reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MS Code § 37-28-21 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-21. Initial charter term; charter contract

  The authorizer shall grant an initial charter to each qualified applicant for a term of five (5) operating years. The term of the charter shall commence on the charter school's first day of operation. An approved charter school may delay its opening for one (1) school year in order to plan and prepare for the school's opening. If the school requires an opening delay of more than one (1) school year, the school must request an extension from the authorizer. The authorizer may grant or deny the extension depending on the particular school's circumstances.     The authorizer and the governing board of the approved charter school shall execute a charter contract that clearly sets forth the academic and operational performance expectations and measures by which the charter school will be judged and the administrative relationship between the authorizer and charter school, including each party's rights and duties. The performance expectations and measures set forth in the charter contract must include, but need not be limited to, applicable federal and state accountability requirements. The performance provisions may be refined or amended by mutual agreement after the charter school is operating and has collected baseline achievement data for its enrolled students.   The charter contract must be signed by the chairman of the authorizer board and the president of the charter school's governing board.   A charter school may not commence operations without a charter contract executed in accordance with this section and approved in an open meeting of the authorizer board.     The authorizer may establish reasonable preopening requirements or conditions to monitor the start-up progress of a newly approved charter school and to ensure that the school is prepared to open smoothly on the date agreed and that the school meets all building, health, safety, insurance and other legal requirements before the school's opening.
MS Code § 37-28-25 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-25. Charter school credits to be accepted by another public school upon transfer of student from charter school to public school

 If a student previously enrolled in a charter school enrolls in another public school in this state, the student's new school must accept credits earned by the student in courses or instructional programs at the charter school in a uniform and consistent manner and according to the same criteria that are used to accept academic credits from other public schools.
MS Code § 37-28-27 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-27. School districts required to provide information about charter schools as enrollment option

 A school district must provide or publicize to parents and the general public information about charter schools as an enrollment option within the district to the same extent and through the same means that the district provides and publicizes information about noncharter public schools in the district.
MS Code § 37-28-29 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-29. Charter contract to include performance framework; performance standards used to guide authorizer's charter school evaluations; annual performance targets

  The performance provisions within a charter contract must be based on a performance framework that clearly sets forth the academic and operational performance indicators, measures and metrics that will guide the authorizer's evaluations of the charter school. The performance framework must include indicators, measures and metrics, at a minimum, for the following:   Student academic proficiency;   Student academic growth;   Achievement gaps in both proficiency and growth between major student subgroups;   Attendance;   Recurrent enrollment from year to year;   In-school and out-of-school suspension rates and expulsion rates;   For charter high schools, postsecondary readiness, including the percentage of graduates submitting applications to postsecondary institutions, high school completion, postsecondary admission and postsecondary enrollment or employment;   Financial performance and sustainability; and   Board performance and stewardship, including compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and terms of the charter contract.     The charter contract of each charter school serving Grades 9-12 must include a provision ensuring that graduation requirements meet or exceed those set by the Mississippi Department of Education for a regular high school diploma. Nothing in this section shall preclude competency-based satisfaction of graduation requirements.   Annual performance targets must be set by each charter school in conjunction with the authorizer and must be designed to help each school meet applicable federal, state and authorizer expectations.   The performance framework must allow the inclusion of additional rigorous, valid and reliable indicators proposed by a charter school to augment external evaluations of its performance; however, the authorizer must approve the quality and rigor of any indicators proposed by a charter school, which indicators must be consistent with the purposes of this chapter.   The performance framework must require the disaggregation of all student performance data by major student subgroups (gender, race, poverty status, special education status, English learner status and gifted status).   The authorizer shall collect, analyze and report all data from state assessments in accordance with the performance framework for each charter school. Multiple schools overseen by a single governing board must report their performance as separate, individual schools, and each school must be held independently accountable for its performance.   Information needed by the authorizer from the charter school governing board for the authorizer's reports must be required and included as a material part of the charter contract.
MS Code § 37-28-31 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-31. Annual review of charter school performance and legal compliance; performance report; charter schools to be given opportunity to remedy problems

  The authorizer shall monitor annually the performance and legal compliance of each charter school it oversees, including collecting and analyzing data to support the school's evaluation according to the charter contract. The authorizer may conduct or require oversight activities that enable the authorizer to fulfill its responsibilities under this chapter, including conducting appropriate inquiries and investigations, so long as those activities are consistent with the intent of this chapter, adhere to the terms of the charter contract and do not unduly inhibit the autonomy granted to charter schools.   As part of its annual report to the Legislature, the authorizer shall publish and provide a performance report for each charter school it oversees in accordance with the performance framework set forth in the charter contract. The report must be made available to the public at the same time as it is submitted to the Legislature. The authorizer may require each charter school it oversees to submit an annual report to assist the authorizer in gathering complete information about each school, consistent with the performance framework.   If a charter school's performance or legal compliance is unsatisfactory, the authorizer shall notify promptly the charter school of the problem and provide reasonable opportunity for the school to remedy the problem unless the problem warrants revocation, in which case the revocation timeframes will apply.   The authorizer may take appropriate corrective actions or exercise sanctions in response to apparent deficiencies in a charter school's performance or legal compliance. If warranted, the actions or sanctions may include requiring a charter school to develop and execute a corrective action plan within a specified timeframe.
MS Code § 37-28-35 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-35. Closure of charter; charter school closure protocol; disposition of unspent funds and assets

  Before implementing a charter school closure decision, the authorizer must develop a charter school closure protocol to ensure timely notification to parents, orderly transition of students and student records to new schools, and proper disposition of school funds, property and assets in accordance with the requirements of this chapter. The protocol must specify tasks, timelines and responsible parties, including delineating the respective duties of the school and the authorizer. If a charter school is to be closed for any reason, the authorizer shall oversee and work with the closing school to ensure a smooth and orderly closure and transition for students and parents, as guided by the closure protocol.   If a charter school closes, all unspent government funds, unspent earnings from those funds and assets purchased with government funds must revert to the local school district in which the charter school is located. Unless otherwise provided for in the charter or a debt instrument, unspent funds from nongovernmental sources, unspent earnings from those funds, assets purchased with those funds and debts of the school must revert to the nonprofit entity created to operate the school and may be disposed of according to applicable laws for nonprofit corporations.
MS Code § 37-28-37 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-37. Annual report on status of charter schools to governor and legislature

  Before October 1 of each year, beginning in the year that the state has had at least one (1) charter school operating for a full school year, the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board shall issue to the Governor, Legislature, State Board of Education and the public an annual report on the state's charter schools for the preceding school year. The report must include a comparison of the performance of charter school students with the performance of academically, ethnically and economically comparable groups of students in the school district in which a charter school is located. In addition, the report must include the authorizer's assessment of the successes, challenges and areas for improvement in meeting the purposes of this chapter. The report also must include an assessment on whether the number and size of operating charter schools are sufficient to meet demand, as calculated according to admissions data and the number of students denied enrollment based on lottery results. The report due from the authorizer under this section must be coordinated with reports due from charter school governing boards, as near as possible, to decrease or eliminate duplication.   The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) shall prepare an annual report assessing the sufficiency of funding for charter schools, the efficacy of the state formula for authorizer funding, and any suggested changes in state law or policy necessary to strengthen the state's charter schools.
MS Code § 37-28-39 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-39. Charter school and certain service providers to be nonprofit education organization; charter school to function as local educational agency

  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, to the extent that any provision of this chapter is inconsistent with any other state or local law, rule or regulation, the provisions of this chapter govern and are controlling.   A charter school and any education service provider which provides comprehensive management for a charter school must be a nonprofit education organization.   A charter school is subject to all federal laws and authorities specified in this chapter or agreed upon with the authorizer in the charter contract, where such contracting is consistent with applicable laws, rules and regulations.   To the extent approved by the authorizer, a charter contract may consist of one or more schools. Each charter school that is part of a charter contract must be separate and distinct from any other charter school.   A single governing board may hold one or more charter contracts.   A charter school must function as a local educational agency, and as such, a charter school is responsible for meeting the requirements of local educational agencies under applicable federal laws, including those relating to special education, receipt of funds and compliance with funding requirements. Status as a local educational agency, however, does not preclude a charter school from developing, by mutual agreement or formal contract, links with the local school district for services, resources and programs.
MS Code § 37-28-41 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-41. Charter school powers

 A charter school may exercise those powers necessary for carrying out the terms of its charter contract, including the following powers:   To receive and disburse funds authorized by law for school purposes;   To secure appropriate insurance and to enter into contracts and leases;   To contract with an education service provider for the management and operation of the charter school so long as the school's governing board retains oversight authority over the school;   To solicit and accept any gifts or grants for school purposes subject to applicable laws and the terms of its charter contract;   To acquire real property for use as its facility or facilities, from public or private sources; and   To sue and be sued in its own name.
MS Code § 37-28-43 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-43. Prohibition against discrimination; prohibition against charging tuition; transportation plan; virtual courses

  A charter school may not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, disability, national origin or any other category that would be unlawful if done by a noncharter public school.   A charter school may not engage in any sectarian practices in its educational program, admissions or employment policies or operations.   A charter school may not discriminate against any student on the basis of national origin, minority status or limited proficiency in English. Consistent with federal civil rights laws, charter schools must provide limited English proficient students with appropriate services designed to teach them English and the general curriculum.   A charter school may not charge tuition.   The terms of each charter school must include a transportation plan for students attending the charter school.   Subject to the approval of the authorizer, a charter school may contract with an accredited online course provider for the delivery of virtual courses to students enrolled in the charter school.   Except to the extent authorized under paragraph (c) of Section 37-28-41, the powers, obligations and responsibilities set forth in the charter contract may not be delegated or assigned by either party.
MS Code § 37-28-47 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-47. Qualifications of charter school employees; applicability of Education Employment Procedures Law

    Charter schools must comply with applicable federal laws, rules and regulations regarding the qualification of teachers and other instructional staff. No more than twenty-five percent (25%) of teachers in a charter school may be exempt from state teacher licensure requirements. Administrators of charter schools are exempt from state administrator licensure requirements. However, teachers and administrators must have a bachelor's degree as a minimum requirement, and teachers must have demonstrated subject-matter competency. Within three (3) years of a teacher's employment by a charter school, the teacher must have, at a minimum, alternative licensure approved by the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development.   A charter school may not staff positions for teachers, administrators, ancillary support personnel or other employees by utilizing or otherwise relying on nonimmigrant foreign worker visa programs. However, a charter school may submit a request to the authorizer for an exception allowing the employment of a nonimmigrant foreign worker before the worker is employed. The authorizer may grant permission for the employment of the nonimmigrant foreign worker only if the charter school makes a satisfactory showing of efforts to recruit lawful permanent residents of the United States to fill the position and a lack of qualified applicants to fill the position.     Employees in charter schools must have the same general rights and privileges as other public school employees, except such employees are not:   Covered under the Education Employment Procedures Law (Section 37-9-103); and   Subject to the state salary requirements prescribed in Section 37-19-7.     For the purpose of eligibility for participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, a public charter school is considered to be a political subdivision of the state. Employees in public charter schools are eligible for participation in other benefits programs if the public charter school governing board chooses to participate.
MS Code § 37-28-51 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-51. Charter schools eligible to participate in state- or district-sponsored athletic and academic interscholastic activities

 A charter school is eligible to participate in state-sponsored or district-sponsored athletic and academic interscholastic leagues, competitions, awards, scholarships and recognition programs for students, educators, administrators and schools to the same extent as noncharter public schools.
MS Code § 37-28-53 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-53. Charter schools required to certify enrollment, average daily attendance and certain additional information on annual basis

  Each charter school shall certify annually to the State Department of Education its student enrollment, average daily attendance and student participation in the national school lunch program, special education, vocational education, gifted education, alternative school program and federal programs in the same manner as school districts.   Each charter school shall certify annually to the school board of the school district in which the charter school is located the number of enrolled charter school students residing in the school district.
MS Code § 37-28-57 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-57. Annual financial audit

  A charter school must adhere to generally accepted accounting principles.   A charter school shall have its financial records audited annually, at the end of each fiscal year, either by the State Auditor or by a certified public accountant approved by the State Auditor. However, a certified public accountant may not be selected to perform the annual audit of a charter school if that accountant previously has audited the charter school for more than three (3) consecutive years. Certified public accountants must be selected in a manner determined by the State Auditor. The charter school shall file a copy of each audit report and accompanying management letter with the authorizer before October 1.
MS Code § 37-28-59 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-59. Monies remaining in charter school's accounts at end of budget year to be used during subsequent budget years; authorization to accept gifts, grants, etc.; disclosure of funds from private and foreign sources

  Any monies received by a charter school from any source remaining in the charter school's accounts at the end of a budget year must remain in the charter school's accounts for use by the charter school during subsequent budget years.   Nothing in this chapter may be construed to prohibit any person or organization from providing funding or other assistance to the establishment or operation of a charter school. The governing board of a charter school may accept gifts, donations and grants of any kind made to the charter school and may expend or use such gifts, donations and grants in accordance with the conditions prescribed by the donor; however, a gift, donation or grant may not be accepted if it is subject to a condition that is contrary to any provision of law or term of the charter contract.   A charter school must disclose publicly all sources of private funding and all funds received from foreign sources, including gifts from foreign governments, foreign legal entities and domestic entities affiliated with either foreign governments or foreign legal entities. For the purposes of this subsection, the term "foreign" means a country or jurisdiction outside of any state or territory of the United States.
MS Code § 37-28-61 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 37 - Education|Chapter 28 - Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013|§ 37-28-61. Right of first refusal to purchase vacant public school facilities; public entities authorized to provide space to charters in their facilities under preexisting zoning and land use designations

  A charter school has a right of first refusal to purchase or lease at or below fair market value a closed public school facility or property or unused portions of a public school facility or property in the school district in which the charter school is located if the school district decides to sell or lease the public school facility or property. If a conversion charter school application is successful, the local school district owning the conversion charter school's facility must offer to lease or sell the building to the conversion charter school at or below fair market value.   A charter school may negotiate and contract at or below fair market value with a school district, state institution of higher learning, public community or junior college, or any other public or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for the use of a facility for a school building.   Public entities, including, but not limited to, libraries, community service organizations, museums, performing arts venues, theatres, cinemas, churches, community and junior colleges, colleges and universities, may provide space to charter schools within their facilities under their preexisting zoning and land use designations.