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HB1217 • 2026

School business officers; establish mentorship program for.

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS IN MISSISSIPPI TO FACILITATE KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE, IMPROVE PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS, AND ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SCHOOL FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT; TO PROVIDE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM BY THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS; TO SET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES FOR MENTORS AND MENTEES; TO PROVIDE FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION AND ANNUAL REPORTING; TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS TO CONDUCT ANNUAL WORKSHOPS FOR ALL MENTORS TO DEFINE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE MENTORING PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Education
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
McCarty
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so the program was never established.

School Business Officers Mentorship Program

This bill establishes a mentorship program for school business officials to improve their skills and knowledge in managing school finances and operations.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates the School Business Officials Mentorship Program to help new or less experienced school business officials learn from mentors with at least five years of experience.
  • Sets up guidelines for who can be a mentor (at least five years of experience) and who can be a mentee (new to their position).
  • Requires the Mississippi Department of Education and the Mississippi Association of School Business Officials to run the program together.
  • Establishes that mentors must spend at least 24 hours per year helping their mentees.
  • Recommends annual workshops for mentors to set goals and discuss responsibilities.

Who It Names or Affects

  • School business officials who are new to their roles or need guidance.
  • Experienced school business officials willing to mentor others.
  • The Mississippi Department of Education and the Mississippi Association of School Business Officials, which will run the program.

Terms To Know

Mentor
A school business official with at least five years of experience who helps new or less experienced officials.
Mentee
A school business official who is new to their position and needs guidance from a mentor.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass in the session it was introduced.
  • It does not specify what happens if there are not enough mentors for all mentees.
  • Details about how the program will be funded are not provided.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (H) Referred To Education

Official Summary Text

School business officers; establish mentorship program for.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 1217 *HR26/R2132* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR26/R2132
PAGE 1 (DJ\KW)

To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative McCarty

HOUSE BILL NO. 1217

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL BUSINESS 1
OFFICIALS IN MISSISSIPPI TO FACILITATE KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE, IMPROVE 2
PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS, AND ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY AND 3
EFFECTIVENESS OF SCHOOL FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT; TO 4
PROVIDE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM BY THE MISSISSIPPI 5
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MISSISSIPPI 6
ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS; TO SET ELIGIBILITY 7
REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES FOR MENTORS AND MENTEES; TO PROVIDE 8
FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION AND ANNUAL REPORTING; TO REQUIRE THE 9
MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS TO CONDUCT 10
ANNUAL WORKSHOPS FOR ALL MENTORS TO DEFINE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE 11
MENTORING PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 12
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 13
SECTION 1. There is hereby created the School Business 14
Officers Mentorship Program to support the professional 15
development of school business officials across Mississippi to 16
facilitate the exchange of knowledge, enhance problem-solving 17
skills, and strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of school 18
financial and operational management. 19
SECTION 2. As used in this act, the following terms have the 20
meanings ascribed herein, unless context of use clearly requires 21
otherwise: 22
H. B. No. 1217 *HR26/R2132* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R2132
PAGE 2 (DJ\KW)

(a) "Association" means the Mississippi Association of 23
School Business Officials. 24
(b) "Department" means the State Department of 25
Education. 26
(c) "Mentorship Program" means the Mississippi School 27
Business Officials Mentorship Program established under this act. 28
(d) "Mentor" means a school business official with at 29
least five (5) years of experience, including at least three (3) 30
years in their current position, and actively engaged in 31
supporting the program. 32
(e) "Mentee" means a school business official who is 33
new to their position or requires guidance to enhance their 34
professional skills. 35
SECTION 3. (1) The State Department of Education in 36
association with the Mississippi Association of School Business 37
Officers shall establish and jointly administer the Mississippi 38
School Business Officials Mentorship Program. 39
(2) The program shall: 40
(a) Operate on an annual cycle from July 1 through June 41
30; 42
(b) Match mentees with mentors based on criteria 43
including technical needs, project orientation, district size and 44
geographic location; 45
(c) Require mentors to commit at least twenty-four (24) 46
hours per year to mentoring activities; and 47
H. B. No. 1217 *HR26/R2132* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R2132
PAGE 3 (DJ\KW)

(d) Provide mentees and mentors access to training and 48
program resources. 49
(3) The department shall oversee the development of 50
mentorship guidelines, applications for mentors and mentees, and a 51
reporting system to evaluate program effectiveness. 52
SECTION 4. (1) To qualify as a mentor, an individual must: 53
(a) Have a minimum of five (5) years of experience as a 54
school business official; and 55
(b) Submit an application by April 30 of each year. 56
(2) To qualify as a mentee, an individual must: 57
(a) Be a new school business official or an existing 58
official transitioning to a new role; and 59
(b) Submit an application by May 30 of each year. 60
(3) Participation in the program shall be free of charge for 61
all active members of the program, may consist of mentorship 62
activities that include, but are not limited to, in-person 63
meetings, phone consultations and online communication. 64
(4) The Mississippi Association of School Business Officials 65
shall have one or more workshops annually for all mentors to 66
define the objectives of the mentoring program, review the 67
responsibilities of the mentors, and provide the mentors other 68
information and assistance the department deems necessary. The 69
workshops shall utilize delivery strategies identified as 70
appropriate for staff development and reflect information gathered 71
through feedback from workshop participants. 72
H. B. No. 1217 *HR26/R2132* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R2132
PAGE 4 (DJ\KW)
ST: School business officers; establish
mentorship program for.
(5) Mentorship program participants shall complete 73
evaluations to assess the quality and impact of the mentorship 74
experience. 75
SECTION 5. The State Department of Education shall submit an 76
annual report to the Governor and the Legislature detailing 77
program participation, outcomes and recommendations for 78
improvement. 79
SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from 80
and after July 1, 2026. 81