions of the state law and constitution. In the event the national congress fails in any year to appropriate funds for grants-in-aid to the state for vocational rehabilitation purposes, the state legislature shall appropriate such funds as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of said law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-119 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / 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. § 37-7-357 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 7-357
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-357
Status: in_force

Sections 37-7-351 through 37-7-359 are intended to be and shall be construed as being supplemental to all existing laws covering the acquisition, use and maintenance of school buildings by school districts. It is further provided that, as to school buildings constructed or leased pursuant to the provisions of Sections 37-7-351 through 37-7-359 , it shall not be necessary to comply with the provisions of other laws concerning acquisition, use and maintenance of school buildings by school districts except as herein specifically required.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-257 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 33-257
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-257
Status: in_force

The department shall conduct an annual survey of nursing homes in the state to determine the number of individuals fifty-five (55) years of age and under who reside in such homes due to a spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury. All individuals identified in such a survey shall be evaluated by the department as to their rehabilitation potential, and any individual who may benefit from rehabilitation services shall be given an opportunity to participate in an appropriate rehabilitation program for which he may be eligible.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-160-7 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 160-7
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-160-7
Status: in_force

Before December 1 of each year, the grantee shall submit a written report to the State Superintendent of Public Education on the status of Teach For America Delta. The report must include no less than the following:

(a) Data on the Teach For America teachers under contract and teaching in a geographical critical teacher shortage area, including a list of those school districts that are partnering with Teach For America through funds provided under this chapter and the grades or subjects that are being taught by Teach For America teachers in those school districts;

(b) Data on each Teach For America teacher relating to the background of the teacher and the teacher's training and professional development;

(c) The retention rate of Teach For America teachers in Mississippi;

(d) The results of an externally conducted biannual analysis of the satisfaction rate of local principals regarding the quality and effect of Teach For America teachers in the principals' respective schools; and

(e) Any other information requested for the report by the State Superintendent of Public Education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-24-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 24-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-24-5
Status: in_force

Each local board of education, administration of a nonpublic school, and governing body of a charter school shall adopt and implement a concussion management and return to play policy that includes the following components:

(a) Parents or guardians shall receive and sign a copy of the concussion policy before the start of the regular school athletic event season.

(b) An athlete who reports or displays any symptoms or signs of a concussion in a practice or game setting shall be removed immediately from the practice or game. The athlete shall not be allowed to return to the practice or game for the remainder of the day regardless of whether the athlete appears or states that he or she is normal.

(c) The athlete shall be evaluated by a health care provider working within the provider's scope of practice.

(d) If an athlete has sustained a concussion, the athlete shall be referred to a licensed physician, preferably one with experience in managing sports concussion injuries.

(e) The athlete who has been diagnosed with a concussion shall be returned to play only after full recovery and clearance by a health care provider.

(f) An athlete shall not return to a competitive game before demonstrating that he or she has no symptoms in a full supervised practice.

(g) Athletes shall not continue to practice or return to play while still having symptoms of a concussion.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-93 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 27-93
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-27-93
Status: in_force

(1) The Board of Trustees of Coahoma Agricultural High School are authorized to make application to the Mississippi Department of Education for the approval of converting the facilities and programs of the agricultural high school to an Early College High School. In the event the State Board of Education approves this application, effective July 1, 2018, the Coahoma Agricultural High School shall be transferred to the Coahoma Community College District and shall be used as an Early College High School serving up to four hundred (400) students from the following counties: Bolivar, Coahoma, Tunica, Tallahatchie and Quitman. The conversion from Coahoma Agricultural High School to the Early College High School shall be administered on a phased-in basis beginning with ninth-grade students and adding on one (1) grade level every year from the applicable counties until the school has full enrollment. Students who are currently enrolled in Coahoma Agricultural High School in Grades 10-12 may be enrolled at the facility as students at the Early College High School and continue in the system. From July 1, 2016, through July 1, 2018, the President and Board of Trustees of Coahoma Agricultural High School shall cooperate with the Board of Trustees of the Coahoma Community College District for the transition of the facilities and programs. The Board of Trustees of the Coahoma Agricultural High School and the Board of Trustees of the Coahoma Community College District shall redesign the facilities in order to establish an environment that supports college readiness for all students through a required college preparatory curriculum, access to college courses, counseling for college admissions, and other college readiness activities, such as explicit instruction in college behavior and expectations. All real property titled to or used by Coahoma Agricultural High School will become the property of the Coahoma Community College District.

(2) All personal property used by the Coahoma Agricultural High School for secondary school purposes, including all nondisposable sports and/or extracurricular equipment (i.e., football helmets, shoulder pads, baseball bats and helmets, and band equipment) will become the property of the Coahoma Community College District. The division of such personal property will be determined by joint order of the Boards of Trustees of the Coahoma Community College District and the Coahoma County School District. Any cost of transferring title of such real or personal property will be paid by the Coahoma Community College District.

(3) Any such joint order directing the transfer of the personal property of the Coahoma Agricultural High School shall be submitted and approved by the State Board of Education. The finding of the State Board of Education shall be final and conclusive for the purpose of the transfer of property required by such administrative consolidation.

(4) The students attending the said agricultural high school shall be deemed to be students of the school district where they reside. After transfer of the Coahoma Agricultural High School, any student who is enrolled at the Coahoma Agricultural High School when the transfer is effected may receive two (2) diplomas upon successful completion of all graduation requirements of the school district they subsequently attend: one (1) diploma to be the official completion with the school district they subsequently attend and the second to be a courtesy diploma reflecting graduation from Coahoma Agricultural High School.

(5) The State Board of Education shall issue regulations providing for the automatic transfer of students in the surrounding counties who wish to enroll in the Early College High School.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-147-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 147-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-147-9
Status: in_force

The authority shall select an executive director who shall be the administrative officer of the authority and shall perform such duties as are required of him by law and such other duties as may be assigned by the authority. The executive director shall possess such qualifications as may be established by the authority. He shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by the authority.

The executive director, with the approval of the authority, shall employ such technical, professional and clerical help as may be authorized by the authority; and the authority, upon recommendation of the executive director, shall define the duties and fix the compensation of such employees.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-117-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 117-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-117-11
Status: in_force

The privilege of rooming in the dormitories at the Mississippi State College for Women belongs to the free students, and to the due quota of girls from each county, in preference to all others. The basis of apportionment is hereby fixed at the present dormitory capacity. However, this provision shall not be construed to exclude pupils from free tuition who pay their board elsewhere.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-319 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 101-319
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-101-319
Status: in_force

Such general obligation bonds may be issued without any other proceedings or the happening of any other conditions or things other than those proceedings, conditions and things which are specified or required by Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 . Any resolution providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds under the provisions of Sections 37-101-301 through 37-101-331 shall become effective immediately upon its adoption by the State Bond Commission, and any such resolution may be adopted at any regular or special meeting of the State Bond Commission by a majority of its members.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-154-1 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 154-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-154-1
Status: in_force

(1) To improve quality of life, education and employment opportunities for all citizens, the appropriate agencies of the State of Mississippi listed in subsection (2) of this section shall develop and maintain a State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS). The system will allow stakeholders and policymakers access data on state residents from birth to the workforce to drive accountability and investment decisions. The system will include data from multiple state agencies and entities. The system will provide decision makers a tool to develop policies to support objectives, including, but not limited to:

(a) Enabling Mississippians to secure and retain employment and receive better pay after completing training or postsecondary degrees;

(b) Enabling Mississippi to meet the education and job skill demands of business and industry;

(c) Developing an early warning system, which allows the state to intervene early, improving the graduation rates in high school and college;

(d) Identifying teachers, teaching methods and programs that lead to positive student outcomes; and

(e) Encouraging the sharing of electronic data across educational and other entities.

(2) Individual state agencies and state entities will send data from their internal system to the Statewide Longitudinal Data System. These initial agencies and entities shall provide data to the SLDS under the provisions developed by the SLDS Governing Board established in Section 37-154-3 :

(a) Mississippi Department of Education (MDE);

(b) Mississippi Community College Board;

(c) Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL);

(d) State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB);

(e) Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES);

(f) Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS); and

(g) State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC).

Any agencies or entities added to SLDS shall provide a representative to the SLDS Governing Board and be governed in the same manner as the initial agencies and entities.

(3) The system will be based on an existing system currently housed, developed and maintained by the National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (nSPARC) at Mississippi State University. The initial agencies participating in the SLDS Governing Board and nSPARC have worked collaboratively to secure funding through the United States Department of Education to expand and enhance the capacity of the state's existing technology infrastructure for the purposes of developing the SLDS. The State Data Center, operated by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS), will provide application hosting services for the SLDS until such time the SLDS Governing Board approves that another entity should perform these services.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 131-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-131-13
Status: in_force

In order to carry into effect the right and authority granted in Sections 37-131-1 through 37-131-11 , authorizing demonstration and practice schools in connection with major state institutions of higher learning, the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning is hereby authorized to accept by donations, grants, cooperative agreements or otherwise, such sums of money as may be deemed necessary for the construction and maintenance of such demonstration and practice schools from whatever sources available, including agencies of the federal, state and county governments, the city of Starkville, Mississippi, private individuals, benevolent institutions or organizations, or any other available and legal source or sources.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-148-11 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 15 / Section 148-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-148-11
Status: repealed

Sections 37-148-1 , 37-148-3 , 37-148-5 , 37-148-7 , 37-148-9 and 37-148-11 , which constitute the Strengthening Mississippi Academic Research Through Business Act, shall stand repealed on July 1, 2026.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-111 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 155-111
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-111
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(8) The assets of the MACS Trust Fund shall be preserved, invested and expended solely pursuant to and for the purposes of this article and shall not be loaned or otherwise transferred or used by the state for any other purpose.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-36 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 106-36
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-106-36
Status: repealed

(1) There is established the “William F. Winter and Jack Reed, Sr., Teacher Loan Repayment Program.”

(2) Subject to the availability of funds, an eligible applicant for an initial award must have:

(a) Graduated from a baccalaureate degree-granting institution of higher learning which is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) or a comparable accreditation body;

(b) Signed a contract as a full-time teacher in a public school district in Mississippi;

(c) Obtained a standard five-year license or a nontraditional five-year alternate route license. Persons with provisional emergency licenses shall not be eligible applicants; and

(d) Outstanding qualifying undergraduate or graduate educational loans, which may include the principal, interest and related expenses such as the required interest premium on the unpaid balances of government and commercial loans obtained by the recipient for undergraduate educational expense.

(3) Persons who have received funds from other forgivable loan programs established for teachers under Mississippi law, or who are presently in default or delinquent on any federal, state, local or commercial qualifying educational loan, shall not be eligible for this program.

(4) Provided that initial recipients remain eligible under the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, they may retain eligibility for two (2) additional awards, subject to the availability of funds.

(5) Initial recipients shall be selected on a first-come, first-served basis of all eligible applicants, subject to the availability of funds. In the second and third years of an applicant's continued eligibility, priority consideration shall first be given to renewal applicants. The State Financial Aid Board shall develop rules for ensuring that expenses of the program in a fiscal year do not exceed funding for the program in that fiscal year. For that purpose, and any other provision of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, the State Financial Aid Board may limit the acceptance of applications and may limit the number of awards.

(6) Among teacher recipients, priority consideration shall be given to persons who are teaching in a public school district designated as a geographical critical teacher shortage area by the State Board of Education.

(7) Awards for recipients who have signed a contract to teach in a public school district that is not designated as a geographical critical teacher shortage area shall be as follows:

(a) One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) for the initial award;

(b) Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for the second award; and

(c) Three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($3,500.00) for the third award.

(8) Awards for recipients who have signed a contract to teach in a public school district that is designated as a geographical critical teacher shortage area shall be as follows:

(a) Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00) for the initial award;

(b) Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) for the second award, provided the recipient continues to teach in the same public school district or another public school district designated a geographical shortage area by the State Board of Education; and

(c) Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) for the third award, provided the recipient continues to teach in the same public school district or another public school district designated a geographical shortage area by the State Board of Education.

(9) An initial recipient who moves to another public school district shall be eligible to receive an award based on the amount allowed under the program in the new district where the teacher is employed.

(10) Awards shall be granted on a year-to-year basis, and recipients shall have no obligation to seek a future award.

(11) Awards shall be paid annually, after the expiration of the one-year teaching contract for which the award was granted, to the recipient's lender or loan service provider, and shall be applied to the outstanding balance. Monies paid on the recipient's behalf toward qualifying undergraduate or graduate educational loans prior to receiving payment of the award shall not be eligible for repayment through the program.

(12) During the teaching year for which the award is granted, a recipient must at all times keep the State Financial Aid Board informed of any changes to the recipient's current contact information and employment status.

(13) Recipients who fail to maintain a standard or nontraditional license or fail to fulfill the one-year teaching contract on which the award was based shall forfeit any right to the award.

(14) The State Financial Aid Board, in collaboration with the State Board of Education, shall track recipients of an award under this program through the fourth year after receiving their initial award, unless the recipient shall leave teaching in a public school district at an earlier date. Data collected shall include recipients' undergraduate or graduate institution, school district, subject area/grade level in teaching and any other pertinent information necessary to determine the efficacy of the program in retaining teachers.

(15) The State Financial Aid Board shall promulgate regulations necessary for the proper administration of this section, including rules for ensuring that expenses of the program in a fiscal year do not exceed funding for the program in that fiscal year.

(16) There is established in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated the “William F. Winter and Jack Reed, Sr., Loan Repayment Program Fund,” into which shall be deposited those funds appropriated by the Legislature, and any other funds that may be made available, for the purpose of implementing the loan repayment program established herein. Money in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall not lapse into the General Fund, and interest earned on any amounts deposited into the fund shall be credited to the special fund.

(17) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2028.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-111 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 9-111
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-111
Status: in_force

(1) The school board, or its designee, upon request for a hearing from an employee under the terms of Sections 37-9-101 through 37-9-113 , shall set the time, place and date of such hearing and notify the employee in writing of same. The date shall be set not sooner than five (5) days nor later than thirty (30) days from the date of the request, unless otherwise agreed. The hearing may be held before the board or before a hearing officer appointed for such purpose by the board, either from among its own membership, from the staff of the school district or some other qualified and impartial person, but in no event shall the hearing officer be the staff member responsible for the initial recommendation of nonreemployment. No hearing officer may have an interest in the outcome of a hearing, nor may a hearing officer be related to a board member, any administrator making the recommendations of nonreemployment or the employee. Once a hearing officer is appointed, no ex parte communications may be made regarding any substantive provisions of the hearing.

(2) The hearing must be held in executive session unless the employee elects to have a public hearing. If an employee makes this election, however, the board or the hearing officer, as the case may be, may order any part of the hearing to be held in executive session, if, in the opinion of the board or the hearing officer, the testimony to be elicited deals with matters involving the reputation or character of another person. Notwithstanding the election by an employee for a public hearing, any testimony by minor witnesses must be held in executive session and considered confidential personnel records and confidential student records, subject to an expectation of reasonable privacy and confidentiality. Public disclosure of these records may be by court order only.

(3) The district shall present evidence, either in written or oral form, at the hearing in support of its recommendation for nonreemployment.

The employee shall be afforded an opportunity to present matters at the hearing relevant to the reasons given for the proposed nonreemployment determination and to the reasons the employee alleges to be the reasons for nonreemployment and to be represented by counsel at such a hearing. Such hearing shall be conducted in such a manner as to afford the parties a fair and reasonable opportunity to present witnesses and other evidence pertinent to the issues and to cross-examine witnesses presented at the hearing. The board or the hearing officer may require any portion of the evidence to be submitted in the form of depositions or affidavits, and in case affidavits are received, an opportunity to present counter-affidavits shall be provided.

(4) The board shall cause to be made stenographic notes of the proceedings. In the event of a judicial appeal of the board's decision, the entire expense of the transcript and notes shall be assessed as court costs.

(5) The board shall review the matters presented before it, or, if the hearing is conducted by a hearing officer, the report of the hearing officer, if any, the record of the proceedings and, based solely thereon, conclude whether the proposed nonreemployment is a proper employment decision, is based upon a valid educational reason or noncompliance with school district personnel policies and is based solely upon the evidence presented at the hearing, and shall notify the employee in writing of its final decision and reasons therefor. Such notification shall be within thirty (30) days of the conclusion of the hearing if the hearing is conducted by a hearing officer and within ten (10) days of the conclusion of the hearing if the hearing is initially conducted by the board. If the matter is heard before a hearing officer, the board shall also grant the employee the opportunity to appear before the board to present a statement in his own behalf, either in person or by his attorney, prior to a final decision by the board.

(6) In conducting a hearing, the board or hearing officer shall not be bound by common law or by statutory rules of evidence or by technical or formal rules of procedure except as provided in Sections 37-9-101 through 37-9-113 , but may conduct such hearing in such manner as best to ascertain the rights of the parties; however, hearsay evidence, if admitted, shall not be the sole basis for the determination of facts by the board or hearing officer.

(7) In the event the decision of the school board is in favor of the employee, the board shall have the authority to order the execution of a contract with the employee for an additional period of one (1) year.

(8) For purposes of conducting hearings under Sections 37-9-101 through 37-9-113 , the board or hearing officer shall have the authority to issue subpoenas for witnesses and to compel their attendance and the giving of evidence. Any expense connected therewith shall be borne by the party requesting the subpoenas, which shall include an appearance fee for each witness so subpoenaed not inconsistent with state laws governing payments to witnesses. In the event it is necessary to enforce or to quash a subpoena issued to compel the attendance of a witness, application shall be made with the chancery court of the county where the school board is located.

(9) This section shall not be applicable to a superintendent whose employment has been terminated by the school board under Section 37-9-59 , or whose employment contract has not been renewed by the school board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / Section 151-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-13
Status: in_force

The State Board of Education shall establish and design an annual program of awards for exemplary performing administrators in Mississippi's public school districts, to be called the “Mississippi Administrator of the Year” Award Program.

The board shall establish criteria and guidelines for making the annual award to one (1) exemplary performing administrator in Mississippi, which shall include a cash award of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to be paid by the State Department of Education pursuant to appropriation therefor and shall be unrestricted as to its use by the recipient. Such award shall be paid as a supplement to such administrator's contracted salary in the year subsequent to receiving the recognition.

The State Board of Education shall utilize such awards to bring the best administrative practices to the attention of other schools. The awards shall include public recognition by the local school board and the State Board of Education and the awarding of plaques, certificates and the monetary award for administrators that perform well.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-47 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 3 / Section 47-47
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-47
Status: in_force

All state school bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter shall be sold by the said state bond commission upon sealed competitive bids or proposals after advertisement therefor and publication of the notice of such sale in the manner provided by law.

The proceeds of the sale of all state school bonds shall be placed in the “state public school building fund” and shall be expended only for the purposes authorized by this chapter. However, the premium, if any, received for any such bonds and the accrued interest paid thereon, if any, shall be placed in the sinking fund established for the payment of said bonds.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-149-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 149-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-149-3
Status: in_force

(1) The center shall place a priority on its function as a teacher recruitment center. In addition to its other duties, it shall publicize the importance of the teaching profession, operate a teacher placement service, and create and manage a teacher renewal institute.

(2) The center shall be authorized to phase into operation its designated functions. Full operation of all the functions of the center shall be in place and operating by July 1, 1996.

(3) The center shall develop in-service training materials and shall provide for the establishment of a corps of trainers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-207 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 33-207
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-207
Status: in_force

The Office of Special Disability Programs established by Section 37-33-153 shall be administered by a director appointed by the executive director in conformity with policies adopted by the department. In carrying out his or her other duties under the Special Disability Programs Law, the director:

(a) Shall, with the approval of the executive director, make regulations governing the protection of records and confidential information, the manner and form of filing applications, eligibility and investigations and determinations thereof for rehabilitation services through special disability programs, procedures for fair hearings and such other regulations as are found necessary to carry out the purposes of that law;

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

(c) Shall, with the approval of the executive director, recommend for appointment such personnel as may be necessary for the efficient performance of the functions of the office;

(d) Shall prepare and submit to the state board, through the executive director, annual reports of activities and expenditures and, before each regular session of the Legislature, shall submit estimates of sums required for carrying out the Special Disability Programs Law and estimates of the amounts to be made available for this purpose from all sources;

(e) Shall, if the executive director so authorizes, make certifications on behalf of the executive director for the disbursement of funds available for rehabilitation services;

(f) Shall, with the approval of the executive director, appoint boards to serve as the governing authority of centers for independent living or other entities as required by federal law and regulations;

(g) Shall, with the approval of the executive director, take such other action as he or she deems necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the Special Disability Programs Law;

(h) May, with the approval of the executive director, delegate to any officer or employee of the office such of his or her powers and duties, except the making of regulations and the making of recommendations for appointment of personnel, as he or she finds necessary to carry out the purposes of the Special Disability Programs Law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 68-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-68-13
Status: in_force

(1)(a) There is created a special fund in the State Treasury, to be known as the “Equity in Distance Learning Fund,” from which the grants authorized by this chapter shall be disbursed by the department. All monies shall be disbursed from the fund in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, by the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act. If on November 1, 2020, there are unobligated monies in the fund from either the department or schools, the department shall have the discretion to distribute the monies for eligible expenditures pursuant to the CARES Act to schools by application. However unexpended amounts of any monies unrelated to the Coronavirus Relief Fund, whether appropriated by the Legislature or donated by any public or private entity, remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the Budget Contingency Fund or the State General Fund, and any investment earnings or interest earned on amounts in the grant program fund shall be deposited to the credit of the grant program fund.

(b) If on December 29, 2020, there are unexpended Coronavirus Relief Fund monies remaining in the fund, those funds shall lapse into the Budget Contingency Fund, to be transferred, by the State Fiscal Officer, into the Unemployment Compensation Fund on or before December 30, 2020.

(2) The use of funds allocated under this grant program shall be subject to audit by the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Inspector General and the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. Each school, or other entity or person receiving funds under this grant program, found to be fully or partially noncompliant with the requirements in this chapter, shall return to the state all or a portion of the funds received.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-29 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 11-29
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-11-29
Status: in_force

(1) Any principal, teacher or other school employee who has knowledge of any unlawful activity which occurred on educational property or during a school related activity or which may have occurred shall report such activity to the superintendent of the school district or his designee who shall notify the appropriate law enforcement officials as required by this section. In the event of an emergency or if the superintendent or his designee is unavailable, any principal may make a report required under this subsection.

(2) Whenever any person who shall be an enrolled student in any school or educational institution in this state supported in whole or in part by public funds, or who shall be an enrolled student in any private school or educational institution, is arrested for, and lawfully charged with, the commission of any crime and convicted upon the charge for which he was arrested, or convicted of any crime charged against him after his arrest and before trial, the office or law enforcement department of which the arresting officer is a member, and the justice court judge and any circuit judge or court before whom such student is tried upon said charge or charges, shall make or cause to be made a report thereof to the superintendent or the president or chancellor, as the case may be, of the school district or other educational institution in which such student is enrolled.

If the charge upon which such student was arrested, or any other charges preferred against him are dismissed or nol prossed, or if upon trial he is either convicted or acquitted of such charge or charges, same shall be reported to said respective superintendent or president, or chancellor, as the case may be. A copy of said report shall be sent to the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning of the State of Mississippi, at Jackson, Mississippi.

Said report shall be made within one (1) week after the arrest of such student and within one (1) week after any charge placed against him is dismissed or nol prossed, and within one (1) week after he shall have pled guilty, been convicted, or have been acquitted by trial upon any charge placed against him. This section shall not apply to ordinary traffic violations involving a penalty of less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) and costs.

The State Superintendent of Public Education shall gather annually all of the reports provided under this section and prepare a report on the number of students arrested as a result of any unlawful activity which occurred on educational property or during a school related activity. All data must be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, school, offense and law enforcement agency involved. However, the report prepared by the State Superintendent of Public Education shall not include the identity of any student who was arrested.

On or before January 1 of each year, the State Superintendent of Public Education shall report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Joint PEER Committee on this section. The report must include data regarding arrests as a result of any unlawful activity which occurred on educational property or during a school related activity.

(3) When the superintendent or his designee has a reasonable belief that an act has occurred on educational property or during a school related activity involving any of the offenses set forth in subsection (6) of this section, the superintendent or his designee shall immediately report the act to the appropriate local law enforcement agency. For purposes of this subsection, “ school property ” shall include any public school building, bus, public school campus, grounds, recreational area or athletic field in the charge of the superintendent. The State Board of Education shall prescribe a form for making reports required under this subsection. Any superintendent or his designee who fails to make a report required by this section shall be subject to the penalties provided in Section 37-11-35 .

(4) The law enforcement authority shall immediately dispatch an officer to the educational institution and with probable cause the officer is authorized to make an arrest if necessary as provided in Section 99-3-7 .

(5) Any superintendent, principal, teacher or other school personnel participating in the making of a required report pursuant to this section or participating in any judicial proceeding resulting therefrom shall be presumed to be acting in good faith. Any person reporting in good faith shall be immune from any civil liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed.

(6) For purposes of this section, “ unlawful activity ” means any of the following:

(a) Possession or use of a deadly weapon, as defined in Section 97-37-1 ;

(b) Possession, sale or use of any controlled substance;

(c) Aggravated assault, as defined in Section 97-3-7 ;

(d) Simple assault, as defined in Section 97-3-7 , upon any school employee;

(e) Rape, as defined under Mississippi law;

(f) Sexual battery, as defined under Mississippi law;

(g) Murder, as defined under Mississippi law;

(h) Kidnapping, as defined under Mississippi law; or

(i) Fondling, touching, handling, etc., a child for lustful purposes, as defined in Section 97-5-23 .

For the purposes of this subsection (6), the term “controlled substance” does not include the possession or use of medical cannabis that is lawful under the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act and in compliance with rules and regulations adopted thereunder.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-25 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 9-25
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-9-25
Status: in_force

The school board shall have the power and authority, in its discretion, to employ the superintendent, unless such superintendent is elected at the November 2015 general election, for not exceeding four (4) scholastic years and the principals or licensed employees for not exceeding three (3) scholastic years. In such case, contracts shall be entered into with such superintendents, principals and licensed employees for the number of years for which they have been employed. However, in the event that a vacancy in the office of the superintendent of schools elected at the November 2015 general election shall occur before January 1, 2019, the local school board shall then appoint the superintendent of the school district and enter into contract with the appointee for a period not to exceed three (3) scholastic years. All such contracts with licensed employees shall for the years after the first year thereof be subject to the contingency that the licensed employee may be released if, during the life of the contract, the net enrollment should decrease from that existing during the previous year and thus necessitate a reduction in the number of licensed employees during any year after the first year of the contract. However, in all such cases the licensed employee must be released before July 1 or at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the school term, whichever date should occur earlier. The salary to be paid for the years after the first year of such contract shall be subject to revision, either upward or downward, in the event of an increase or decrease in the funds available for the payment thereof, but, unless such salary is revised prior to the beginning of a school year, it shall remain for such school year at the amount fixed in such contract. However, where school district funds are available during the school year in excess of the amount anticipated at the beginning of the school year, the salary to be paid for such year may be increased to the extent that such additional funds are available, and nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit same.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-13 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 17-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-13
Status: in_force

(1) Whenever the Governor declares a state of emergency in a school district in response to a certification by the State Board of Education and the Commission on School Accreditation made under Section 37-17-6(12)(b) , or when the State Board of Education places a school district into a District of Transformation for academic or financial reasons under Section 37-17-6 (12)(b) , the State Board of Education, in addition to any actions taken under Section 37-17-6 , shall abolish the school district and assume control and administration of the schools formerly constituting the district, and appoint an interim superintendent to carry out this purpose under the direction of the State Board of Education. In such case, the State Board of Education shall have all powers which were held by the previously existing school board, and the previously existing superintendent of schools or county superintendent of education, including, but not limited to, those enumerated in Section 37-7-301 , and the authority to request tax levies from the appropriate governing authorities for the support of the schools and to receive and expend the tax funds as provided by Section 37-57-1 et seq. and Section 37-57-105 et seq.

(2) When a school district is abolished under this section, loans from the School District Emergency Assistance Fund may be made by the State Board of Education for the use and benefit of the schools formerly constituting the district in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 37-17-6(15) for such loans to the district. The abolition of a school district under this section shall not impair or release the property of that school district from liability for the payment of the loan indebtedness, and it shall be the duty of the appropriate governing authorities to levy taxes on the property of the district so abolished from year to year according to the terms of the indebtedness until same shall be fully paid.

(3) After a local school board is abolished by the State Board of Education, at such time the State Board of Education determines that the impairments are being substantially corrected and the responsibility of the district transformation in such district upon the conclusion of the final scholastic year in which a district has maintained a “C” accountability rating for three (3) consecutive years, the State Board of Education may appoint a new five-member board for the administration of the school district and shall notify the local county board of supervisors and/or municipal governing authority of such appointment, spreading the names of the new school board members on its minutes. The new local school board members shall be residents of the school district. The new local school board members appointed by the State Board of Education may serve in an advisory capacity to the interim superintendent for its first year of service and thereafter shall have full responsibility to administer the school district. Thirty (30) days prior to the end of the first year of office as an advisory board, each member shall draw lots to determine when the members shall rotate off the board as follows: one (1) member shall serve a one-year term of office; one (1) member shall serve a two-year term of office; one (1) member shall serve a three-year term of office; one (1) member shall serve a four-year term of office; and one (1) member shall serve a five-year term of office. At that time, the State Board of Education shall notify the appropriate board of supervisors or municipal governing authority of this action and request them to provide for the election or appointment of school board members at the end of the terms of office in the manner provided by law, in order for the local residents of the school district to select a new school board on a phased-in basis. In such situations, the Governor will set the date of any necessary special election which shall be conducted by the county election commission. During the new school board's first two (2) years administering the school district, the interim superintendent shall continue to serve alongside the school board. The State Board of Education shall request the new school board to provide for the appointment of a superintendent to govern the reconstituted or reorganized school district one (1) year after the new school board's first year of administering the school district. The new superintendent shall serve as deputy to the interim superintendent while the interim superintendent is assigned to the district. A board member or superintendent in office at the time the Governor declares a state of emergency in a school district, or when the State Board of Education places a school district into a District of Transformation due to academic or financial reasons, shall not be eligible to serve in the office of school board member or superintendent for the school district reconstituted or reorganized following the district transformation period.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-15 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 144-15
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-15
Status: in_force

Medical and osteopathic students in the program must enter family medicine or other generalist residency programs according to their choice of specialty. Depending upon the availability of funds, students who successfully enter residency programs which have been approved by the commission may receive further financial support from the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program subject to applicable rules and policies of the commission. All funding for financial support from the commission to participants during their residency must be disbursed in accordance with applicable regulations.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-53 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 141-53
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-141-53
Status: in_force

(1) Applications for financial assistance shall be made to the University Research Center.

(2) Applicants may request up to seventy-five percent (75%) of the total projects cost. The applicant shall provide at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the total cost, twelve and one-half percent (12- 1 / 2 %) of which may be in in-kind funding.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-467 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / Section 29-467
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-467
Status: in_force

The Copiah-Lincoln Junior College District is charged with the responsibility for providing preprofessional courses, liberal arts, technical, vocational and adult education courses, and shall undertake to provide the same as conveniently as is possible to the residents of the district, and to this end the board of trustees is authorized and empowered to transport such students as, in its discretion, should be transported in the best interest of the district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-409 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 7-409
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-409
Status: in_force

(1) When any school districts shall be authorized to unite, join and cooperate in the construction, erecting and equipping of a joint school building or school facility or in the joint operation of a school erected, constructed and equipped entirely by one of such districts, any school district so authorized may, with the prior consent and approval of the State Board of Education, expend in the construction, erecting and equipping of such joint school building or the school building which is to be jointly operated any available state public school building funds, or any available funds derived from bonds issued by such school district for such purpose, or any other funds which are otherwise available to such school district for such purpose, as is set forth and stipulated in the agreement entered into between the school districts involved. Except as is herein specifically provided all provisions of law relative to the construction, erecting and equipping of school buildings, the acquisition of land therefor, and the expenditure of funds for such purposes, shall be fully applicable to any joint school building which has been or is to be constructed, erected and equipped or which is to be operated jointly pursuant to an agreement entered into under the provisions of Section 37-7-405 .

(2) When a contract is made and entered into for the construction, erecting and equipping of joint school facilities or the joint operation of school facilities erected, constructed and equipped entirely by one of such districts, as provided in Section 37-7-405 , and where such contract has been approved by the State Board of Education, then any funds which are available for the lawful operating and incidental expenses of a school district may be expended by such school district as provided and stipulated in the agreement entered into between the school districts involved (including, but not limited to, funds for payment of tuition, funds payable as a rental upon the use of the building and equipment, and funds for maintenance and incidental costs of operation). The levying authority for the school district, as defined in Section 37-57-1 , upon receipt of a certified copy of an order adopted by the school board of the school district in the county requesting same, shall at the same time and in the same manner as other ad valorem taxes are levied, levy an annual tax in the amount fixed in such order as may be required to meet any monetary obligation incurred under such contract. Notwithstanding any statute to the contrary, such number of mills as is necessary to defray any such contractual obligation shall be levied. However, this provision shall in no way be construed to increase the number of mills now reimbursable under the homestead exemption laws of the State of Mississippi.

(3) Before levying any taxes under the provisions of this section, which levy would exceed the limitations otherwise provided for school purposes, the levying authority for the school district, as defined in Section 37-57-1 , shall adopt a resolution declaring its intention so to do, stating the amount of millage to be levied and the purpose for which the proceeds are to be used, and the date upon which it proposes to make such levy. Such resolution shall be published once a week for not less than three (3) consecutive weeks, in at least one (1) newspaper having general circulation in the school district. The first publication of such resolution shall be made not less than twenty-one (21) days prior to the date fixed in such resolution for the levying of taxes, and the last publication shall be made not more than seven (7) days prior to such date. If within fifteen (15) days after the final publication of said resolution, a petition signed by the lesser of fifteen hundred (1500) or twenty percent (20%) of the qualified electors of said school district, requesting an election on the proposition of levying such additional taxes for school purposes is filed with the clerk of the board of supervisors or the clerk of the municipality, as the case may be, such levy shall not be made until an election shall be held to determine whether or not three-fifths ( 3 / 5 ) of qualified electors of said school district shall favor the additional levy for school purposes. If three-fifths ( 3 / 5 ) of the qualified electors of said school district voting in such election approves the levying of the additional taxes, then the levy shall be made within the manner, form and time as required by law. If no such petition is filed with the clerk as herein provided, then said levy shall be made by the levying authority in the manner, form and time as required by law. If any election is held under the provisions of this section, said election shall be under the supervision of the county or municipal election commission, as the case may be, in the manner, form and time as required by law for conducting general elections in this state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-132-5 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 4 / Section 132-5
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-132-5
Status: in_force

A student teacher or intern under the supervision of a certificated teacher, principal, or other administrator shall have the protection of the laws accorded the certificated teacher, principal, or other administrator, and shall, while acting as such student teacher or intern, comply with all rules and regulations of the local board of education and observe all duties assigned certificated teachers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-47 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 47-47
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-47-47
Status: in_force

All state school bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter shall be sold by the said state bond commission upon sealed competitive bids or proposals after advertisement therefor and publication of the notice of such sale in the manner provided by law.

The proceeds of the sale of all state school bonds shall be placed in the “state public school building fund” and shall be expended only for the purposes authorized by this chapter. However, the premium, if any, received for any such bonds and the accrued interest paid thereon, if any, shall be placed in the sinking fund established for the payment of said bonds.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-163 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / 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. § 37-31-9 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 31-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-31-9
Status: in_force

The state treasurer is hereby designated and appointed custodian of all moneys received by the state from the appropriations made by the “Smith-Hughes Act,” and he is authorized to receive and to provide for the proper custody of the same, and to make disbursements thereof in the manner provided for in said act and for the purposes therein specified. He shall also pay out any moneys appropriated by the State of Mississippi for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of Sections 37-31-1 through 37-31-15 upon the order of the state board of education.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-161-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 161-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-161-3
Status: in_force

(1) The Legislature finds and declares the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(10) Enrollment in the Mississippi Virtual Public School shall be free of charge to students. The costs associated with the operations of the virtual school must be shared by the State Department of Education, subject to appropriation, and/or the local school districts. Once the State Department of Education appropriation and the local school district budgeted funds for Mississippi Virtual Public School have been expended and students choose to enroll in online courses, the costs of the online courses may be the responsibility of the students' parents or guardians.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-135 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 13 / 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. § 37-155-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 155-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-3
Status: in_force

The Legislature hereby finds and declares as follows:

(a) Tuition and required fees at institutions of higher education are difficult for many to afford and difficult to predict. As a result, the ability of individuals and families to plan for future educational expenses has been adversely affected.

(b) It is in the best interest of the citizens of this state to foster higher education in order to provide well-educated citizens.

(c) It is in the best interest of the citizens of this state to encourage state residents to enroll in institutions of higher education.

(d) Providing a mechanism to help assure the higher education of the citizens of this state is necessary and desirable for the public health, safety and welfare.

(e) The purposes of this article are to:

(i) Provide wide and affordable access to the public institutions of higher education for the residents of this state.

(ii) Encourage attendance at institutions of higher education and help individuals plan for educational expenses.

(iii) Provide a program for the advance purchase of tuition and required fees as both a means and an incentive for the citizens of this state to provide for future higher education expenses.

(iv) Provide a program through which many of the costs associated with postsecondary attendance may be paid in advance and fixed at a guaranteed level for the duration of the undergraduate enrollment.

(v) Provide for the creation of a trust fund, as an agency and instrumentality of the State of Mississippi, to assist qualified students in financing a portion of the cost of attending institutions of higher education in the State of Mississippi.

(vi) Encourage timely financial planning for higher education by the creation of prepaid tuition contracts.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-69 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 29-69
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-29-69
Status: in_force

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

Two (2) or more boards of trustees may cooperate in establishing, operating and maintaining attendance centers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-104.4 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 6 / Section 7-104.4
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-7-104.4
Status: in_force

(1) In Montgomery County, Mississippi, in which are located, as of January 1, 2016, two (2) school districts, there shall be an administrative consolidation of all of those school districts in the county into one (1) new countywide municipal separate school district to be designated as Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District which shall consist of the territory of the former Montgomery County School District and the Winona Municipal Separate School District, effective on July 1, 2018. At such time that the administrative consolidation becomes effective, the central administrative office of the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District shall be located in Winona, Mississippi.

(2) As soon as practicable, a financial advisor and/or other facilitator with school district experience may be assigned by the Mississippi Department of Education to oversee the budgeting and financial matters relating to the consolidation of the districts slated for consolidation. The financial advisor and/or facilitator may, at the discretion of the Mississippi Department of Education, continue duties for one (1) year after the consolidation to ensure that all financial matters are in place. All financial expenditures of districts that are closing must be approved by the financial advisor and/or facilitator. If the superintendent and/or school board approves expenditures outside of this approval, they shall be personally liable for the excess expenditures. The State Board of Education shall determine the compensation to be paid to the financial advisor and/or facilitator which shall be paid by the local school district to which the financial advisor and/or facilitator is assigned.

(3)(a) On or before September 1, 2017, the State Board of Education shall serve the local school board of the Winona Municipal Separate School District and the local school board of the Montgomery County School District with notice and instructions regarding the timetable for action to be taken to comply with the administrative consolidation required in this section.

(b) The members of the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District Board of Trustees serving on July 1, 2020, shall continue to serve until January 1, 2021, when the membership shall be reconstituted as follows: On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2020, a special election shall be held in Montgomery County for the purpose of electing a new board of trustees of such district, which shall be elected from the Supervisors Districts of Montgomery County. At said election the member of the said board from District One shall be elected for a term of one (1) year, the member from District Two shall be elected for a term of two (2) years, the member from District Three shall be elected for a term of three (3) years, the member from District Four shall be elected for a term of four (4) years, and the member from District Five shall be elected for a term of five (5) years. Thereafter, members shall be elected at special elections as vacancies occur for terms of five (5) years each. All members shall reside in the supervisors district which the member represents, and shall take office on the first Monday of January following the date of their election. All trustees of said school district shall otherwise be elected as provided for in Sections 37-7-223 through 37-7-229, Mississippi Code of 1972 . All vacancies which may occur during a term shall be filled by appointment of the consolidated school district trustees from the qualified electors of the district in which the vacancy occurs. However, the person so appointed shall serve only until the next general election following such appointment, at which time a person shall be elected for the remainder of the unexpired term at the same time and in the same manner as a trustee is elected for the full term then expiring and the person so elected to the unexpired term shall take office immediately. Any school board member of the former school districts residing in the proper territory shall be eligible for appointment or election to the new Board of Trustees for Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District.

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

(4)(a) On July 1, 2018, following the motion of the State Board of Education to consolidate school districts in Montgomery County, the Montgomery County School District shall be abolished. All real and personal property which is owned or titled in the name of the school district located in such former school district shall be transferred to the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District as of July 1, 2018.

(b) The new board of trustees of the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District shall be responsible for establishing the contracts for operations, teachers, principals, clerical and administrative staff personnel for the 2018-2019 school year and each school year thereafter.

(c) The Superintendent of the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District shall be appointed by the board and is authorized to appoint an assistant superintendent, but in no instance shall the administrative leadership of the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District exceed three (3) assistant superintendents to be appointed by the Superintendent of the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District.

(d) It shall be the responsibility of the board of trustees to prepare and approve the budget of the respective new reorganized district, and the board of trustees may use staff from the former school district to prepare the budget. Any transfer of the assets, real or personal property of the Montgomery County School District mandated by this section shall be final and conclusive for the purposes of the transfer of property required by this section to effectuate the administrative consolidation.

(e) Any person or school district aggrieved by an order of the successor newly selected Board of Trustees of the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District pursuant to the required administrative consolidation may appeal therefrom within ten (10) days from the date of the adjournment of the meeting at which such order is entered. The appeal shall be taken in the same manner as appeals are taken from judgments or decisions of the board of supervisors as provided in Section 11-51-75 , the provisions of which shall be fully applicable to appeals taken hereunder. The Board of Trustees of the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District shall not pass upon or approve or disapprove any such order until the time for an appeal therefrom has expired, nor shall the board pass upon or approve or disapprove any such order from which an appeal is taken until said appeal has been finally determined.

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

(6) The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations to facilitate the administrative consolidation of the school districts in Montgomery County pursuant to the requirements of this section. Beginning with the insurance cafeteria plan year of November 1, 2018, the consolidated districts shall fall under all insurance plans and policies elected by the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District, including the group term life insurance described in Section 25-15-9(7) .

(7) The County Board of Education and the Superintendent of Education of the former Montgomery County School District and the local school board and Superintendent of Schools of the Winona Municipal Separate School District shall cooperate with the State Department of Education, as soon as practicable after July 1, 2016, for the planning and transition of programs, services and alignment of curriculum for the administratively consolidated school districts.

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

(9) One (1) year prior to the date of consolidation, a financial advisor and/or other facilitator with school district experience may be assigned by the Mississippi Department of Education to oversee the budgeting and financial matters relating to the consolidation of the districts slated for consolidation. The financial advisor and/or facilitator may, at the discretion of the Mississippi Department of Education, continue duties for one (1) year after the consolidation to ensure that all financial matters are in place. All financial expenditures of districts that are closing must be approved by the financial advisor and/or facilitator. If the superintendent and/or school board approves expenditures outside of this approval, they shall be personally liable for the excess expenditures. The State Board of Education shall determine the compensation to be paid to the financial advisor and/or facilitator which shall be paid by the local school district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-6 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 13-6
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-13-6
Status: in_force

(1) The flag of the United States shall be displayed in close proximity to the school building, on a proper staff, at all times during the hours of daylight when the school is in session when the weather will permit without damage to the flag. In addition, the flag of the United States shall be displayed in each classroom and in each principal room of the school building at all times while school is in session. It shall be the duty of the school boards of each school district to provide for the flags, proper flag staffs and their proper display. Each school district shall provide student instruction in the proper etiquette toward, correct display of, and respect for the flag, and in patriotic exercises. The instruction shall be a part of the district's fifth grade social studies curriculum or history curriculum, with the assistance of the State Department of Education.

(2) From and after July 1, 2002, the school boards of all public schools of this state shall require the teachers under their control to have all pupils repeat the oath of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America at the beginning of the first hour of class each day school is in session, such oath of allegiance being as follows:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Any student or teacher who objects to reciting the oath of allegiance shall be excused from participating without penalty.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-144-3 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 11 / 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. § 37-23-191 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 23-191
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-23-191
Status: in_force

Sections 37-23-191 through 37-23-203 may be cited as the “Blind Persons' Literacy Rights and Education Act.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-16 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 173-16
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-173-16
Status: in_force

(1) Each local school district shall make an initial determination of whether a student diagnosed with dyslexia meets the eligibility criteria under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to have an Individualized Education Program developed and to receive services. If a student's diagnosis of dyslexia does not result in an IDEA eligibility determination then the district must proceed with their process for determining if the student is eligible for a 504 Plan under the Rehabilitation Act based on the presumption that proficiency in spelling, reading and writing are essential for the student to achieve appropriate educational progress. Each local school district shall develop interventions and strategies to address the needs of those students diagnosed with dyslexia which provide the necessary accommodations to enable the student to achieve appropriate educational progress. The interventions and strategies developed shall include, but not be limited to, the use of the 3-Tier Instructional Model and the utilization of provisions of the IDEA and 504 Plan to address those needs.

(2) The State Department of Education shall require public school districts to conduct four (4) hours of in-service training in dyslexia and related disorder awareness education every three (3) years for all licensed educators and paraprofessionals responsible for instruction. Standard 1 and Standard 2 of the International Dyslexia Association's “Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading” 2018 Edition shall be the minimum content used for the dyslexia training. Additional content of the trainings shall also include the indicators and characteristics, screening processes, evidence-based interventions and accommodations for students with dyslexia and other related disorders. The training, which may be provided through live in-person instruction, online course instruction or through a prerecorded video presentation, shall be delivered by an individual who holds a State Department of Education License No. 203 in Dyslexia Therapy and a national certificate as a Certified Academic Language Therapist.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-101 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 14 / Section 33-101
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-101
Status: in_force

In addition to the authority now vested in the State Department of Rehabilitation Services, it may establish and operate by any means, including incorporation under the nonprofit laws of this state, a system of community rehabilitation programs in the several counties of the state for the general purposes of training, rehabilitating, retraining and developing individuals with disabilities to become more productive citizens, including, but not limited to training and job coaching, in order to obtain the maximum degree of independent living.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-23 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 12 / Section 33-23
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-33-23
Status: in_force

Vocational rehabilitation services may be provided to any eligible individuals with disabilities who are present in the state at the time of filing an application therefor and whose vocational rehabilitation, the director determines after full investigation, can be satisfactorily achieved.

Except as otherwise provided by law or as specified in any agreement with the federal government with respect to classes of individuals certified to the state board under that agreement, the following rehabilitation services may be provided to eligible individuals with disabilities found to require vocational rehabilitation services to achieve an employment outcome:

(a) Physical restoration;

(b) Transportation for vocational rehabilitation services to the nature and extent of the services necessary;

(c) Occupational licenses;

(d) Placement equipment, tools, and supplies;

(e) Maintenance;

(f) Training books and materials.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-111 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 5 / Section 155-111
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-155-111
Status: in_force

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(8) The assets of the MACS Trust Fund shall be preserved, invested and expended solely pursuant to and for the purposes of this article and shall not be loaned or otherwise transferred or used by the state for any other purpose.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-109 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 1 / Section 59-109
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-59-109
Status: in_force

If the school district on whose behalf money is to be borrowed under the provisions of this article shall lie in two (2) or more counties, said school board shall take all steps required by this article in the issuance of the negotiable notes or certificates of indebtedness of the district without regard to county lines. The negotiable notes or certificates of indebtedness shall be general obligations of the entire school district without regard to county lines and shall constitute a lien upon all of the taxable property thereof.

The board of supervisors of the county which furnishes the largest assessed valuation of the property in the district shall annually certify to the board of supervisors of each county in which the district is located the amount of the annual tax levy required for the payment of the principal of and interest upon said notes or certificates of indebtedness, and each such board of supervisors shall annually levy such tax at the same time and in the same manner as other taxes are levied by such board in the amount so fixed. The taxes so levied shall be collected by the tax collector of each county in the same manner as other taxes are collected and shall be remitted to the school district depository. Such school district depository shall deposit said funds to the credit of the special fund provided for in Section 37-59-107 for the payment of the principal of and interest upon such notes or certificates of indebtedness.
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-89 — MS Code / Title 37 / Chapter 9 / Section 151-89
Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-89
Status: in_force

The minimum base pay for all classroom teachers may be increased by the district from any funds available to it.