School curriculum; require comprehensive MS History course for public school students in Grade 9.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so the exact content of the course is speculative.

Mississippi History Course for Grade 9 Students

This bill requires public schools to teach a comprehensive Mississippi history course to all ninth-grade students.

What This Bill Does

• Requires public schools to add a Mississippi history course to the curriculum for grade 9 students.
• The course must cover the state's history from its discovery and colonization until today, with particular emphasis on significant political, social, economic, and cultural issues of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that have impacted diverse ethnic and racial populations.

Who It Names or Affects

• Public school students in Grade 9
• Schools and teachers who will need to teach the new course

Terms To Know

Comprehensive Course

A complete and thorough class that covers all important aspects of a subject.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill did not pass, so the course is not currently required.
• It does not specify how schools should create or fund this new class.

Official Summary Text

School curriculum; require comprehensive MS History course for public school students in Grade 9.

Current Bill Text

H. B. No. 157 *HR26/R1256* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR26/R1256
PAGE 1 (DJ\KW)
ST: School curriculum; require comprehensive MS
History course for public school students in
Grade 9.
To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 157

AN ACT TO REQUIRE A COMPREHENSIVE COURSE IN MISSISSIPPI 1
HISTORY TO BE TAUGHT TO ALL STUDENTS IN GRADE 9 IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS; 2
AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 4
SECTION 1. In addition to the curriculum otherwise required 5
by law or the State Board of Education to be taught in the public 6
schools of this state, a comprehensive course in Mississippi 7
History is required for all students in Grade 9. The Mississippi 8
History course must provide students with an examination of the 9
history of the State of Mississippi from the age of discovery and 10
colonization to the present, with particular emphasis on the 11
significant political, social, economic and cultural issues of the 12
nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which have impacted the 13
diverse ethnic and racial populations of the state. 14
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 15
and after July 1, 2026. 16