Mental Health First Aid Training; require for instructional and administrative personnel employed by public school districts.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Creekmore IV

HOUSE BILL NO. 315

AN ACT TO REQUIRE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS TO PROVIDE MENTAL 1
HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING THAT IS EVIDENCE-BASED AND APPROVED BY 2
THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH TO ALL LICENSED AND NONLICENSED 3
INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL AND TO LICENSED ADMINISTRATORS BEFORE THE 4
BEGINNING OF THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR; TO REQUIRE SCHOOL BOARDS 5
TO DEVELOP AND ADOPT A POLICY RELATING TO FREQUENCY OF THE 6
REQUIRED TRAINING; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH TO 7
PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION, WHICH MAY 8
BE USED TO SATISFY THE TRAINING REQUIREMENT; TO BRING FORWARD 9
SECTIONS 37-7-301 AND 37-7-343, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR 10
PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 11
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 12
SECTION 1. Each local school board, acting under the 13
authority of Sections 37-7-301(ww) and 37-7-343 to enter into 14
contracts or agreements with persons or entities, public or 15
private, to provide training or professional development 16
activities, or both, for employees of the district, shall provide 17
mental health first aid training that is evidence-based and 18
approved by the Department of Mental Health to all licensed and 19
nonlicensed instructional personnel and licensed administrator 20
employed by the school district before the beginning of the 21
2026-2027 academic school year. Additionally, each school board 22
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shall develop and adopt a policy to determine the frequency at 23
which such personnel shall undergo the training required under 24
this section, which may be used as satisfactory component for 25
professional development or continuing education. The Department 26
of Mental Health provide participants, who complete the training, 27
with a certificate of completion, which may be used by the 28
instructional or administrative personnel to satisfy the training 29
requirement of the employing school district or any subsequent 30
school district of employment, provided that the training fall 31
within the frequency timetable of training for currentness. 32
SECTION 2. Section 37-7-301, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 33
brought forward as follows: 34
37-7-301. The school boards of all school districts shall 35
have the following powers, authority and duties in addition to all 36
others imposed or granted by law, to wit: 37
(a) To organize and operate the schools of the district 38
and to make such division between the high school grades and 39
elementary grades as, in their judgment, will serve the best 40
interests of the school; 41
(b) To introduce public school music, art, manual 42
training and other special subjects into either the elementary or 43
high school grades, as the board shall deem proper; 44
(c) To be the custodians of real and personal school 45
property and to manage, control and care for same, both during the 46
school term and during vacation; 47
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(d) To have responsibility for the erection, repairing 48
and equipping of school facilities and the making of necessary 49
school improvements; 50
(e) To suspend or to expel a pupil or to change the 51
placement of a pupil to the school district's alternative school 52
or homebound program for misconduct in the school or on school 53
property, as defined in Section 37-11-29, on the road to and from 54
school, or at any school-related activity or event, or for conduct 55
occurring on property other than school property or other than at 56
a school-related activity or event when such conduct by a pupil, 57
in the determination of the school superintendent or principal, 58
renders that pupil's presence in the classroom a disruption to the 59
educational environment of the school or a detriment to the best 60
interest and welfare of the pupils and teacher of such class as a 61
whole, and to delegate such authority to the appropriate officials 62
of the school district; 63
(f) To visit schools in the district, in their 64
discretion, in a body for the purpose of determining what can be 65
done for the improvement of the school in a general way; 66
(g) To support, within reasonable limits, the 67
superintendent, principal and teachers where necessary for the 68
proper discipline of the school; 69
(h) To exclude from the schools students with what 70
appears to be infectious or contagious diseases; provided, 71
however, such student may be allowed to return to school upon 72
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presenting a certificate from a public health officer, duly 73
licensed physician or nurse practitioner that the student is free 74
from such disease; 75
(i) To require those vaccinations specified by the 76
State Health Officer as provided in Section 41-23-37; 77
(j) To see that all necessary utilities and services 78
are provided in the schools at all times when same are needed; 79
(k) To authorize the use of the school buildings and 80
grounds for the holding of public meetings and gatherings of the 81
people under such regulations as may be prescribed by said board; 82
(l) To prescribe and enforce rules and regulations not 83
inconsistent with law or with the regulations of the State Board 84
of Education for their own government and for the government of 85
the schools, and to transact their business at regular and special 86
meetings called and held in the manner provided by law; 87
(m) To maintain and operate all of the schools under 88
their control for such length of time during the year as may be 89
required; 90
(n) To enforce in the schools the courses of study and 91
the use of the textbooks prescribed by the proper authorities; 92
(o) To make orders directed to the superintendent of 93
schools for the issuance of pay certificates for lawful purposes 94
on any available funds of the district and to have full control of 95
the receipt, distribution, allotment and disbursement of all funds 96
provided for the support and operation of the schools of such 97
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school district whether such funds be derived from state 98
appropriations, local ad valorem tax collections, or otherwise. 99
The local school board shall be authorized and empowered to 100
promulgate rules and regulations that specify the types of claims 101
and set limits of the dollar amount for payment of claims by the 102
superintendent of schools to be ratified by the board at the next 103
regularly scheduled meeting after payment has been made; 104
(p) To select all school district personnel in the 105
manner provided by law, and to provide for such employee fringe 106
benefit programs, including accident reimbursement plans, as may 107
be deemed necessary and appropriate by the board; 108
(q) To provide athletic programs and other school 109
activities and to regulate the establishment and operation of such 110
programs and activities; 111
(r) To join, in their discretion, any association of 112
school boards and other public school-related organizations, and 113
to pay from local funds other than total funding formula funds, 114
any membership dues; 115
(s) To expend local school activity funds, or other 116
available school district funds, other than total funding formula 117
funds, for the purposes prescribed under this paragraph. 118
"Activity funds" shall mean all funds received by school officials 119
in all school districts paid or collected to participate in any 120
school activity, such activity being part of the school program 121
and partially financed with public funds or supplemented by public 122
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funds. The term "activity funds" shall not include any funds 123
raised and/or expended by any organization unless commingled in a 124
bank account with existing activity funds, regardless of whether 125
the funds were raised by school employees or received by school 126
employees during school hours or using school facilities, and 127
regardless of whether a school employee exercises influence over 128
the expenditure or disposition of such funds. Organizations shall 129
not be required to make any payment to any school for the use of 130
any school facility if, in the discretion of the local school 131
governing board, the organization's function shall be deemed to be 132
beneficial to the official or extracurricular programs of the 133
school. For the purposes of this provision, the term 134
"organization" shall not include any organization subject to the 135
control of the local school governing board. Activity funds may 136
only be expended for any necessary expenses or travel costs, 137
including advances, incurred by students and their chaperons in 138
attending any in-state or out-of-state school-related programs, 139
conventions or seminars and/or any commodities, equipment, travel 140
expenses, purchased services or school supplies which the local 141
school governing board, in its discretion, shall deem beneficial 142
to the official or extracurricular programs of the district, 143
including items which may subsequently become the personal 144
property of individuals, including yearbooks, athletic apparel, 145
book covers and trophies. Activity funds may be used to pay 146
travel expenses of school district personnel. The local school 147
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governing board shall be authorized and empowered to promulgate 148
rules and regulations specifically designating for what purposes 149
school activity funds may be expended. The local school governing 150
board shall provide (i) that such school activity funds shall be 151
maintained and expended by the principal of the school generating 152
the funds in individual bank accounts, or (ii) that such school 153
activity funds shall be maintained and expended by the 154
superintendent of schools in a central depository approved by the 155
board. The local school governing board shall provide that such 156
school activity funds be audited as part of the annual audit 157
required in Section 37-9-18. The State Department of Education 158
shall prescribe a uniform system of accounting and financial 159
reporting for all school activity fund transactions; 160
(t) To enter into an energy performance contract, 161
energy services contract, on a shared-savings, lease or 162
lease-purchase basis, for energy efficiency services and/or 163
equipment as provided for in Section 31-7-14; 164
(u) To maintain accounts and issue pay certificates on 165
school food service bank accounts; 166
(v) (i) To lease a school building from an individual, 167
partnership, nonprofit corporation or a private for-profit 168
corporation for the use of such school district, and to expend 169
funds therefor as may be available from any sources other than 170
total funding formula funds as set by Sections 37-151-200 through 171
37-151-215. The school board of the school district desiring to 172
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lease a school building shall declare by resolution that a need 173
exists for a school building and that the school district cannot 174
provide the necessary funds to pay the cost or its proportionate 175
share of the cost of a school building required to meet the 176
present needs. The resolution so adopted by the school board 177
shall be published once each week for three (3) consecutive weeks 178
in a newspaper having a general circulation in the school district 179
involved, with the first publication thereof to be made not less 180
than thirty (30) days prior to the date upon which the school 181
board is to act on the question of leasing a school building. If 182
no petition requesting an election is filed prior to such meeting 183
as hereinafter provided, then the school board may, by resolution 184
spread upon its minutes, proceed to lease a school building. If 185
at any time prior to said meeting a petition signed by not less 186
than twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1500), whichever is 187
less, of the qualified electors of the school district involved 188
shall be filed with the school board requesting that an election 189
be called on the question, then the school board shall, not later 190
than the next regular meeting, adopt a resolution calling an 191
election to be held within such school district upon the question 192
of authorizing the school board to lease a school building. Such 193
election shall be called and held, and notice thereof shall be 194
given, in the same manner for elections upon the questions of the 195
issuance of the bonds of school districts, and the results thereof 196
shall be certified to the school board. If at least three-fifths 197
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(3/5) of the qualified electors of the school district who voted 198
in such election shall vote in favor of the leasing of a school 199
building, then the school board shall proceed to lease a school 200
building. The term of the lease contract shall not exceed twenty 201
(20) years, and the total cost of such lease shall be either the 202
amount of the lowest and best bid accepted by the school board 203
after advertisement for bids or an amount not to exceed the 204
current fair market value of the lease as determined by the 205
averaging of at least two (2) appraisals by certified general 206
appraisers licensed by the State of Mississippi. The term "school 207
building" as used in this paragraph (v)(i) shall be construed to 208
mean any building or buildings used for classroom purposes in 209
connection with the operation of schools and shall include the 210
site therefor, necessary support facilities, and the equipment 211
thereof and appurtenances thereto such as heating facilities, 212
water supply, sewage disposal, landscaping, walks, drives and 213
playgrounds. The term "lease" as used in this paragraph (v)(i) 214
may include a lease-purchase contract; 215
(ii) If two (2) or more school districts propose 216
to enter into a lease contract jointly, then joint meetings of the 217
school boards having control may be held but no action taken shall 218
be binding on any such school district unless the question of 219
leasing a school building is approved in each participating school 220
district under the procedure hereinabove set forth in paragraph 221
(v)(i). All of the provisions of paragraph (v)(i) regarding the 222
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term and amount of the lease contract shall apply to the school 223
boards of school districts acting jointly. Any lease contract 224
executed by two (2) or more school districts as joint lessees 225
shall set out the amount of the aggregate lease rental to be paid 226
by each, which may be agreed upon, but there shall be no right of 227
occupancy by any lessee unless the aggregate rental is paid as 228
stipulated in the lease contract. All rights of joint lessees 229
under the lease contract shall be in proportion to the amount of 230
lease rental paid by each; 231
(w) To employ all noninstructional and noncertificated 232
employees and fix the duties and compensation of such personnel 233
deemed necessary pursuant to the recommendation of the 234
superintendent of schools; 235
(x) To employ and fix the duties and compensation of 236
such legal counsel as deemed necessary; 237
(y) Subject to rules and regulations of the State Board 238
of Education, to purchase, own and operate trucks, vans and other 239
motor vehicles, which shall bear the proper identification 240
required by law; 241
(z) To expend funds for the payment of substitute 242
teachers and to adopt reasonable regulations for the employment 243
and compensation of such substitute teachers; 244
(aa) To acquire in its own name by purchase all real 245
property which shall be necessary and desirable in connection with 246
the construction, renovation or improvement of any public school 247
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building or structure. Whenever the purchase price for such real 248
property is greater than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), the 249
school board shall not purchase the property for an amount 250
exceeding the fair market value of such property as determined by 251
the average of at least two (2) independent appraisals by 252
certified general appraisers licensed by the State of Mississippi. 253
If the board shall be unable to agree with the owner of any such 254
real property in connection with any such project, the board shall 255
have the power and authority to acquire any such real property by 256
condemnation proceedings pursuant to Section 11-27-1 et seq., 257
Mississippi Code of 1972, and for such purpose, the right of 258
eminent domain is hereby conferred upon and vested in said board. 259
Provided further, that the local school board is authorized to 260
grant an easement for ingress and egress over sixteenth section 261
land or lieu land in exchange for a similar easement upon 262
adjoining land where the exchange of easements affords substantial 263
benefit to the sixteenth section land; provided, however, the 264
exchange must be based upon values as determined by a competent 265
appraiser, with any differential in value to be adjusted by cash 266
payment. Any easement rights granted over sixteenth section land 267
under such authority shall terminate when the easement ceases to 268
be used for its stated purpose. No sixteenth section or lieu land 269
which is subject to an existing lease shall be burdened by any 270
such easement except by consent of the lessee or unless the school 271
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district shall acquire the unexpired leasehold interest affected 272
by the easement; 273
(bb) To charge reasonable fees related to the 274
educational programs of the district, in the manner prescribed in 275
Section 37-7-335; 276
(cc) Subject to rules and regulations of the State 277
Board of Education, to purchase relocatable classrooms for the use 278
of such school district, in the manner prescribed in Section 279
37-1-13; 280
(dd) Enter into contracts or agreements with other 281
school districts, political subdivisions or governmental entities 282
to carry out one or more of the powers or duties of the school 283
board, or to allow more efficient utilization of limited resources 284
for providing services to the public; 285
(ee) To provide for in-service training for employees 286
of the district; 287
(ff) As part of their duties to prescribe the use of 288
textbooks, to provide that parents and legal guardians shall be 289
responsible for the textbooks and for the compensation to the 290
school district for any books which are not returned to the proper 291
schools upon the withdrawal of their dependent child. If a 292
textbook is lost or not returned by any student who drops out of 293
the public school district, the parent or legal guardian shall 294
also compensate the school district for the fair market value of 295
the textbooks; 296
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(gg) To conduct fund-raising activities on behalf of 297
the school district that the local school board, in its 298
discretion, deems appropriate or beneficial to the official or 299
extracurricular programs of the district; provided that: 300
(i) Any proceeds of the fund-raising activities 301
shall be treated as "activity funds" and shall be accounted for as 302
are other activity funds under this section; and 303
(ii) Fund-raising activities conducted or 304
authorized by the board for the sale of school pictures, the 305
rental of caps and gowns or the sale of graduation invitations for 306
which the school board receives a commission, rebate or fee shall 307
contain a disclosure statement advising that a portion of the 308
proceeds of the sales or rentals shall be contributed to the 309
student activity fund; 310
(hh) To allow individual lessons for music, art and 311
other curriculum-related activities for academic credit or 312
nonacademic credit during school hours and using school equipment 313
and facilities, subject to uniform rules and regulations adopted 314
by the school board; 315
(ii) To charge reasonable fees for participating in an 316
extracurricular activity for academic or nonacademic credit for 317
necessary and required equipment such as safety equipment, band 318
instruments and uniforms; 319
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(jj) To conduct or participate in any fund-raising 320
activities on behalf of or in connection with a tax-exempt 321
charitable organization; 322
(kk) To exercise such powers as may be reasonably 323
necessary to carry out the provisions of this section; 324
(ll) To expend funds for the services of nonprofit arts 325
organizations or other such nonprofit organizations who provide 326
performances or other services for the students of the school 327
district; 328
(mm) To expend federal No Child Left Behind Act funds, 329
or any other available funds that are expressly designated and 330
authorized for that use, to pay training, educational expenses, 331
salary incentives and salary supplements to employees of local 332
school districts; except that incentives shall not be considered 333
part of the local supplement, nor shall incentives be considered 334
part of the local supplement paid to an individual teacher for the 335
purposes of Section 37-19-7(1); 336
(nn) To use any available funds, not appropriated or 337
designated for any other purpose, for reimbursement to the 338
state-licensed employees from both in state and out of state, who 339
enter into a contract for employment in a school district, for the 340
expense of moving when the employment necessitates the relocation 341
of the licensed employee to a different geographical area than 342
that in which the licensed employee resides before entering into 343
the contract. The reimbursement shall not exceed One Thousand 344
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Dollars ($1,000.00) for the documented actual expenses incurred in 345
the course of relocating, including the expense of any 346
professional moving company or persons employed to assist with the 347
move, rented moving vehicles or equipment, mileage in the amount 348
authorized for county and municipal employees under Section 349
25-3-41 if the licensed employee used his personal vehicle or 350
vehicles for the move, meals and such other expenses associated 351
with the relocation. No licensed employee may be reimbursed for 352
moving expenses under this section on more than one (1) occasion 353
by the same school district. Nothing in this section shall be 354
construed to require the actual residence to which the licensed 355
employee relocates to be within the boundaries of the school 356
district that has executed a contract for employment in order for 357
the licensed employee to be eligible for reimbursement for the 358
moving expenses. However, the licensed employee must relocate 359
within the boundaries of the State of Mississippi. Any individual 360
receiving relocation assistance through the Critical Teacher 361
Shortage Act as provided in Section 37-159-5 shall not be eligible 362
to receive additional relocation funds as authorized in this 363
paragraph; 364
(oo) To use any available funds, not appropriated or 365
designated for any other purpose, to reimburse persons who 366
interview for employment as a licensed employee with the district 367
for the mileage and other actual expenses incurred in the course 368
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of travel to and from the interview at the rate authorized for 369
county and municipal employees under Section 25-3-41; 370
(pp) Consistent with the report of the Task Force to 371
Conduct a Best Financial Management Practices Review, to improve 372
school district management and use of resources and identify cost 373
savings as established in Section 8 of Chapter 610, Laws of 2002, 374
local school boards are encouraged to conduct independent reviews 375
of the management and efficiency of schools and school districts. 376
Such management and efficiency reviews shall provide state and 377
local officials and the public with the following: 378
(i) An assessment of a school district's 379
governance and organizational structure; 380
(ii) An assessment of the school district's 381
financial and personnel management; 382
(iii) An assessment of revenue levels and sources; 383
(iv) An assessment of facilities utilization, 384
planning and maintenance; 385
(v) An assessment of food services, transportation 386
and safety/security systems; 387
(vi) An assessment of instructional and 388
administrative technology; 389
(vii) A review of the instructional management and 390
the efficiency and effectiveness of existing instructional 391
programs; and 392
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(viii) Recommended methods for increasing 393
efficiency and effectiveness in providing educational services to 394
the public; 395
(qq) To enter into agreements with other local school 396
boards for the establishment of an educational service agency 397
(ESA) to provide for the cooperative needs of the region in which 398
the school district is located, as provided in Section 37-7-345; 399
(rr) To implement a financial literacy program for 400
students in Grades 10 and 11. The board may review the national 401
programs and obtain free literature from various nationally 402
recognized programs. After review of the different programs, the 403
board may certify a program that is most appropriate for the 404
school districts' needs. If a district implements a financial 405
literacy program, then any student in Grade 10 or 11 may 406
participate in the program. The financial literacy program shall 407
include, but is not limited to, instruction in the same areas of 408
personal business and finance as required under Section 409
37-1-3(2)(b). The school board may coordinate with volunteer 410
teachers from local community organizations, including, but not 411
limited to, the following: United States Department of 412
Agriculture Rural Development, United States Department of Housing 413
and Urban Development, Junior Achievement, bankers and other 414
nonprofit organizations. Nothing in this paragraph shall be 415
construed as to require school boards to implement a financial 416
literacy program; 417
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(ss) To collaborate with the State Board of Education, 418
Community Action Agencies or the Department of Human Services to 419
develop and implement a voluntary program to provide services for 420
a prekindergarten program that addresses the cognitive, social, 421
and emotional needs of four-year-old and three-year-old children. 422
The school board may utilize any source of available revenue to 423
fund the voluntary program. Effective with the 2013-2014 school 424
year, to implement voluntary prekindergarten programs under the 425
Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013 pursuant to state funds 426
awarded by the State Department of Education on a matching basis; 427
(tt) With respect to any lawful, written obligation of 428
a school district, including, but not limited to, leases 429
(excluding leases of sixteenth section public school trust land), 430
bonds, notes, or other agreement, to agree in writing with the 431
obligee that the Department of Revenue or any state agency, 432
department or commission created under state law may: 433
(i) Withhold all or any part (as agreed by the 434
school board) of any monies which such local school board is 435
entitled to receive from time to time under any law and which is 436
in the possession of the Department of Revenue, or any state 437
agency, department or commission created under state law; and 438
(ii) Pay the same over to any financial 439
institution, trustee or other obligee, as directed in writing by 440
the school board, to satisfy all or part of such obligation of the 441
school district. 442
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The school board may make such written agreement to withhold 443
and transfer funds irrevocable for the term of the written 444
obligation and may include in the written agreement any other 445
terms and provisions acceptable to the school board. If the 446
school board files a copy of such written agreement with the 447
Department of Revenue, or any state agency, department or 448
commission created under state law then the Department of Revenue 449
or any state agency, department or commission created under state 450
law shall immediately make the withholdings provided in such 451
agreement from the amounts due the local school board and shall 452
continue to pay the same over to such financial institution, 453
trustee or obligee for the term of the agreement. 454
This paragraph (tt) shall not grant any extra authority to a 455
school board to issue debt in any amount exceeding statutory 456
limitations on assessed value of taxable property within such 457
school district or the statutory limitations on debt maturities, 458
and shall not grant any extra authority to impose, levy or collect 459
a tax which is not otherwise expressly provided for, and shall not 460
be construed to apply to sixteenth section public school trust 461
land; 462
(uu) With respect to any matter or transaction that is 463
competitively bid by a school district, to accept from any bidder 464
as a good-faith deposit or bid bond or bid surety, the same type 465
of good-faith deposit or bid bond or bid surety that may be 466
accepted by the state or any other political subdivision on 467
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similar competitively bid matters or transactions. This paragraph 468
(uu) shall not be construed to apply to sixteenth section public 469
school trust land. The school board may authorize the investment 470
of any school district funds in the same kind and manner of 471
investments, including pooled investments, as any other political 472
subdivision, including community hospitals; 473
(vv) To utilize the alternate method for the conveyance 474
or exchange of unused school buildings and/or land, reserving a 475
partial or other undivided interest in the property, as 476
specifically authorized and provided in Section 37-7-485; 477
(ww) To delegate, privatize or otherwise enter into a 478
contract with private entities for the operation of any and all 479
functions of nonacademic school process, procedures and operations 480
including, but not limited to, cafeteria workers, janitorial 481
services, transportation, professional development, achievement 482
and instructional consulting services materials and products, 483
purchasing cooperatives, insurance, business manager services, 484
auditing and accounting services, school safety/risk prevention, 485
data processing and student records, and other staff services; 486
however, the authority under this paragraph does not apply to the 487
leasing, management or operation of sixteenth section lands. 488
Local school districts, working through their regional education 489
service agency, are encouraged to enter into buying consortia with 490
other member districts for the purposes of more efficient use of 491
state resources as described in Section 37-7-345; 492
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(xx) To partner with entities, organizations and 493
corporations for the purpose of benefiting the school district; 494
(yy) To borrow funds from the Rural Economic 495
Development Authority for the maintenance of school buildings; 496
(zz) To fund and operate voluntary early childhood 497
education programs, defined as programs for children less than 498
five (5) years of age on or before September 1, and to use any 499
source of revenue for such early childhood education programs. 500
Such programs shall not conflict with the Early Learning 501
Collaborative Act of 2013; 502
(aaa) To issue and provide for the use of procurement 503
cards by school board members, superintendents and licensed school 504
personnel consistent with the rules and regulations of the 505
Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration under Section 506
31-7-9; and 507
(bbb) To conduct an annual comprehensive evaluation of 508
the superintendent of schools consistent with the assessment 509
components of paragraph (pp) of this section and the assessment 510
benchmarks established by the Mississippi School Board Association 511
to evaluate the success the superintendent has attained in meeting 512
district goals and objectives, the superintendent's leadership 513
skill and whether or not the superintendent has established 514
appropriate standards for performance, is monitoring success and 515
is using data for improvement. 516
H. B. No. 315 *HR43/R838* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R838
PAGE 22 (DJ\KP)
ST: Mental Health First Aid Training; require
for instructional and administrative personnel
employed by public school districts.
SECTION 3. Section 37-7-343, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 517
brought forward as follows: 518
37-7-343. The school board of a local school district may 519
enter into contracts or agreements with persons or entities, 520
public or private, to provide training or professional development 521
activities, or both, for employees of the district. 522
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 523
and after July 1, 2026. 524