State Board of Education; require to develop curriculum and implement programs of conflict resolution.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 174

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-11-54, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP THE CURRICULUM 2
AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEER MEDIATION 3
TO BE USED BY LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE 4
CURRICULUM DEVELOPED FOR USE SHALL BE AGE AND GRADE APPROPRIATE; 5
TO REQUIRE PROGRAMS OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEER MEDIATION IN 6
FAILING DISTRICTS TO BE SUPERVISED BY THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER 7
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHER DISTRICT PERSONNEL TO COMBAT VIOLENCE 8
AND BULLYING; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROGRAM OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION 9
SHALL PROVIDE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS WITH ALTERNATIVES TO HANDLING 10
STUDENT DISCIPLINARY MATTERS; TO AMEND SECTION 37-11-53, 11
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ALLOW ANY 12
PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT WHO HAS NEVER BEEN SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY 13
ACTION WHO COMMITS AN ACT OR ENGAGES IN CONDUCT FOR WHICH THE 14
STUDENT OTHERWISE WOULD BE SUSPENDED OR EXPELLED UNDER THE SCHOOL 15
DISTRICT'S DISCIPLINE PLAN, AT THE ELECTION OF THE STUDENT, TO 16
PARTICIPATE IN A COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO 17
SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION; TO PROVIDE THAT WHILE PARTICIPATING IN 18
THE PROGRAM, THE STUDENT SHALL RECEIVE YOUTH PEER COUNSELING 19
DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT; TO AMEND SECTIONS 20
37-3-82 AND 37-3-83, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY TO 21
THE PRECEDING PROVISIONS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 37-7-321, 22
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS; 23
AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 24
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 25
SECTION 1. Section 37-11-54, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 26
amended as follows: 27
37-11-54. (1) The State Board of Education shall develop 28
a * * * conflict resolution and mediation * * * program and * * * 29
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curriculum that are developed from evidence-based practices and 30
positive behavioral intervention supports to address responsible 31
decision making, the causes and effects of school violence and 32
harassment, cultural diversity, and nonviolent methods for 33
resolving conflict, including peer mediation, * * * which 34
shall * * * be age- and grade-appropriate and incorporated into 35
the instructional curriculum of each school district before the 36
beginning of the * * * 2026-2027 school year. All "D" and "F" 37
rated school districts shall be required to participate in this 38
program. In addition, local school boards shall incorporate 39
evidence-based practices and positive behavioral intervention 40
supports into individual school district policies and Codes of 41
Conduct. In developing this * * * program and curriculum, the 42
State Board of Education shall emphasize materials, models and 43
curricula that currently are being used in Mississippi public 44
schools * * * that * * * it determines to be effective. In 45
developing the curriculum to be used by school districts the State 46
Board of Education shall include at least one (1) model that 47
includes instruction and guidance for * * * peer mediation 48
programs and one (1) model that provides instruction and guidance 49
for teachers concerning the integration of conflict resolution and 50
mediation lessons into the existing classroom curriculum. 51
(2) In each school district designated as failing as 52
determined by an accountability rating of "D" or "F," the program 53
of conflict resolution shall be under the direct supervision of 54
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the school resource officer, who shall be assisted by a licensed 55
teacher and professional school counselor in implementing conflict 56
resolution and peer mediation practices which are aligned to the 57
adopted curriculum and the district's Code of Conduct to combat 58
violence and bullying. 59
(3) The processes of conflict resolution and peer mediation 60
required to be incorporated into the curriculum of each school 61
district shall also provide school administrative personnel with 62
alternative methods for disciplinary actions taken against 63
students who are disruptive to the educational environment, 64
including in-school suspension, temporary alternative school 65
placement and community services as an alternative to suspension. 66
SECTION 2. Section 37-11-53, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 67
amended as follows: 68
37-11-53. (1) A copy of the school district's discipline 69
plan shall be distributed to each student enrolled in the 70
district, and the parents, guardian or custodian of * * * each 71
student shall sign a statement verifying that they have been given 72
notice of the discipline policies of their respective school 73
district. The school board shall have its official discipline 74
plan and code of student conduct legally audited on an annual 75
basis to ensure that its policies and procedures are currently in 76
compliance with applicable statutes, case law and state and 77
federal constitutional provisions. * * * The provisions of this 78
section, Section 37-11-55 and Section 37-11-18.1 shall be fully 79
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incorporated into the school district's discipline plan and code 80
of student conduct. 81
(2) All discipline plans of school districts shall include, 82
but not be limited to, the following: 83
(a) A parent, guardian or custodian of a 84
compulsory-school-age child enrolled in a public school district 85
shall be responsible financially for his or her minor child's 86
destructive acts against school property or persons; 87
(b) A parent, guardian or custodian of a 88
compulsory-school-age child enrolled in a public school district 89
may be requested to appear at school by the school attendance 90
officer or an appropriate school official for a conference 91
regarding acts of the child specified in paragraph (a) of this 92
subsection, or for any other discipline conference regarding the 93
acts of the child; 94
(c) Any parent, guardian or custodian of a 95
compulsory-school-age child enrolled in a school district who 96
refuses or willfully fails to attend * * * the discipline 97
conference specified in paragraph (b) of this * * * subsection may 98
be summoned by proper notification by the local superintendent of 99
schools or the school attendance officer and be required to 100
attend * * * the discipline conference; and 101
(d) A parent, guardian or custodian of a 102
compulsory-school-age child enrolled in a public school district 103
shall be responsible for any criminal fines brought against * * * 104
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the student for unlawful activity occurring on school grounds or 105
buses. 106
(3) Any parent, guardian or custodian of a 107
compulsory-school-age child who (a) fails to attend a discipline 108
conference to which * * * the parent, guardian or custodian has 109
been summoned under * * * this section, or (b) refuses or 110
willfully fails to perform any other duties imposed upon him or 111
her under * * * this section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor 112
and, upon conviction, shall be fined an amount not to exceed Two 113
Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00). 114
(4) Any public school district shall be entitled to recover 115
damages in an amount not to exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars 116
($20,000.00), plus necessary court costs, from the parents of any 117
minor under the age of eighteen (18) years and over the age of six 118
(6) years, who maliciously and willfully damages or destroys 119
property belonging to * * * that school district. However, this 120
section shall not apply to parents whose parental control of * * * 121
their child has been removed by court order or decree. The action 122
authorized in this * * * subsection shall be in addition to all 123
other actions * * * that the school district is entitled to 124
maintain and nothing in this section shall preclude recovery in a 125
greater amount from the minor or from a person, including the 126
parents, for damages * * * for which * * * the minor or other 127
person would otherwise be liable. 128
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(5) A school district's discipline plan may provide that as 129
an alternative to suspension, a student may remain in school by 130
having the parent, guardian or custodian, with the consent of the 131
student's teacher or teachers, attend class with the student for a 132
period of time specifically agreed upon by the reporting teacher 133
and school principal. If the parent, guardian or custodian does 134
not agree to attend class with the student or fails to attend 135
class with the student, the student shall be suspended in 136
accordance with the code of student conduct and discipline 137
policies of the school district. 138
(6) If a student who has never been subject to disciplinary 139
action commits an act or engages in conduct for which the student 140
otherwise would be suspended or expelled under the school 141
district's discipline plan, as an alternative to suspension or 142
expulsion, the student may be permitted, at the election of the 143
student, to participate in a community service program of at least 144
forty (40) hours in duration supervised by the school district or 145
a nonprofit organization that has a collaborative relationship 146
with the school district. While participating in the program, the 147
student may receive youth peer counseling deemed appropriate by 148
the school district. 149
SECTION 3. Section 37-3-82, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 150
amended as follows: 151
37-3-82. (1) There is hereby established the Mississippi 152
Community Oriented Policing Services in Schools (MCOPS) grant 153
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program in the State Department of Education to provide funding, 154
pursuant to specific appropriation by the Legislature therefor, to 155
assist law enforcement agencies in providing additional School 156
Resource Officers to engage in community policing in and around 157
primary and secondary schools. The MCOPS program shall authorize 158
the State Department of Education to make grants to increase 159
deployment of law enforcement officers in order (a) to increase or 160
enhance community policing in this state, (b) that trained, sworn 161
enforcement officers assigned to schools play an integral part in 162
the development and/or enhancement of a comprehensive school 163
safety plan, and (c) that the presence of these officers shall 164
provide schools with a direct link to local law enforcement 165
agencies. 166
(2) The MCOPS program shall meet the following requirements 167
and standards: 168
(a) This program shall provide an incentive for law 169
enforcement agencies to build collaborative partnerships with the 170
school community and to use community policing efforts to combat 171
school violence and implement educational programs to improve 172
student and school safety. 173
(b) The additional School Resource Officers must devote 174
at least seventy-five percent (75%) of their time to work in and 175
around primary and secondary schools, in addition to the time that 176
School Resource Officers are devoting in the absence of the MCOPS 177
in Schools grant. 178
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(c) Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, the MCOPS 179
in Schools program shall provide a minimum state contribution of 180
up to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) per officer position over 181
the one-year grant period, to be matched from local funds on a 182
50/50 matching basis. Officers paid with MCOPS funds may be 183
employed by the local law enforcement agency or by the local 184
school district. MCOPS funds may be used to pay for entry-level 185
salaries and benefits of newly trained additional School Resource 186
Officers and may be used to pay the salaries and benefits of 187
School Resource Officers employed prior to July 1, 2013. All 188
jurisdictions that apply must demonstrate that they have primary 189
law enforcement authority over the school(s) identified in their 190
application and demonstrate their inability to implement this 191
project without state assistance. Schools or law enforcement 192
agencies may not reduce its overall federal, state, locally funded 193
level of sworn officers (including other School Resource Officers 194
or other sworn officers assigned to the schools) as a result of 195
applying for or receiving MCOPS in Schools grant funding. MCOPS 196
in Schools funding may be used to rehire sworn officers previously 197
employed who have been laid off for financial reasons unrelated to 198
the availability of the MCOPS in Schools grant, but must obtain 199
prior written approval from the State Department of Education. 200
MCOPS in Schools funding may be used to train school resource 201
officers. In order to be eligible for such program, each local 202
school board desiring to participate shall apply to the State 203
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Department of Education by May 31 before the beginning of the 204
applicable fiscal year on forms provided by the department. The 205
State Department of Education shall determine by July 1 of each 206
succeeding year which local school districts have submitted 207
approved applications for School Resource Officer funding. 208
(d) School Resource Officers (SROs) may serve in a 209
variety of roles, including, but not limited to, that of a law 210
enforcement officer/safety specialist, law-related educator, 211
conflict resolution/peer mediation supervisor and 212
problem-solver/community liaison. These officers may teach 213
programs such as crime prevention, substance abuse prevention, and 214
gang resistance as well as monitor and assist troubled students 215
through mentoring programs. The School Resource Officer(s) may 216
also identify physical changes in the environment that may reduce 217
crime in and around the schools, as well as assist in developing 218
school policies which address criminal activity and school safety. 219
The application must also include a Memorandum of Understanding 220
(MOU), signed by the law enforcement executive and the appropriate 221
school official(s), to document the roles and responsibilities to 222
be undertaken by the law enforcement agency and the educational 223
school partner(s) through this collaborative effort. The 224
application must also include a Narrative Addendum to document 225
that the School Resource Officer(s) will be assigned to work in 226
and around primary or secondary schools and provide supporting 227
documentation in the following areas: problem identification and 228
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justification, community policing strategies to be used by the 229
officers, quality and level of commitment to the effort, and the 230
link to community policing. 231
(e) All agencies receiving awards through the MCOPS in 232
Schools program are required to send the School Resource Officer 233
position(s) funded by this grant, to the Mississippi Law 234
Enforcement Officers' Training Academy where they shall be 235
required to participate in training through the Advanced Law 236
Enforcement Rapid Response Training Program at the academy, with 237
the cost to be defrayed from the MCOPS program. The MCOPS Office 238
of the State Department of Education will reimburse grantees for 239
training, per diem, travel, and lodging costs for attendance of 240
required participants up to a maximum of One Thousand Two Hundred 241
Dollars ($1,200.00) per person attending. Applicants receiving an 242
MCOPS in Schools grant, will receive additional training 243
information following notification of the grant award. The MCOPS 244
in Schools training requirement must be completed prior to the end 245
of twelve-month grant funding for officer positions. 246
(3) The State Department of Education shall promulgate rules 247
and regulations prescribing procedures for the application, 248
expenditure requirements and the administration of the Mississippi 249
Community Oriented Policing Services in Schools (MCOPS) program 250
established in this section, and shall make a report on the 251
implementation of the MCOPS program with any recommendations to 252
the 2020 Regular Session of the Legislature. 253
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SECTION 4. Section 37-3-83, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 254
amended as follows: 255
37-3-83. (1) There is established within the State 256
Department of Education, using only existing staff and resources, 257
a School Safety Grant Program, available to all eligible public 258
school districts, to assist in financing programs to provide 259
school safety. However, no monies from the Temporary Assistance 260
for Needy Families grant may be used for the School Safety Grant 261
Program. 262
(2) The school board of each school district, with the 263
assistance of the State Department of Education School Safety 264
Center, shall adopt a comprehensive local school district school 265
safety plan and shall update the plan on an annual basis. 266
(3) Subject to the extent of appropriations available, the 267
School Safety Grant Program shall offer any of the following 268
specific preventive services, and other additional services 269
appropriate to the most current school district school safety 270
plan: 271
(a) Metal detectors; 272
(b) Video surveillance cameras, communications 273
equipment and monitoring equipment for classrooms, school 274
buildings, school grounds and school buses; 275
(c) Crisis management/action teams responding to school 276
violence; 277
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(d) Violence prevention training, conflict resolution 278
training, behavioral stress training, peer mediation training, 279
anti-bullying training and other appropriate training designated 280
by the State Department of Education for faculty and staff; and 281
(e) School safety personnel. 282
(4) Each local school district of this state may annually 283
apply for school safety grant funds subject to appropriations by 284
the Legislature. School safety grants shall include a base grant 285
amount plus an additional amount per student in net enrollment in 286
the school or school district. The base grant amount and amount 287
per student shall be determined by the State Board of Education, 288
subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature. In 289
order to be eligible for such program, each local school board 290
desiring to participate shall apply to the State Department of 291
Education by May 31 before the beginning of the applicable fiscal 292
year on forms provided by the department, and shall be required to 293
establish a local School Safety Task Force to involve members of 294
the community in the school safety effort. The State Department 295
of Education shall determine by July 1 of each succeeding year 296
which local school districts have submitted approved applications 297
for school safety grants. 298
(5) As part of the School Safety Grant Program, the State 299
Department of Education may conduct a pilot program to research 300
the feasibility of using video camera equipment in the classroom 301
to address the following: 302
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(a) Determine if video cameras in the classroom reduce 303
student disciplinary problems; 304
(b) Enable teachers to present clear and convincing 305
evidence of a student's disruptive behavior to the student, the 306
principal, the superintendent and the student's parents; and 307
(c) Enable teachers to review teaching performance and 308
receive diagnostic feedback for developmental purposes. 309
(6) Any local school district may use 310
audio/visual-monitoring equipment in classrooms, hallways, 311
buildings, grounds and buses for the purpose of monitoring school 312
disciplinary problems. 313
(7) As a component of the comprehensive local school 314
district school safety plan required under subsection (2) of this 315
section, the school board of a school district may adopt and 316
implement a policy addressing sexual abuse of children, to be 317
known as "Erin's Law Awareness." Any policy adopted under this 318
subsection may include or address, but need not be limited to, the 319
following: 320
(a) Methods for increasing teacher, student and 321
parental awareness of issues regarding sexual abuse of children, 322
including knowledge of likely warning signs indicating that a 323
child may be a victim of sexual abuse; 324
(b) Educational information for parents or guardians, 325
which may be included in the school handbook, on the warning signs 326
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of a child being abused, along with any needed assistance, 327
referral or resource information; 328
(c) Training for school personnel on child sexual 329
abuse; 330
(d) Age-appropriate curriculum for students in 331
prekindergarten through fifth grade; 332
(e) Actions that a child who is a victim of sexual 333
abuse should take to obtain assistance and intervention; 334
(f) Counseling and resources available for students 335
affected by sexual abuse; and 336
(g) Emotional and educational support for a child who 337
has been abused to enable the child to be successful in school. 338
(8) As part of the school safety grant program, the State 339
Department of Education shall establish three (3) pilot programs 340
in six (6) school districts utilizing an evidence-based curriculum 341
to provide students in Grades K-5 with skills to manage stress and 342
anxiety in order for them to be better equipped to handle 343
challenges in a healthy way and build resiliency. The Mississippi 344
Department of Mental Health shall be responsible for the selection 345
of the content of the evidence-based curriculum. The results of 346
this pilot program shall be measured and reported, and such 347
results shall be used in consideration of the implementation of 348
this curriculum statewide. 349
(9) As a component of the comprehensive local school 350
district safety plan required under subsection (2) of this 351
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section, beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, the State 352
Department of Education shall require local school districts to 353
conduct, every two (2) years, refresher training on mental health 354
and suicide prevention for all school employees and personnel, 355
including all cafeteria workers, custodians, teachers and 356
administrators. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health shall 357
be responsible for the development and/or selection of the content 358
of the training, which training shall be provided at no cost to 359
school employees. School districts shall report completion of the 360
training to the State Department of Education. 361
SECTION 5. Section 37-7-321, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 362
brought forward as follows: 363
37-7-321. (1) The school board of any school district 364
within the State of Mississippi, in its discretion, may employ one 365
or more persons as security personnel and may designate such 366
persons as peace officers in or on any property operated for 367
school purposes by such board upon their taking such oath and 368
making such bond as required of a constable of the county in which 369
the school district is situated. 370
(2) Any person employed by a school board as a security 371
guard or school resource officer or in any other position that has 372
the powers of a peace officer must receive a minimum level of 373
basic law enforcement training, as jointly determined and 374
prescribed by the Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and 375
Training and the State Board of Education, within two (2) years of 376
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ST: State Board of Education; require to
develop curriculum and implement programs of
conflict resolution.
the person's initial employment in such position. Upon the 377
failure of any person employed in such position to receive the 378
required training within the designated time, the person may not 379
exercise the powers of a peace officer in or on the property of 380
the school district. 381
(3) The school board is authorized and empowered, in its 382
discretion, and subject to the approval of the Federal 383
Communications Commission, to install and operate a noncommercial 384
radio broadcasting and transmission station for educational and 385
vocational educational purposes. 386
(4) If a law enforcement officer is duly appointed to be a 387
peace officer by a school district under this section, the local 388
school board may enter into an interlocal agreement with other law 389
enforcement entities for the provision of equipment or traffic 390
control duties, however, the duty to enforce traffic regulations 391
and to enforce the laws of the state or municipality off of school 392
property lies with the local police or sheriff's department which 393
cannot withhold its services solely because of the lack of such an 394
agreement. 395
SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from 396
and after July 1, 2026. 397