Financial literacy; require SBE to develop curriculum for Grades 6-12.

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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Haney

HOUSE BILL NO. 994

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO INCORPORATE 1
COMPONENTS WITHIN THE EXISTING FINANCIAL LITERACY CURRICULUM FOR 2
STUDENTS IN GRADES 6 THROUGH 8 BEGINNING WITH THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL 3
YEAR; TO REQUIRE PASSAGE OF A ONE-HALF CARNEGIE UNIT COURSE IN 4
FINANCIAL LITERACY AS A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR ALL PUBLIC 5
SCHOOL STUDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE IN CHARTER SCHOOLS, BEGINNING 6
WITH THE 2031 GRADUATING CLASS; TO ESTABLISH THE FINANCIAL 7
LITERACY TRUST FUND IN THE STATE TREASURY TO SUPPORT FINANCIAL 8
LITERACY EDUCATION; TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO 9
ADMINISTER THE FUND; TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-7-301, 37-16-7 AND 10
37-28-45 MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY THERETO; AND FOR 11
RELATED PURPOSES. 12
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 13
SECTION 1. (1) Beginning with the 2026-2027 academic school 14
year, the State Board of Education shall incorporate financial 15
literacy components within the existing curriculum offered in 16
Grades 6 through 8. This section shall be applicable to all 17
schools accredited by the State Department of Education and public 18
charter schools. 19
(2) Beginning with the graduating class of 2031, each public 20
school student during Grade 9, 10, 11 or 12, shall take and pass a 21
one-half (1/2) Carnegie Unit credit course in personal finance or 22
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a full Carnegie Unit course where half the course standards are 23
financial literacy in order to earn a high school diploma. 24
(3) There is established in the State Treasury a special 25
fund to be known as the "Financial Literacy Trust Fund" to provide 26
financial literacy education for this program. The fund shall be 27
administered by the State Board of Education and may accept 28
private contributions, publicly or privately funded grants, any 29
eligible funds from settlements or penalties collected by the 30
state or any state agency, and funds appropriated by the state or 31
federal government. No expenditure from the fund shall cause the 32
fund to be in deficiency at the close of the fiscal year. 33
Unexpended monies remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal 34
year shall not lapse into the General Fund but shall be available 35
for expenditure in the subsequent fiscal year. The fund shall be 36
an expendable trust fund and shall not be subject to appropriation 37
or allotment. 38
(4) The State Board of Education shall develop rules and 39
regulations for the implementation of the trust. The trust may 40
expend funds to administer the fund, which shall include an 41
independent audit of the financial activities of the fund every 42
three (3) years. The trust also may enter into contracts with 43
private corporations to manage and implement the programmatic, 44
fiduciary or administrative goals of the trust, subject to the 45
approval of the board. The board shall annually report to the 46
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Legislature all programmatic and financial activities and balances 47
of the fund on or before December 31 of each year. 48
SECTION 2. Section 37-16-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 49
amended as follows: 50
37-16-7. (1) Each district school board shall establish 51
standards for graduation from its schools which shall include as a 52
minimum: 53
(a) Mastery of minimum academic skills as measured by 54
assessments developed and administered by the State Board of 55
Education * * *; and 56
(b) Completion of a minimum number of academic credits, 57
including a one-half (1/2) Carnegie Unit credit course in personal 58
finance or a full Carnegie Unit course where half the course 59
standards are financial literacy as set forth in Section 186 of 60
this act, and all other applicable requirements prescribed by the 61
district school board. 62
( * * *2) By school, each school district shall maintain and 63
report information on high school graduation rates. High schools 64
with graduation rates lower than eighty percent (80%) must submit 65
a detailed plan to the * * * State Department of Education to 66
restructure the high school experience to improve graduation 67
rates. 68
( * * *3) A student who meets all requirements prescribed in 69
subsection (1) of this section shall be awarded a standard diploma 70
in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education. 71
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( * * *4) The State Board of Education may establish student 72
proficiency standards for promotion to grade levels leading to 73
graduation. 74
( * * *5) The State Board of Education shall develop a 75
curriculum related to the study of sign language. Any such class 76
developed by the board may count as an academic credit for foreign 77
languages for the purposes of high school graduation requirements. 78
SECTION 3. Section 37-7-301, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 79
amended as follows: 80
37-7-301. The school boards of all school districts shall 81
have the following powers, authority and duties in addition to all 82
others imposed or granted by law, to wit: 83
(a) To organize and operate the schools of the district 84
and to make such division between the high school grades and 85
elementary grades as, in their judgment, will serve the best 86
interests of the school; 87
(b) To introduce public school music, art, manual 88
training and other special subjects into either the elementary or 89
high school grades, as the board shall deem proper; 90
(c) To be the custodians of real and personal school 91
property and to manage, control and care for same, both during the 92
school term and during vacation; 93
(d) To have responsibility for the erection, repairing 94
and equipping of school facilities and the making of necessary 95
school improvements; 96
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(e) To suspend or to expel a pupil or to change the 97
placement of a pupil to the school district's alternative school 98
or homebound program for misconduct in the school or on school 99
property, as defined in Section 37-11-29, on the road to and from 100
school, or at any school-related activity or event, or for conduct 101
occurring on property other than school property or other than at 102
a school-related activity or event when such conduct by a pupil, 103
in the determination of the school superintendent or principal, 104
renders that pupil's presence in the classroom a disruption to the 105
educational environment of the school or a detriment to the best 106
interest and welfare of the pupils and teacher of such class as a 107
whole, and to delegate such authority to the appropriate officials 108
of the school district; 109
(f) To visit schools in the district, in their 110
discretion, in a body for the purpose of determining what can be 111
done for the improvement of the school in a general way; 112
(g) To support, within reasonable limits, the 113
superintendent, principal and teachers where necessary for the 114
proper discipline of the school; 115
(h) To exclude from the schools students with what 116
appears to be infectious or contagious diseases; * * * however, 117
such student may be allowed to return to school upon presenting a 118
certificate from a public health officer, duly licensed physician 119
or nurse practitioner that the student is free from such disease; 120
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(i) To require those vaccinations specified by the 121
State Health Officer as provided in Section 41-23-37; 122
(j) To see that all necessary utilities and services 123
are provided in the schools at all times when same are needed; 124
(k) To authorize the use of the school buildings and 125
grounds for the holding of public meetings and gatherings of the 126
people under such regulations as may be prescribed by * * * the 127
board; 128
(l) To prescribe and enforce rules and regulations not 129
inconsistent with law or with the regulations of the State Board 130
of Education for their own government and for the government of 131
the schools, and to transact their business at regular and special 132
meetings called and held in the manner provided by law; 133
(m) To maintain and operate all of the schools under 134
their control for such length of time during the year as may be 135
required; 136
(n) To enforce in the schools the courses of study and 137
the use of the textbooks prescribed by the proper authorities; 138
(o) To make orders directed to the superintendent of 139
schools for the issuance of pay certificates for lawful purposes 140
on any available funds of the district and to have full control of 141
the receipt, distribution, allotment and disbursement of all funds 142
provided for the support and operation of the schools of such 143
school district whether such funds be derived from state 144
appropriations, local ad valorem tax collections, or otherwise. 145
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The local school board shall be authorized and empowered to 146
promulgate rules and regulations that specify the types of claims 147
and set limits of the dollar amount for payment of claims by the 148
superintendent of schools to be ratified by the board at the next 149
regularly scheduled meeting after payment has been made; 150
(p) To select all school district personnel in the 151
manner provided by law, and to provide for such employee fringe 152
benefit programs, including accident reimbursement plans, as may 153
be deemed necessary and appropriate by the board; 154
(q) To provide athletic programs and other school 155
activities and to regulate the establishment and operation of such 156
programs and activities; 157
(r) To join, in their discretion, any association of 158
school boards and other public school-related organizations, and 159
to pay from local funds other than total funding formula funds, 160
any membership dues; 161
(s) To expend local school activity funds, or other 162
available school district funds, other than total funding formula 163
funds, for the purposes prescribed under this paragraph. 164
"Activity funds" shall mean all funds received by school officials 165
in all school districts paid or collected to participate in any 166
school activity, such activity being part of the school program 167
and partially financed with public funds or supplemented by public 168
funds. The term "activity funds" shall not include any funds 169
raised and/or expended by any organization unless commingled in a 170
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bank account with existing activity funds, regardless of whether 171
the funds were raised by school employees or received by school 172
employees during school hours or using school facilities, and 173
regardless of whether a school employee exercises influence over 174
the expenditure or disposition of such funds. Organizations shall 175
not be required to make any payment to any school for the use of 176
any school facility if, in the discretion of the local school 177
governing board, the organization's function shall be deemed to be 178
beneficial to the official or extracurricular programs of the 179
school. For the purposes of this provision, the term 180
"organization" shall not include any organization subject to the 181
control of the local school governing board. Activity funds may 182
only be expended for any necessary expenses or travel costs, 183
including advances, incurred by students and their chaperons in 184
attending any in-state or out-of-state school-related programs, 185
conventions or seminars and/or any commodities, equipment, travel 186
expenses, purchased services or school supplies which the local 187
school governing board, in its discretion, shall deem beneficial 188
to the official or extracurricular programs of the district, 189
including items which may subsequently become the personal 190
property of individuals, including yearbooks, athletic apparel, 191
book covers and trophies. Activity funds may be used to pay 192
travel expenses of school district personnel. The local school 193
governing board shall be authorized and empowered to promulgate 194
rules and regulations specifically designating for what purposes 195
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school activity funds may be expended. The local school governing 196
board shall provide: (i) that such school activity funds shall be 197
maintained and expended by the principal of the school generating 198
the funds in individual bank accounts * * *; or (ii) that such 199
school activity funds shall be maintained and expended by the 200
superintendent of schools in a central depository approved by the 201
board. The local school governing board shall provide that such 202
school activity funds be audited as part of the annual audit 203
required in Section 37-9-18. The State Department of Education 204
shall prescribe a uniform system of accounting and financial 205
reporting for all school activity fund transactions; 206
(t) To enter into an energy performance contract, 207
energy services contract, on a shared-savings, lease or 208
lease-purchase basis, for energy efficiency services and/or 209
equipment as provided for in Section 31-7-14; 210
(u) To maintain accounts and issue pay certificates on 211
school food service bank accounts; 212
(v) (i) To lease a school building from an individual, 213
partnership, nonprofit corporation or a private for-profit 214
corporation for the use of such school district, and to expend 215
funds therefor as may be available from any sources other than 216
total funding formula funds * * *. The school board of the school 217
district desiring to lease a school building shall declare by 218
resolution that a need exists for a school building and that the 219
school district cannot provide the necessary funds to pay the cost 220
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or its proportionate share of the cost of a school building 221
required to meet the present needs. The resolution so adopted by 222
the school board shall be published once each week for three (3) 223
consecutive weeks in a newspaper having a general circulation in 224
the school district involved, with the first publication thereof 225
to be made not less than thirty (30) days prior to the date upon 226
which the school board is to act on the question of leasing a 227
school building. If no petition requesting an election is filed 228
prior to such meeting as hereinafter provided, then the school 229
board may, by resolution spread upon its minutes, proceed to lease 230
a school building. If at any time * * * before the meeting a 231
petition signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) or fifteen 232
hundred (1500), whichever is less, of the qualified electors of 233
the school district involved shall be filed with the school board 234
requesting that an election be called on the question, then the 235
school board shall, not later than the next regular meeting, adopt 236
a resolution calling an election to be held within such school 237
district upon the question of authorizing the school board to 238
lease a school building. Such election shall be called and held, 239
and notice thereof shall be given, in the same manner for 240
elections upon the questions of the issuance of the bonds of 241
school districts, and the results thereof shall be certified to 242
the school board. If at least three-fifths (3/5) of the qualified 243
electors of the school district who voted in such election shall 244
vote in favor of the leasing of a school building, then the school 245
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board shall proceed to lease a school building. The term of the 246
lease contract shall not exceed twenty (20) years, and the total 247
cost of such lease shall be either the amount of the lowest and 248
best bid accepted by the school board after advertisement for bids 249
or an amount not to exceed the current fair market value of the 250
lease as determined by the averaging of at least two (2) 251
appraisals by certified general appraisers licensed by the State 252
of Mississippi. The term "school building" as used in this 253
paragraph (v)(i) shall be construed to mean any building or 254
buildings used for classroom purposes in connection with the 255
operation of schools and shall include the site therefor, 256
necessary support facilities, and the equipment thereof and 257
appurtenances thereto such as heating facilities, water supply, 258
sewage disposal, landscaping, walks, drives and playgrounds. The 259
term "lease" as used in this paragraph (v)(i) may include a 260
lease-purchase contract; 261
(ii) If two (2) or more school districts propose 262
to enter into a lease contract jointly, then joint meetings of the 263
school boards having control may be held but no action taken shall 264
be binding on any such school district unless the question of 265
leasing a school building is approved in each participating school 266
district under the procedure hereinabove set forth in paragraph 267
(v)(i). All of the provisions of paragraph (v)(i) regarding the 268
term and amount of the lease contract shall apply to the school 269
boards of school districts acting jointly. Any lease contract 270
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executed by two (2) or more school districts as joint lessees 271
shall set out the amount of the aggregate lease rental to be paid 272
by each, which may be agreed upon, but there shall be no right of 273
occupancy by any lessee unless the aggregate rental is paid as 274
stipulated in the lease contract. All rights of joint lessees 275
under the lease contract shall be in proportion to the amount of 276
lease rental paid by each; 277
(w) To employ all noninstructional and * * * 278
nonlicensed employees and fix the duties and compensation of such 279
personnel deemed necessary pursuant to the recommendation of the 280
superintendent of schools; 281
(x) To employ and fix the duties and compensation of 282
such legal counsel as deemed necessary; 283
(y) Subject to rules and regulations of the State Board 284
of Education, to purchase, own and operate trucks, vans and other 285
motor vehicles, which shall bear the proper identification 286
required by law; 287
(z) To expend funds for the payment of substitute 288
teachers and to adopt reasonable regulations for the employment 289
and compensation of such substitute teachers; 290
(aa) To acquire in its own name by purchase all real 291
property which shall be necessary and desirable in connection with 292
the construction, renovation or improvement of any public school 293
building or structure. Whenever the purchase price for such real 294
property is greater than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), the 295
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school board shall not purchase the property for an amount 296
exceeding the fair market value of such property as determined by 297
the average of at least two (2) independent appraisals by 298
certified general appraisers licensed by the State of Mississippi. 299
If the board shall be unable to agree with the owner of any such 300
real property in connection with any such project, the board shall 301
have the power and authority to acquire any such real property by 302
condemnation proceedings pursuant to Section 11-27-1 et 303
seq., * * * and for such purpose, the right of eminent domain is 304
hereby conferred upon and vested in * * * the board. * * * The 305
local school board is authorized to grant an easement for ingress 306
and egress over sixteenth section land or lieu land in exchange 307
for a similar easement upon adjoining land where the exchange of 308
easements affords substantial benefit to the sixteenth section 309
land; * * * however, the exchange must be based upon values as 310
determined by a competent appraiser, with any differential in 311
value to be adjusted by cash payment. Any easement rights granted 312
over sixteenth section land under such authority shall terminate 313
when the easement ceases to be used for its stated purpose. No 314
sixteenth section or lieu land which is subject to an existing 315
lease shall be burdened by any such easement except by consent of 316
the lessee or unless the school district shall acquire the 317
unexpired leasehold interest affected by the easement; 318
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(bb) To charge reasonable fees related to the 319
educational programs of the district, in the manner prescribed in 320
Section 37-7-335; 321
(cc) Subject to rules and regulations of the State 322
Board of Education, to purchase relocatable classrooms for the use 323
of such school district, in the manner prescribed in Section 324
37-1-13; 325
(dd) Enter into contracts or agreements with other 326
school districts, political subdivisions or governmental entities 327
to carry out one or more of the powers or duties of the school 328
board, or to allow more efficient utilization of limited resources 329
for providing services to the public; 330
(ee) To provide for in-service training for employees 331
of the district; 332
(ff) As part of their duties to prescribe the use of 333
textbooks, to provide that parents and legal guardians shall be 334
responsible for the textbooks and for the compensation to the 335
school district for any books which are not returned to the proper 336
schools upon the withdrawal of their dependent child. If a 337
textbook is lost or not returned by any student who drops out of 338
the public school district, the parent or legal guardian shall 339
also compensate the school district for the fair market value of 340
the textbooks; 341
(gg) To conduct fund-raising activities on behalf of 342
the school district that the local school board, in its 343
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discretion, deems appropriate or beneficial to the official or 344
extracurricular programs of the district * * *, subject to the 345
following: 346
(i) Any proceeds of the fund-raising activities 347
shall be treated as "activity funds" and shall be accounted for as 348
are other activity funds under this section; and 349
(ii) Fund-raising activities conducted or 350
authorized by the board for the sale of school pictures, the 351
rental of caps and gowns or the sale of graduation invitations for 352
which the school board receives a commission, rebate or fee shall 353
contain a disclosure statement advising that a portion of the 354
proceeds of the sales or rentals shall be contributed to the 355
student activity fund; 356
(hh) To allow individual lessons for music, art and 357
other curriculum-related activities for academic credit or 358
nonacademic credit during school hours and using school equipment 359
and facilities, subject to uniform rules and regulations adopted 360
by the school board; 361
(ii) To charge reasonable fees for participating in an 362
extracurricular activity for academic or nonacademic credit for 363
necessary and required equipment such as safety equipment, band 364
instruments and uniforms; 365
(jj) To conduct or participate in any fund-raising 366
activities on behalf of or in connection with a tax-exempt 367
charitable organization; 368
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(kk) To exercise such powers as may be reasonably 369
necessary to carry out the provisions of this section; 370
(ll) To expend funds for the services of nonprofit arts 371
organizations or other such nonprofit organizations who provide 372
performances or other services for the students of the school 373
district; 374
(mm) To expend federal No Child Left Behind Act funds, 375
or any other available funds that are expressly designated and 376
authorized for that use, to pay training, educational expenses, 377
salary incentives and salary supplements to employees of local 378
school districts; except that incentives shall not be considered 379
part of the local supplement, nor shall incentives be considered 380
part of the local supplement paid to an individual teacher for the 381
purposes of Section 37-19-7(1); 382
(nn) To use any available funds, not appropriated or 383
designated for any other purpose, for reimbursement to the 384
state-licensed employees from both in state and out of state, who 385
enter into a contract for employment in a school district, for the 386
expense of moving when the employment necessitates the relocation 387
of the licensed employee to a different geographical area than 388
that in which the licensed employee resides before entering into 389
the contract. The reimbursement shall not exceed One Thousand 390
Dollars ($1,000.00) for the documented actual expenses incurred in 391
the course of relocating, including the expense of any 392
professional moving company or persons employed to assist with the 393
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move, rented moving vehicles or equipment, mileage in the amount 394
authorized for county and municipal employees under Section 395
25-3-41 if the licensed employee used his personal vehicle or 396
vehicles for the move, meals and such other expenses associated 397
with the relocation. No licensed employee may be reimbursed for 398
moving expenses under this section on more than one (1) occasion 399
by the same school district. Nothing in this section shall be 400
construed to require the actual residence to which the licensed 401
employee relocates to be within the boundaries of the school 402
district that has executed a contract for employment in order for 403
the licensed employee to be eligible for reimbursement for the 404
moving expenses. However, the licensed employee must relocate 405
within the boundaries of the State of Mississippi. Any individual 406
receiving relocation assistance through the Critical Teacher 407
Shortage Act as provided in Section 37-159-5 shall not be eligible 408
to receive additional relocation funds as authorized in this 409
paragraph; 410
(oo) To use any available funds, not appropriated or 411
designated for any other purpose, to reimburse persons who 412
interview for employment as a licensed employee with the district 413
for the mileage and other actual expenses incurred in the course 414
of travel to and from the interview at the rate authorized for 415
county and municipal employees under Section 25-3-41; 416
(pp) Consistent with the report of the Task Force to 417
Conduct a Best Financial Management Practices Review, to improve 418
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school district management and use of resources and identify cost 419
savings as established in Section 8 of Chapter 610, Laws of 2002, 420
local school boards are encouraged to conduct independent reviews 421
of the management and efficiency of schools and school districts. 422
Such management and efficiency reviews shall provide state and 423
local officials and the public with the following: 424
(i) An assessment of a school district's 425
governance and organizational structure; 426
(ii) An assessment of the school district's 427
financial and personnel management; 428
(iii) An assessment of revenue levels and sources; 429
(iv) An assessment of facilities utilization, 430
planning and maintenance; 431
(v) An assessment of food services, transportation 432
and safety/security systems; 433
(vi) An assessment of instructional and 434
administrative technology; 435
(vii) A review of the instructional management and 436
the efficiency and effectiveness of existing instructional 437
programs; and 438
(viii) Recommended methods for increasing 439
efficiency and effectiveness in providing educational services to 440
the public; 441
(qq) To enter into agreements with other local school 442
boards for the establishment of an educational service agency 443
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(ESA) to provide for the cooperative needs of the region in which 444
the school district is located, as provided in Section 37-7-345; 445
(rr) To * * * incorporate financial literacy * * * 446
components within the current curriculum offered to for students 447
in Grades * * * 6 through 8. The current curriculum for Grades 6 448
through 12 shall include content on financial literacy education. 449
Each student during Grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 shall take and pass a 450
one-half (1/2) Carnegie Unit course in personal finance or a full 451
Carnegie Unit course where half the course standards are financial 452
literacy in order to earn a high school diploma. The financial 453
literacy program shall include, but is not limited to, instruction 454
in the same areas of personal business and finance as required 455
under Section 37-1-3(2)(b). The school board may coordinate with 456
volunteer teachers from local community organizations, including, 457
but not limited to, the following: United States Department of 458
Agriculture Rural Development, United States Department of Housing 459
and Urban Development, Junior Achievement, bankers and other 460
nonprofit organizations. * * * In addition to any financial 461
literacy standards required by the State Department of Education 462
in the College and Career Readiness Standards, the financial 463
literacy program for students in Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 shall 464
include: 465
(i) Decision making; 466
(ii) Earning an income; 467
(iii) Saving and spending; 468
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(iv) Use of credit; and 469
(v) Budgeting. 470
The school board shall require schools to make best efforts 471
to cover as many of these topics as possible through the 472
curriculum implemented for Grades 6 through 8; 473
(ss) To collaborate with the State Board of Education, 474
Community Action Agencies or the Department of Human Services to 475
develop and implement a voluntary program to provide services for 476
a prekindergarten program that addresses the cognitive, social, 477
and emotional needs of four-year-old and three-year-old children. 478
The school board may utilize any source of available revenue to 479
fund the voluntary program. Effective with the 2013-2014 school 480
year, to implement voluntary prekindergarten programs under the 481
Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013 pursuant to state funds 482
awarded by the State Department of Education on a matching basis; 483
(tt) With respect to any lawful, written obligation of 484
a school district, including, but not limited to, leases 485
(excluding leases of sixteenth section public school trust land), 486
bonds, notes, or other agreement, to agree in writing with the 487
obligee that the Department of Revenue or any state agency, 488
department or commission created under state law may: 489
(i) Withhold all or any part (as agreed by the 490
school board) of any monies which such local school board is 491
entitled to receive from time to time under any law and which is 492
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in the possession of the Department of Revenue, or any state 493
agency, department or commission created under state law; and 494
(ii) Pay the same over to any financial 495
institution, trustee or other obligee, as directed in writing by 496
the school board, to satisfy all or part of such obligation of the 497
school district. 498
The school board may make such written agreement to withhold 499
and transfer funds irrevocable for the term of the written 500
obligation and may include in the written agreement any other 501
terms and provisions acceptable to the school board. If the 502
school board files a copy of such written agreement with the 503
Department of Revenue, or any state agency, department or 504
commission created under state law then the Department of Revenue 505
or any state agency, department or commission created under state 506
law shall immediately make the withholdings provided in such 507
agreement from the amounts due the local school board and shall 508
continue to pay the same over to such financial institution, 509
trustee or obligee for the term of the agreement. 510
This paragraph (tt) shall not grant any extra authority to a 511
school board to issue debt in any amount exceeding statutory 512
limitations on assessed value of taxable property within such 513
school district or the statutory limitations on debt maturities, 514
and shall not grant any extra authority to impose, levy or collect 515
a tax which is not otherwise expressly provided for, and shall not 516
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be construed to apply to sixteenth section public school trust 517
land; 518
(uu) With respect to any matter or transaction that is 519
competitively bid by a school district, to accept from any bidder 520
as a good-faith deposit or bid bond or bid surety, the same type 521
of good-faith deposit or bid bond or bid surety that may be 522
accepted by the state or any other political subdivision on 523
similar competitively bid matters or transactions. This paragraph 524
(uu) shall not be construed to apply to sixteenth section public 525
school trust land. The school board may authorize the investment 526
of any school district funds in the same kind and manner of 527
investments, including pooled investments, as any other political 528
subdivision, including community hospitals; 529
(vv) To utilize the alternate method for the conveyance 530
or exchange of unused school buildings and/or land, reserving a 531
partial or other undivided interest in the property, as 532
specifically authorized and provided in Section 37-7-485; 533
(ww) To delegate, privatize or otherwise enter into a 534
contract with private entities for the operation of any and all 535
functions of nonacademic school process, procedures and operations 536
including, but not limited to, cafeteria workers, janitorial 537
services, transportation, professional development, achievement 538
and instructional consulting services materials and products, 539
purchasing cooperatives, insurance, business manager services, 540
auditing and accounting services, school safety/risk prevention, 541
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data processing and student records, and other staff services; 542
however, the authority under this paragraph does not apply to the 543
leasing, management or operation of sixteenth section lands. 544
Local school districts, working through their regional education 545
service agency, are encouraged to enter into buying consortia with 546
other member districts for the purposes of more efficient use of 547
state resources as described in Section 37-7-345; 548
(xx) To partner with entities, organizations and 549
corporations for the purpose of benefiting the school district; 550
(yy) To borrow funds from the Rural Economic 551
Development Authority for the maintenance of school buildings; 552
(zz) To fund and operate voluntary early childhood 553
education programs, defined as programs for children less than 554
five (5) years of age on or before September 1, and to use any 555
source of revenue for such early childhood education programs. 556
Such programs shall not conflict with the Early Learning 557
Collaborative Act of 2013; 558
(aaa) To issue and provide for the use of procurement 559
cards by school board members, superintendents and licensed school 560
personnel consistent with the rules and regulations of the 561
Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration under Section 562
31-7-9; and 563
(bbb) To conduct an annual comprehensive evaluation of 564
the superintendent of schools consistent with the assessment 565
components of paragraph (pp) of this section and the assessment 566
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benchmarks established by the Mississippi School Board Association 567
to evaluate the success the superintendent has attained in meeting 568
district goals and objectives, the superintendent's leadership 569
skill and whether or not the superintendent has established 570
appropriate standards for performance, is monitoring success and 571
is using data for improvement. 572
SECTION 4. Section 37-28-45, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 573
amended as follows: 574
37-28-45. (1) Charter schools are subject to the same civil 575
rights, health and safety requirements applicable to noncharter 576
public schools in the state, except as otherwise specifically 577
provided in this chapter. 578
(2) Charter schools are subject to the student assessment 579
and accountability requirements applicable to noncharter public 580
schools in the state; however, this requirement does not preclude 581
a charter school from establishing additional student assessment 582
measures that go beyond state requirements if the authorizer 583
approves those measures. 584
(3) Although a charter school is geographically located 585
within the boundaries of a particular school district and * * * 586
may enroll students who reside within the school district, the 587
charter school may not be considered a school within that district 588
under the purview of the school district's school board. The 589
rules, regulations, policies and procedures established by the 590
school board for the noncharter public schools that are in the 591
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school district in which the charter school is geographically 592
located do not apply to the charter school unless otherwise 593
required under the charter contract or any contract entered into 594
between the charter * * * school's governing board and the local 595
school board. 596
(4) Whenever the provisions of Title 37, Mississippi Code of 597
1972, relating to the elementary and secondary education of public 598
school students establish a requirement for or grant authority to 599
local school districts, their school boards and the schools within 600
the respective school districts, the language "school districts," 601
"school boards," "boards of trustees," "the schools within a 602
school district," or any other similar phraseology does not 603
include a charter school and the governing board of a charter 604
school unless the statute specifically is made applicable to 605
charter schools as well as noncharter public schools. 606
(5) A charter school is not subject to any rule, regulation, 607
policy or procedure adopted by the State Board of Education or the 608
State Department of Education unless otherwise required by the 609
authorizer or in the charter contract. 610
(6) Charter schools and their governing boards, when 611
conducting charter school business, are not exempt from the 612
following statutes: 613
(a) Chapter 41, Title 25, Mississippi Code of 1972, 614
which relate to open meetings of public bodies. 615
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(b) Chapter 61, Title 25, Mississippi Code of 1972, 616
which relate to public access to public records. 617
(c) Section 37-3-51, which requires notice by the 618
district attorney of licensed school employees who are convicted 619
of certain sex offenses. 620
(d) Section 37-3-53, which requires publication of the 621
Mississippi Report Card by the State Board of Education. 622
(e) Section 37-11-18, which requires the automatic 623
expulsion of a student possessing a weapon or controlled substance 624
on educational property. 625
(f) Section 37-11-18.1, which requires expulsion of 626
certain habitually disruptive students. 627
(g) Section 37-11-19, which requires suspension or 628
expulsion of a student who damages school property. 629
(h) Section 37-11-20, which prohibits acts of 630
intimidation intended to keep a student from attending school. 631
(i) Section 37-11-21, which prohibits parental abuse of 632
school staff. 633
(j) Section 37-11-23, which prohibits the willful 634
disruption of school and school meetings. 635
(k) Sections 37-11-29 and 37-11-31, which relate to 636
reporting requirements regarding unlawful or violent acts on 637
school property. 638
(l) Section 37-11-67, which prohibits bullying or 639
harassing behavior in public schools. 640
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(m) Section 37-13-3, which prohibits doctrinal, 641
sectarian or denominational teaching in public schools. 642
(n) Sections 37-13-5 and 37-13-6, which require the 643
flags of the United States and the State of Mississippi to be 644
displayed near the school building. 645
(o) Section 37-13-63(1), which prescribes the minimum 646
number of days which public schools must be kept in session during 647
a scholastic year. 648
(p) Section 37-13-91, which is the Mississippi 649
Compulsory School Attendance Law. 650
(q) Section 37-13-171(2) and (4), which requires any 651
course containing sex-related education to include instruction in 652
abstinence-only or abstinence-plus education. 653
(r) Section 37-13-173, which requires notice to parents 654
before instruction on human sexuality is provided in public 655
classrooms. 656
(s) Section 37-13-193, which relates to civil rights 657
and human rights education in the public schools. 658
(t) Sections 37-15-1 and 37-15-3, which relate to the 659
maintenance and transfer of permanent student records in public 660
schools. 661
(u) Section 37-15-6, which requires the State 662
Department of Education to maintain a record of expulsions from 663
the public schools. 664
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ST: Financial literacy; require SBE to develop
curriculum for Grades 6-12.
(v) Section 37-15-9, which establishes minimum age 665
requirements for kindergarten and first grade enrollment in public 666
schools. 667
(w) Section 37-15-11, which requires a parent, legal 668
guardian or custodian to accompany a child seeking enrollment in a 669
public school. 670
(x) Sections 37-16-1, 37-16-3, 37-16-4 and 37-16-9, 671
which relate to the statewide assessment testing program. 672
(y) Section 37-18-1, which establishes the 673
Superior-Performing Schools Program and Exemplary Schools Program 674
to recognize public schools that improve. 675
(z) Sections 37-7-301 and Section 1 of this act, which 676
requires all high school students to pass a one-half (1/2) 677
Carnegie Unit credit course in personal finance or a full Carnegie 678
Unit course where half the course standards are financial literacy 679
as a requirement for earning a high school diploma. 680
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from 681
and after July 1, 2026. 682