Education; institute initiatives to promote literacy in math, reading, finance, computer science, and civics.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Johnson, Simmons (13th)

SENATE BILL NO. 2294
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO ENACT THE "MISSISSIPPI MATH ACT" ESTABLISHING THE 1
MOVING MATHEMATICS IN MISSISSIPPI (M3) PROGRAM WITHIN THE STATE 2
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; TO SET FORTH FINDINGS, PURPOSES, 3
DEFINITIONS AND PROGRAM COMPONENTS; TO AUTHORIZE K-12 MATHEMATICS 4
COACHING AND SUPPORT, K-5 MATHEMATICS SCREENING AND INTERVENTIONS, 5
AN ALGEBRA-READINESS INDICATOR BASED ON THE GRADE 5 STATEWIDE 6
MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENT SCALE SCORE, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 7
FOR GRADES K-1, 2-6 AND 7-12; TO PROVIDE FOR ADMINISTRATION, 8
RULEMAKING, DATA PROTECTIONS, REPORTING, EVALUATION AND DISTRICT 9
PARTICIPATION; TO CREATE THE MOVING MATHEMATICS IN MISSISSIPPI 10
FUND; TO REQUIRE ANNUAL REPORTING TO THE LEGISLATURE; TO PROVIDE 11
CERTAIN INTERVENTION AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR LITERACY 12
PROFICIENCY AMONG STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-8; TO DEFINE TERMINOLOGY; 13
TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE A SYSTEM 14
OF SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL AND DISTRICT INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS, 15
CONTENT-AREA TEACHERS, LITERACY COACHES, DYSLEXIA THERAPISTS, 16
INTERVENTIONISTS, TUTORS, AND OTHER IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL TO ENSURE 17
THEY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN GRADES 18
4-8 WITH READING DIFFICULTIES; TO PRESCRIBE WHAT THE SYSTEM OF 19
SUPPORT SHALL ENTAIL; TO REQUIRE THAT ANY STUDENT IN GRADES 4-8 20
EXHIBITING DEFICIENCIES IN READING SHALL RECEIVE AN INDIVIDUAL 21
READING PLAN (IRP) NO LATER THAN 30 DAYS AFTER THE IDENTIFICATION 22
OF THE READING DEFICIENCY; TO SPECIFY THAT THE IRP SHALL BE 23
CREATED BY THE TEACHER, INTERVENTIONIST, PRINCIPAL, OTHER 24
PERTINENT SCHOOL PERSONNEL, AND PARENT AND SHALL DESCRIBE THE 25
SCIENTIFICALLY RESEARCHED AND EVIDENCED-BASED READING INTERVENTION 26
SERVICES THE STUDENT SHALL RECEIVE TO REMEDY THE READING DEFICIT; 27
TO REQUIRE WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF THE PARENT OF ANY STUDENT IN 28
GRADES 4-8 WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS OF THE IDENTIFICATION OF A 29
READING DEFICIENCY; TO REQUIRE THAT ANY INCOMING STUDENT IN GRADES 30
4-8 IDENTIFIED WITH A READING DEFICIENCY BE PROVIDED WITH 31
SUPPLEMENTAL OR INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS DEPENDENT UPON THE 32
SEVERITY OF THE DEFICIT SKILLS TO ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC DEFICIENCY; 33
TO PROVIDE FOR REMEDIATION FOR STUDENTS WHOSE READING DEFICIENCY 34
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IS NOT REMEDIED BEFORE THE END OF EIGHTH GRADE; TO SET OUT THE 35
RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 36
EDUCATION, AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE 37
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE, AND 38
MAY PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS AS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT, 39
THE PROVISIONS PROMOTING LITERACY PROFICIENCY AMONG STUDENTS IN 40
GRADES 4-8; TO ENACT THE "J.P. WILEMON, JR., FINANCIAL LITERACY 41
ACT"; TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO INCORPORATE 42
FINANCIAL LITERACY COMPONENTS WITHIN THE EXISTING CURRICULUM TO BE 43
TAUGHT IN GRADES 6-8 BEGINNING IN THE 2027-2028 SCHOOL YEAR; TO 44
REQUIRE SUCCESSFUL PASSAGE OF THE STAND-ALONE ONE-HALF CARNEGIE 45
UNIT PERSONAL FINANCE COURSE OR A FULL CARNEGIE UNIT COURSE WHERE 46
AT LEAST ONE-HALF OF THE COURSE STANDARDS CONCERN FINANCIAL 47
LITERACY AS A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT; TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-16-7, 48
37-7-301 AND 37-28-45, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM, AND 49
TO SET CERTAIN TOPICS THAT SHALL BE REQUIRED FOR THE FINANCIAL 50
LITERACY PROGRAM; TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI FUTURE INNOVATORS ACT; 51
TO CREATE NEW SECTION 37-13-215, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 52
PROVIDE THAT, BEGINNING WITH THE ENTERING NINTH-GRADE CLASS OF 53
2029-2030, A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SHALL, BEFORE GRADUATION, 54
BE REQUIRED TO EARN ONE UNIT OF CREDIT IN A HIGH SCHOOL COMPUTER 55
SCIENCE COURSE, OR ONE UNIT OF CREDIT IN AN INDUSTRY-ALIGNED 56
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) WITH EMBEDDED COMPUTER 57
SCIENCE COURSE; TO PROVIDE THE STATE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS THAT 58
MAY BE SATISFIED BY EITHER OF THESE COURSES; TO REQUIRE THAT SUCH 59
COURSES INCLUDE INSTRUCTION ON THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF 60
EMERGING COMPUTER SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES, SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL 61
INTELLIGENCE; TO AMEND SECTION 37-13-205, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 62
1972, TO DEFINE "CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION WITH EMBEDDED 63
COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE" FOR PURPOSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI COMPUTER 64
SCIENCE AND CYBER EDUCATION EQUALITY ACT; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 65
37-13-56, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT, BEGINNING IN 66
THE 2027-2028 SCHOOL YEAR, EVERY PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOL WITHIN 67
THE STATE SHALL TEACH CIVICS COURSES STARTING IN THE 8TH GRADE AND 68
BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF 12TH GRADE; TO PROVIDE THE AIM AND 69
CONTENT OF SUCH COURSES; TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 70
EDUCATION SHALL PRESCRIBE THE COURSE OF STUDY AND SHALL UPDATE 71
COURSE STANDARDS TO ALIGN WITH CURRENT CIVICS SCHOLARSHIP; AND FOR 72
RELATED PURPOSES. 73
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 74
SECTION 1. (1) Sections 1 through 12 of this act shall be 75
known and may be cited as the "Mississippi Math Act." 76
(2) The Legislature finds that: 77
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(a) Early numeracy and fluency with whole-number 78
operations, decimals and fractions are foundational to secondary 79
mathematics; 80
(b) Sustained, job-embedded mathematics coaching 81
improves teacher practice and student outcomes; 82
(c) Systematic screening and targeted interventions in 83
the elementary grades reduce later remediation; and 84
(d) Ensuring algebra readiness before middle school 85
coursework strengthens the state's workforce pipeline. 86
(3) Sections 1 through 12 of this act establish a statewide 87
framework, Moving Mathematics in Mississippi (M3), to: 88
(a) Expand mathematics coaching; 89
(b) Implement Kindergarten through Grade 5 (K-5) 90
mathematics screening with aligned interventions; 91
(c) Establish an Algebra-Readiness Indicator using the 92
Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics Assessment cut score; 93
(d) Provide grade-based professional development 94
aligned to Mississippi's College- and Career-Readiness Standards 95
and assessments; and 96
(e) Require that all mathematics coaching, professional 97
development, and implementation supports funded, provided, or 98
approved by the department under M3 be aligned to and emphasize: 99
(i) The Standards for Mathematical Practice 100
(SMPSs); 101
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(ii) Effective Mathematics Teaching and Practices 102
(EMTPs), meaning evidence-based instructional practices that 103
support high-quality mathematics instruction and student learning; 104
and 105
(iii) Instruction that reflects the focus, 106
coherence, and rigor required by the Mississippi College- and 107
Career-Readiness Standards (MS-CCRS) for Mathematics. 108
SECTION 2. As used in Sections 1 through 12 of this act: 109
(a) "Board" means the State Board of Education. 110
(b) "Department" means the State Department of 111
Education. 112
(c) "M3" means the Moving Mathematics in Mississippi 113
Program established in Sections 1 through 12 of this act. 114
(d) "Coach" means a mathematics instructional coach 115
employed or contracted by the department or a participating school 116
district, trained in the department's coaching model. 117
(e) "High-quality instructional materials" or "HQIMs" 118
means standards-aligned, evidence-based mathematics curricula and 119
assessments approved by the department. 120
(f) "K–5 Mathematics Screener" means a universal 121
screening system for Kindergarten through Grade 5 addressing 122
grade-appropriate mathematics domains and skill progressions, as 123
determined by the department. 124
(g) "Algebra-Readiness Indicator" or "indicator" means 125
a cut score on the Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics Assessment 126
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established by the department that suggests student readiness for 127
Algebra I and is used to guide supports and placement. 128
(h) "Individualized Math Plan" or "IMP" means a written 129
plan for a student identified by a screener as at risk of not 130
meeting grade-level expectations, and which specifies 131
interventions, progress monitoring and exit criteria. 132
(i) "MIOP" means the Mathematics Instructional 133
Observation Protocol adopted by the department for classroom 134
observation and administrator calibration. 135
(j) "Professional learning community" or "PLC" means 136
educational stakeholders who meet regularly to share expertise, 137
analyze data, plan instruction and collaborate to improve teaching 138
capacity and student performance. 139
SECTION 3. (1) There is created within the department the 140
Moving Mathematics in Mississippi (M3) Program. 141
(2) In order to administer M3, the department, through the 142
board, may promulgate rules and regulations, enter into contracts, 143
and partner with institutions of higher learning, school districts 144
and nonprofit entities for implementation, evaluation and 145
professional learning. 146
(3) The department may issue guidance for school district 147
participation, including model schedules, PLC structures, 148
intervention blocks and family engagement resources. 149
SECTION 4. (1) Statewide coaching expansion (Grades K-12). 150
The department shall place coaches in Grades K-12, with priority 151
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in Grades 2 through 6 to provide on-site and virtual coaching 152
cycles, modeling, PLC facilitation, data meetings, administrator 153
walk-throughs using MIOP, and family math resources. Coaching 154
shall be organized by grade band to include elementary (K–6) and 155
secondary (7–12) and may include college- and career-readiness 156
coaches to align mathematics with workforce pathways and statewide 157
assessments. 158
(2) K–5 Mathematics screening and intervention protocol. 159
The department shall develop and adopt a K–5 Mathematics Screener 160
with well-defined scores and skill maps, in order to assist with 161
implementing IMPs for students below benchmark, training teachers 162
and administrators, and implementing periodic progress monitoring. 163
(3) Grade 5 Algebra-Readiness Indicator. The Grade 5 164
Statewide Mathematics Assessment cut score designated by the 165
department shall be used for the Algebra-Readiness Indicator. The 166
district shall develop IMPs for students below the indicator prior 167
to middle school mathematics. The department may develop 168
crosswalks and training to support intervention pathways based on 169
students' Grade 5 results. 170
(4) Professional development system. The department shall 171
implement ongoing regional training, virtual courses and 172
school-based professional development cycles providing lesson 173
guides, teacher-facing supports and assessment references aligned 174
to HQIMs and effective mathematics teaching practices. 175
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SECTION 5. (1) Coaches shall meet qualifications set by the 176
department, including: 177
(a) Demonstrated content knowledge; 178
(b) Training in the department's coaching model; and 179
(c) Experience facilitating adult learning. 180
(2) The department may employ coaches as state personnel or 181
educators-in-residence, or through personal service or 182
professional contracts, and may authorize participating districts 183
to host coaches via agreements with the department. 184
(3) The department shall establish coach playbooks, dosage 185
targets and fidelity expectations, may prioritize placements based 186
on student need, vacancies and regional access, and shall provide 187
administrator calibration using MIOP. 188
SECTION 6. (1) Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, 189
participating districts shall administer the K–5 Mathematics 190
Screener at least three (3) times annually on a schedule set by 191
the department. 192
(2) For each student identified below benchmark, the school 193
district shall develop an IMP specifying evidence-based 194
interventions, frequency and duration, a progress-monitoring 195
schedule, and exit criteria established by the department. The 196
IMP shall be shared with the student's parent or guardian in a 197
timely manner and in parent-centered language, both as established 198
by the department. 199
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(3) The department shall provide model IMP templates, 200
intervention menus and progress-monitoring tools, and may provide 201
additional support for students with persistent risk. 202
(4) The district shall implement the Algebra Readiness 203
Indicator and required interventions through a Multi-Tiered System 204
of Supports (MTSS) for mathematics that includes: 205
(a) Tier 1 core instruction using department-adopted 206
HQIM with fidelity; 207
(b) Tier 2 targeted interventions; and 208
(c) Tier 3 intensive interventions. 209
(5) Students scoring below the Algebra Readiness Indicator 210
shall receive Tier 2 or Tier 3 mathematics interventions, as 211
appropriate, prior to middle-school coursework. The district 212
shall develop an IMP for each student, and the IMP shall serve as 213
the student's MTSS mathematics intervention plan, specifying the 214
intervention pathway, schedule/dosage and progress-monitoring 215
measures. 216
(6) Progress monitoring. The district shall monitor student 217
progress at regular intervals and adjust the intensity or type of 218
intervention when data indicates insufficient growth. The 219
department may provide MTSS guidance, crosswalks, templates, and 220
training to support consistent implementation. 221
SECTION 7. (1) Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, 222
the department shall designate and publish an Algebra-Readiness 223
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Indicator cut score for the Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics 224
Assessment under a standard-setting process approved by the board. 225
(2) Districts shall use the indicator to inform placement, 226
acceleration and IMP development for students scoring below the 227
indicator prior to entry into middle-school mathematics. 228
(3) The indicator shall be used as an indicator of 229
readiness, not as a criterion for student promotion or retention. 230
In determining such criteria, districts shall consider multiple 231
measures, consistent with department guidance. 232
(4) The department shall recommend the indicator cut score, 233
ensure alignment to content standards, and establish validity and 234
reliability evidence. The department shall review the indicator 235
at least every three (3) years. Exit criteria for students 236
receiving interventions informed by the indicator shall be set by 237
the department and may include sustained proficiency on subsequent 238
mathematics assessments. 239
SECTION 8. (1) The department shall invite districts to 240
participate and shall prioritize high-need districts based on 241
achievement gaps, vacancies, rural access and other equity 242
factors, while ensuring regional coverage. 243
(2) The department shall require a memorandum of 244
understanding (MOU) between itself and the district specifying 245
roles, data sharing consistent with federal and state law, 246
coaching schedules, fidelity expectations, and the obligatory use 247
of HQIMs. 248
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SECTION 9. (1) All student-level data collected under 249
Sections 1 through 12 of this act shall be maintained in 250
compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 251
(FERPA) and applicable state law. 252
(2) The department may develop a public dashboard with 253
district-level results and implementation indicators. 254
Student-level data shall not be publicly released. 255
SECTION 10. (1) There is created in the State Treasury a 256
special fund to be known as the "Moving Mathematics in Mississippi 257
Fund." The fund shall consist of money appropriated by the 258
Legislature, grants, gifts and other monies as authorized by law. 259
(2) Monies in the fund shall be used by the department 260
solely for the purposes of Sections 1 through 12 of this act, 261
including, but not limited to: 262
(a) Personnel or contracts for mathematics coaches; 263
(b) Adoption, licensing or development of the K–5 264
Mathematics Screener and technical work to set, report and 265
maintain the Grade 5 Statewide Assessment Algebra-Readiness 266
Indicator and related data systems; 267
(c) Professional development content and delivery; 268
(d) Regional trainings and travel; 269
(e) Evaluation and reporting; and 270
(f) Program management and operations. 271
(3) Of the monies appropriated in the fund for any fiscal 272
year, any unexpended balances as of June 30 of that fiscal year, 273
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not otherwise obligated, shall lapse into the State General Fund 274
at the end of the fiscal year. 275
SECTION 11. The department shall submit an annual report to 276
the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of 277
Representatives, and the Chairs of the Senate and House Education 278
Committees detailing the implementation of the Mississippi Math 279
Act. The report shall be submitted no later than October 1 of 280
each year, beginning in 2027 for the 2026-2027 school year. At a 281
minimum, the report shall include: 282
(a) A comprehensive description of how the Mississippi 283
Math Act is being implemented statewide and within each local 284
school district; 285
(b) Identification of any administrative rules, 286
regulations, or policies adopted by the department to carry out 287
the Mississippi Math Act, including the date of adoption and a 288
summary of each policy; 289
(c) A detailed description of all math intervention 290
strategies and programs being utilized under the Mississippi Math 291
Act, including tiered supports; 292
(d) Criteria used for identifying students in need of 293
intervention; 294
(e) The number and percentage of students receiving 295
interventions, disaggregated by grade level, subgroup, and school 296
district; 297
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(f) Evidence-based justification for selected 298
intervention strategies; 299
(g) Statewide and district-level data on student math 300
proficiency, growth, and readiness indicators, including, but not 301
limited to, early numeracy benchmarks, third-grade math 302
proficiency rates, algebra readiness indicators and enrollment 303
data, and longitudinal comparisons demonstrating trends over time; 304
(h) Identification of shortages in qualified math 305
educators, interventionists, or instructional coaches; 306
(i) Efforts undertaken to recruit, train, and retain 307
qualified personnel; 308
(j) A list of approved or recommended math curricula 309
and instructional materials aligned to the goals of the 310
Mississippi Math Act, and an explanation of how such materials 311
align with evidence-based practices in mathematics instruction; 312
(k) An assessment of the extent to which school 313
districts are implementing the requirements of the Mississippi 314
Math Act with fidelity; 315
(l) Identification of districts requiring additional 316
support or intervention from the department; 317
(m) Identification of any challenges or barriers to 318
effective implementation, including statutory, regulatory, 319
funding, or workforce limitations, and specific legislative or 320
administrative recommendations to improve outcomes and strengthen 321
implementation; and 322
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(n) A detailed accounting of all funds appropriated or 323
expended in furtherance of the Mississippi Math Act, including how 324
funds are allocated across districts and programs. 325
SECTION 12. (1) The department may adopt emergency and 326
permanent rules necessary to implement Sections 1 through 11 of 327
this act, including establishing cut scores, benchmarking windows, 328
intervention guidance and reporting templates. 329
(2) The department shall publish an initial implementation 330
timeline not later than the start of the 2026-2027 school year, 331
including recruitment and placement of coaches, screener 332
procurement, training calendars, and establishment of the Grade 5 333
Statewide Mathematics Assessment Algebra-Readiness Indicator cut 334
score no later than December 1, 2026. 335
SECTION 13. Definitions. As used in Sections 13 through 24 336
of this act: 337
(a) "Accommodations" means measures taken to allow a 338
student to complete the same assignment or test as other students, 339
but with a change in the timing, formatting, setting, scheduling, 340
response, or presentation. Accommodation is provided for both 341
testing and instruction and changes the way students access 342
information and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities 343
without lowering learning or performance expectations and without 344
changing academic standards or what is being measured. The 345
purpose is to ensure equal access to the full school experience 346
for students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities. 347
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Accommodation does not change the content of instruction, give 348
students an unfair advantage, or change the skills or knowledge 349
that a test measures. 350
(b) "Comprehensive dyslexia evaluation" is the process 351
of gathering information to identify factors contributing to a 352
student's difficulty learning to read and spell. An evaluation 353
encompasses identification, screening, testing, diagnosis, and all 354
the other information-gathering involved when the student, his or 355
her family, and a team of professionals work together to determine 356
why the student is having difficulty. 357
(c) "Content-area teacher" includes all subject-area 358
teachers. 359
(d) "Department" means the State Department of 360
Education. 361
(e) "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability 362
that is neurobiological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by 363
difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and poor 364
spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically 365
result from a deficit in the phonological component of language 366
that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities 367
and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary 368
consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and 369
reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary 370
and background knowledge. 371
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(f) "Dyslexia diagnosis" means a clear diagnostic 372
statement included in a written evaluation report to document the 373
presence of dyslexia. The evaluation is conducted by a 374
professional psychologist, psychometrist, or speech-language 375
pathologist. 376
(g) "Dyslexia screening" is a brief assessment 377
measuring critical skills and identifying potential risks and is a 378
predictor of future reading success. 379
(h) "Educator preparation program" or "EPPs" means any 380
program that prepares individuals for certification as educators, 381
school administrators, or other school personnel. 382
(i) "Evidence-based" references instructional 383
strategies or practices with clear and convincing proof from 384
scientifically based research studies which have been 385
peer-reviewed. 386
(j) "High-quality instructional materials" or "HQIMs" 387
means instructional curricula and intervention programs, 388
including, but not limited to, textbooks, teacher guides, and 389
supplemental materials, that are grounded in the science of 390
reading and evidenced-based research approaches that help all 391
students achieve grade-level learning goals. HQIMs incorporate 392
best practices for building skills essential to reading, follow a 393
sequential order of lessons that are explicit, systematic, and 394
cumulative, contain challenging texts that build student 395
background knowledge, support academic language development and 396
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critical thinking skills across core content areas, and are 397
aligned to a state's academic standards. These materials are 398
rigorous, comprehensive, and regularly reviewed and updated to 399
align to research and best practices. They also provide 400
curriculum-specific professional development that prepares 401
teachers to effectively plan and prepare lessons and assessments, 402
differentiate instruction, and monitor student progress. 403
(k) "Individual reading plan" or "IRP" means an 404
individually designed reading intervention for a student required 405
under Section 16 of this act. 406
(l) "English Language Learner" or "ELL" means a student 407
identified in accordance with federal law as entitled to English 408
as a second language or bilingual services on the basis of the 409
student's English language proficiency. 410
(m) "Multi-tiered system of support" or "MTSS" means a 411
framework for supporting and increasing academic, behavioral, and 412
social-emotional outcomes for all students. 413
(n) "Reading intervention" includes evidence-based 414
strategies from scientifically based reading research frequently 415
used to improve reading where deficiencies exist and includes, but 416
is not limited to, individual instruction, multisensory 417
approaches, dyslexia therapy, tutoring, mentoring, or the use of 418
technology that targets specific reading skills and abilities. 419
(o) "Science of reading" means the large body of 420
evidence that informs how proficient reading and writing develop, 421
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why some students have difficulty, and how educators can most 422
effectively assess, teach, and improve student outcomes through 423
prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties. 424
(p) "Scientifically based reading research" applies 425
rigorous, systematic, and objective methods to gain knowledge from 426
multiple disciplines to understand how children learn to read, 427
together with strategies and methods that can be used to teach 428
children to read and how they can overcome reading difficulties. 429
(q) "Structured literacy" is an evidence-based approach 430
to teaching oral and written language aligned to the science of 431
reading. It is based on the science of how kids learn to read and 432
is characterized by direct, explicit, systematic, sequential, 433
cumulative, and diagnostic instruction in phonology, phonemic 434
awareness, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, 435
morphology, syntax, and semantics. 436
(r) "System of assessments" means a comprehensive 437
system for use in a school district or charter school that 438
provides screening, diagnostic, and summative assessments of key 439
indicators of reading success, including word recognition, 440
vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. 441
(s) "Three-cueing system" means a largely antiquated 442
and ineffective style of teaching students to read based on "MSV": 443
meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues. 444
(t) "Universal screener" means an assessment that is 445
administered three (3) times per year (beginning, middle, and end) 446
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to identify or predict students who may be at risk for reading 447
failure and is typically brief and conducted with all students at 448
a particular grade level. 449
SECTION 14. System of support for educators. The department 450
shall provide a system of support for school and district 451
instructional leaders, content-area teachers, literacy coaches, 452
dyslexia therapists, interventionists, tutors, and other 453
identified personnel across content areas in Grades 4 through 8 to 454
ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to support students 455
with reading difficulties. The system of support shall include: 456
(a) Professional learning for district instructional 457
leaders, principals, school-level literacy leaders, content-area 458
teachers, special-education teachers, literacy coaches, dyslexia 459
therapists, interventionists, tutors, ELL teachers, and other 460
identified personnel across content areas of students in Grades 4 461
through 8 on the following: 462
(i) Comprehensive training grounded in the science 463
of reading to ensure all teachers have the knowledge and skills to 464
support a range of students with diverse needs, students with 465
reading difficulties, English Language Learners, and students with 466
characteristics of or diagnosis of dyslexia, including: 467
1. Explicit, systematic, developmentally and 468
age-appropriate instruction in phonological awareness, the 469
alphabetic principle, oral language development, decoding, 470
encoding, fluency (including accuracy), morphology (including 471
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morphological awareness and etymology), vocabulary, syntax, 472
comprehension, and building content knowledge; 473
2. Strategies to increase educator knowledge 474
of reading and writing basics for students in Grades 4 through 8; 475
3. Evidence-based strategies for motivating 476
and engaging adolescent learners; 477
4. Scientifically researched and 478
evidenced-based reading strategies for accommodations and 479
scaffolding instruction for struggling readers and writers; and 480
5. Approaches to assist educators in 481
determining causes of reading difficulties, including dyslexia, 482
and other learning differences, for students in Grades 4 through 8 483
and how word reading, vocabulary, content knowledge, 484
comprehension, and writing are affected; and 485
(ii) The department-approved assessment system(s) 486
selected by school districts to ensure teachers have the knowledge 487
and skills to administer the assessment and use assessment data to 488
inform instruction based on student needs. 489
(b) Job-embedded coaching support for teachers of 490
Grades 4 through 8 that shall include the following: 491
(i) Provide on-site teacher training on 492
evidence-based reading strategies and data-based decision-making; 493
(ii) Demonstrate lessons; 494
(iii) Co-teach and/or observe teaching; 495
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(iv) Provide immediate feedback for improvement; 496
and 497
(v) Provide support to teachers and administrators 498
in data-based decision-making. 499
(c) Educator preparation programs that equip candidates 500
seeking certification for elementary, special education, and 501
secondary education with training and instruction to: 502
(i) Effectively teach reading aligned to 503
scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading instruction, 504
including explicit and systematic instruction in phonological 505
awareness, the alphabetic principle, decoding, encoding, fluency, 506
morphology (including etymology), syntax, vocabulary, 507
comprehension, and building content knowledge; 508
(ii) Implement reading instruction using 509
high-quality instructional materials; 510
(iii) Provide training on the identification of 511
students not reading on grade level, the selection of appropriate 512
interventions, and effective instruction and interventions for a 513
range of students with diverse needs, including English Language 514
Learners and students with characteristics of dyslexia or 515
diagnosed with dyslexia; 516
(iv) Understand and use student data to make 517
instructional decisions; and 518
(v) Incorporate literacy instruction across 519
content areas. 520
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SECTION 15. Reading instruction and intervention. (1) 521
State standards for literacy in Grades K through 8 shall align 522
with evidence-based strategies and scientifically based reading 523
research, and all students shall have access to high-quality Tier 524
1 core instruction that is differentiated to meet students' 525
diverse needs. Evidence-based reading instruction has been proven 526
to accelerate the progress of all students, including those 527
exhibiting a reading deficiency. 528
(2) The department shall: 529
(a) Develop a list of HQIM core literacy curricula, 530
interventions, and supplemental materials aligned with 531
scientifically researched and evidence-based reading instruction 532
and state standards for use in districts for students in Grades 4 533
through 8. Standards as well as HQIM should address word 534
recognition and language comprehension skills, build background 535
knowledge and expand students' knowledge across content areas. 536
Balanced literacy, including, but not limited to, the three-cueing 537
systems model, which research shows is inconsistent with 538
scientifically based reading instruction and the science of 539
reading, shall not be used to teach reading in Mississippi public 540
schools or state agencies or by anyone who receives state funding. 541
The list shall be approved by the State Board of Education; and 542
(b) Provide an approved list of one or more reliable 543
and valid reading assessment systems for school district use for 544
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screening and monitoring student progress toward becoming a 545
skilled reader. The reading assessment system shall: 546
(i) Provide a screener to be administered three 547
(3) times per year (beginning, middle, and end) with progress 548
monitoring capabilities and a diagnostic tool to support teachers 549
with targeting instruction based on student needs; 550
(ii) Measure, at a minimum, fluency and 551
comprehension; and 552
(iii) For students who demonstrate difficulty with 553
these skills, provide additional diagnostic screening in 554
foundational skills (phonological awareness and phonics) to 555
identify specific skill deficits. 556
(c) Consider, at a minimum, the following factors in 557
determining which assessment systems to approve for use by school 558
districts: 559
(i) The time required to conduct the assessment, 560
with the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time; 561
(ii) The availability of accommodation for 562
students with specialized plans; 563
(iii) The timeliness in reporting assessment 564
results to teachers, administrators, and parents; and 565
(iv) The integration of assessment and instruction 566
the system provides. 567
(3) School districts shall offer reading intervention 568
services to each student in Grades 4 through 8 who exhibits 569
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deficiencies in reading based upon the approved literacy screener 570
administered within the first thirty (30) days of school, middle 571
of the year, and end of the year and subsequently administered 572
diagnostics to inform targeted interventions. Determination for 573
the need for intervention will be made by the examination of 574
multiple data points, including a diagnostic assessment, within 575
the first thirty (30) days of school. Reading intervention shall 576
be provided to struggling students, in addition to core reading 577
instruction that is provided to all students in the general 578
education classroom. School districts shall adhere to the MTSS 579
guidance process for Mississippi and shall consider multiple data 580
points. These services shall: 581
(a) Provide appropriate interventions to all students 582
in Grades 4 through 8 who are identified with reading 583
deficiencies, as determined by the department, including students 584
who meet the approved assessments system cut scores, Fourth-Grade 585
students promoted from Third Grade with a good-cause exemption, 586
students receiving special education services, students diagnosed 587
with or showing characteristics of dyslexia, and English Language 588
Learners; 589
(b) Provide explicit and systematic instruction in age 590
and developmentally appropriate phonological awareness, phonics 591
(including decoding and encoding), fluency, vocabulary, 592
morphology, and comprehension, as applicable; 593
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(c) Utilize explicit and systematic reading strategies 594
to develop phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and 595
comprehension, with more extensive opportunities for guided 596
practice, error correction, and feedback; 597
(d) Monitor the reading progress of each student's 598
reading skills throughout the school year and provide 599
differentiated instruction based on screening, diagnostic, and 600
progress monitoring to adjust instruction to meet students' 601
specific needs; 602
(e) Be implemented during regular school hours in 603
addition to any offerings provided before, during, or after school 604
with a trained educator; 605
(f) Be implemented by a reading specialist, dyslexia 606
therapist or interventionist, or school-based coach who shall have 607
training in scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading 608
instruction, fidelity to the selected intervention, and 609
evidence-based literacy instruction practices; and 610
(g) Be delivered primarily by a trained educator using 611
age and developmentally appropriate interventions, with any 612
technology used to serve as supplemental support. 613
(4) Local school boards, in collaboration with district 614
literacy leaders, shall develop and implement programs of 615
prevention, intervention, or remediation for students who are 616
educationally at risk, including, but not limited to, those who 617
fail to achieve a passing score on the English - Language Arts 618
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State Summative Assessment in Grades 3 through 8, English Language 619
Learners, and students who show characteristics of or who are 620
diagnosed with dyslexia in middle grades. Such programs shall 621
include strategies and methods that are proven through 622
scientifically researched and evidence-based instruction. Local 623
school boards shall also implement programs in Grades 4 through 8 624
to enhance success. 625
(5) Each school board shall employ at least one (1) reading 626
specialist, interventionist, or dyslexia therapist in any school 627
serving students in Grades 4 through 8. Each such reading 628
specialist shall be required to participate in professional 629
learning grounded in the science of reading, to include: 630
(a) Training in the identification and use of 631
appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques 632
for students with dyslexia or a related reading disorder; 633
(b) Service as an advisor on dyslexia and related 634
reading disorders; and 635
(c) State-approved training on the definition of 636
dyslexia and knowledge of: 637
(i) Techniques to help a student with dyslexia on 638
the continuum of skills; 639
(ii) Dyslexia characteristics that may manifest at 640
different ages and grade levels; 641
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(iii) The basic foundational keys to reading, 642
including direct, explicit, sequential, systematic, and 643
multisensory/multimodal reading instruction; and 644
(iv) Appropriate interventions, accommodations, 645
and assistive technology support for students with dyslexia. 646
SECTION 16. Individual reading plan. (1) Any student in 647
Grades 4 through 8 who exhibits deficiencies in reading at any 648
time, based upon the vetted and approved assessment system, shall 649
receive an individual reading plan (IRP) no later than thirty (30) 650
days after the identification of the reading deficiency. The IRP 651
shall be created by the teacher, interventionist, principal, other 652
pertinent school personnel, and parent(s) and shall describe the 653
scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading intervention 654
services the student shall receive to remedy the reading deficit. 655
If possible, students and parents should have a voice in 656
scheduling decisions, especially when changes affect classes or 657
electives the student values. Each student shall receive 658
intensive reading intervention until the student no longer has a 659
deficiency in reading, as determined by multiple data points, 660
including an approved literacy screener, diagnostic assessment, 661
and the state's summative assessment. 662
(2) The IRP shall follow the template provided by the 663
department and include documentation of reading intervention 664
services and strategies outlined within the MTSS guidance 665
document, at a minimum: 666
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(a) The student's specific deficiencies in reading as 667
determined or identified by diagnostic assessment data or the 668
literacy screener provided or approved by the department; 669
(b) The goals and benchmark cut scores for student 670
growth in reading; 671
(c) A description of the specific measures that will be 672
used to evaluate and monitor the student's reading progress; 673
(d) The alignment to an Individualized Education Plan 674
(IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for 675
students who receive special education services; 676
(e) The specific evidence-based literacy instruction 677
the student will receive; 678
(f) The strategies, resources, and materials that will 679
be provided to the student's parent or guardian to support the 680
student at home in making reading progress; and 681
(g) Any additional services the teacher deems available 682
and appropriate to accelerate the student's reading development. 683
(3) The IRP may include the following services for the 684
student: 685
(i) Instruction from a reading specialist, dyslexia 686
therapist, trained paraprofessional, or classroom teacher with 687
support from an aide; and 688
(ii) Extended instructional time in the school day or 689
school year or, for students in Grades 6 through 8, a literacy 690
course, in addition to the required core English - Language Arts 691
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course, that provides the specific evidence-based literacy 692
instruction identified in the student's reading plan. 693
SECTION 17. Parent notification. The parent of any student 694
in Grades 4 through 8 who exhibits deficiencies in reading at any 695
time during the school year shall be notified in writing within 696
ten (10) calendar days after the identification of the reading 697
deficiency, and the written notification shall be made available 698
in the parent's home language, follow the template provided by the 699
department, and include the following: 700
(a) That his or her child has been identified as having 701
deficiencies in reading, and an IRP will be developed by the 702
teacher(s), interventionist, dyslexia therapist, principal, other 703
pertinent school personnel, and parent(s); 704
(b) A description of the current services that are 705
provided to the student; 706
(c) A description of the proposed interventions and 707
supplemental instructional services or dyslexia therapy that are 708
from scientifically researched and evidenced-based reading 709
instruction, and supports that will be provided to the child that 710
are designed to remedy the identified area(s) of reading 711
deficiency; 712
(d) Notification that the parents will be informed in 713
writing of their child's progress towards becoming a skilled 714
reader with each progress report; and 715
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(e) Strategies for parents to use at home to help their 716
child succeed in reading. 717
SECTION 18. Successful progression of students in Grades 4 718
through 8 identified with a reading deficiency. (1) Any student 719
in Grades 4 through 8 identified with a deficiency in reading 720
shall be provided with supplemental or intensive interventions 721
dependent upon the severity of the deficit skills to address his 722
or her specific deficiency. Intervention services shall include 723
effective instructional strategies to accelerate student progress 724
and shall be delivered by a reading teacher, reading specialist, 725
dyslexia therapist, or interventionist who has received intensive 726
training in remediation of reading difficulties and fidelity to 727
the selected intervention curriculum. The district shall provide 728
the following: 729
(a) Access to a reading teacher, reading specialist, 730
dyslexia therapist, or interventionist who has received intensive 731
training in remediation of reading difficulties; and 732
(b) Reading intervention services and supports from a 733
vetted and approved list to address the identified areas of 734
reading deficiency, including, but not limited to: 735
(i) Use of reading strategies or programs that are 736
verified by scientifically and evidenced-based research and have 737
proven results in accelerating student reading achievement within 738
the same school year; 739
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(ii) Prescribed targeted small-group reading 740
intervention or dyslexia therapy based on student needs, including 741
explicit and systematic instruction with detailed explanations, 742
extensive opportunities for guided practice, and opportunities for 743
error correction and feedback; and 744
(iii) Scheduled progress monitoring throughout the 745
time in which the student is in intervention to adjust instruction 746
according to student needs. 747
(2) Summer school remediation programs, or other forms of 748
remediation appropriate to the academic needs of the students, 749
shall not be used to promote a student who failed the grade level 750
prior to summer school. Summer school remediation may be offered 751
to students based on the results of the universal screener, 752
diagnostic assessment, intervention progress monitoring data, or 753
ELA State Summative Assessment. 754
(3) A read-at-home plan shall be provided in the family's 755
home language by the district and shall include strategies for 756
parents to use at home to help their child succeed in reading. 757
SECTION 19. Eighth-grade reading assessment. Beginning in 758
the 2027-2028 school year, if a student's reading deficiency is 759
not remedied by the end of the student's eighth-grade year, as 760
demonstrated by the student scoring at the lowest achievement 761
level in reading on the state annual accountability assessment or 762
on an approved alternative standardized assessment for eighth 763
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grade, the student shall be enrolled in an appropriate remediation 764
program. 765
SECTION 20. District responsibilities. (1) The school 766
district shall conduct an annual review of IRPs during the first 767
twenty (20) days of school for students who had a plan from the 768
last school year. The review shall assess the effectiveness of 769
prior interventions and any additional support and services needed 770
to address the identified areas of reading deficiency. This may 771
include supplemental, scientifically researched, and 772
evidence-based reading interventions provided before and/or after 773
school by a teacher or tutor with specialized reading training. 774
Current screener and diagnostic data shall be used to determine 775
continued reading intervention support. 776
(2) Each district school board shall annually report in 777
writing to the department and on its website by October 1 of each 778
year, the following information on the prior school year: 779
(a) By grade, the number and percentage of all students 780
in Grades 4 through 8 performing below grade level on local or 781
statewide assessments. 782
(b) By grade, the number and percentage of students in 783
Grades 4 through 8 who received supplemental or intensive reading 784
intervention the previous year. 785
(c) By grade, the number and percentage of students who 786
had an IRP no longer qualify for them. 787
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(d) By grade, the number and percentage of students 788
retained in Kindergarten through Grade 8. 789
(e) By grade, the number and percentage of students 790
retained in Grades 4 through 8 who have an IRP. 791
SECTION 21. Department responsibilities. The department 792
shall provide, to each school district no later than ninety (90) 793
days before the annual due date, a uniform format for districts to 794
report the required information. The department shall provide 795
guidance and technical assistance to aid school districts in 796
implementing Sections 13 through 24 of this act. 797
SECTION 22. Educator preparation program responsibilities. 798
All candidates graduating from educator preparation programs 799
(EPPs) in Mississippi in the areas of social studies, science, and 800
English - Language Arts Education for Grades 4 through 8 shall be 801
required to successfully complete a reading training program 802
approved by the department, or an equivalent reading training 803
program approved by the department before certification. 804
SECTION 23. State Board of Education authority. The State 805
Board of Education shall have the authority to enforce, and may 806
promulgate rules and regulations as necessary for the 807
implementation of, Sections 13 through 22 of this act. 808
SECTION 24. Funding. The Legislature shall provide 809
sufficient funding for the implementation of Sections 13 through 810
23 of this act. 811
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SECTION 25. (1) This section shall be known and may be 812
cited as the "J.P. Wilemon, Jr., Financial Literacy Act." 813
(2) Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, the State Board 814
of Education shall incorporate financial literacy components 815
within the existing curriculum offered in Grades 6-8. This 816
section shall apply to all schools accredited by the State 817
Department of Education, including public charter schools. 818
(3) Beginning with the graduating class of 2032, each 819
student, during Grade 9, 10, 11 or 12, shall take and pass a 820
one-half (1/2) Carnegie Unit course in personal finance or a full 821
Carnegie Unit course where at least one-half (1/2) of the course 822
standards concern financial literacy in order to earn a high 823
school diploma. 824
SECTION 26. Section 37-16-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 825
amended as follows: 826
[Until July 1, 2027, this section shall read as follows:] 827
37-16-7. (1) Each district school board shall establish 828
standards for graduation from its schools which shall include as a 829
minimum: 830
(a) Mastery of minimum academic skills as measured by 831
assessments developed and administered by the State Board of 832
Education. 833
(b) Completion of a minimum number of academic credits, 834
and all other applicable requirements prescribed by the district 835
school board. 836
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(c) By school, information on high school graduation 837
rates. High schools with graduation rates lower than eighty 838
percent (80%) must submit a detailed plan to the Mississippi 839
Department of Education to restructure the high school experience 840
to improve graduation rates. 841
(2) A student who meets all requirements prescribed in 842
subsection (1) of this section shall be awarded a standard diploma 843
in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education. 844
(3) The State Board of Education may establish student 845
proficiency standards for promotion to grade levels leading to 846
graduation. 847
(4) The State Board of Education shall develop a curriculum 848
related to the study of sign language. Any such class developed 849
by the board may count as an academic credit for foreign languages 850
for the purposes of high school graduation requirements. 851
[From and after July 1, 2027, this section shall read as 852
follows:] 853
37-16-7. (1) Each district school board shall establish 854
standards for graduation from its schools which shall include as a 855
minimum: 856
(a) Mastery of minimum academic skills as measured by 857
assessments developed and administered by the State Board of 858
Education * * *; and 859
(b) Completion of a minimum number of academic credits, 860
including a one-half (1/2) Carnegie Unit credit course in personal 861
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finance or a full Carnegie Unit course where half the course 862
standards are financial literacy as set forth in Section 25 of 863
this act, and all other applicable requirements prescribed by the 864
district school board. 865
( * * *2) By school, each school district shall maintain and 866
report information on high school graduation rates. High schools 867
with graduation rates lower than eighty percent (80%) must submit 868
a detailed plan to the * * * State Department of Education to 869
restructure the high school experience to improve graduation 870
rates. 871
( * * *3) A student who meets all requirements prescribed in 872
subsection (1) of this section shall be awarded a standard diploma 873
in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education. 874
( * * *4) The State Board of Education may establish student 875
proficiency standards for promotion to grade levels leading to 876
graduation. 877
( * * *5) The State Board of Education shall develop a 878
curriculum related to the study of sign language. Any such class 879
developed by the board may count as an academic credit for foreign 880
languages for the purposes of high school graduation requirements. 881
SECTION 27. Section 37-7-301, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 882
amended as follows: 883
[Until July 1, 2027, this section shall read as follows:] 884
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37-7-301. The school boards of all school districts shall 885
have the following powers, authority and duties in addition to all 886
others imposed or granted by law, to wit: 887
(a) To organize and operate the schools of the district 888
and to make such division between the high school grades and 889
elementary grades as, in their judgment, will serve the best 890
interests of the school; 891
(b) To introduce public school music, art, manual 892
training and other special subjects into either the elementary or 893
high school grades, as the board shall deem proper; 894
(c) To be the custodians of real and personal school 895
property and to manage, control and care for same, both during the 896
school term and during vacation; 897
(d) To have responsibility for the erection, repairing 898
and equipping of school facilities and the making of necessary 899
school improvements; 900
(e) To suspend or to expel a pupil or to change the 901
placement of a pupil to the school district's alternative school 902
or homebound program for misconduct in the school or on school 903
property, as defined in Section 37-11-29, on the road to and from 904
school, or at any school-related activity or event, or for conduct 905
occurring on property other than school property or other than at 906
a school-related activity or event when such conduct by a pupil, 907
in the determination of the school superintendent or principal, 908
renders that pupil's presence in the classroom a disruption to the 909
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educational environment of the school or a detriment to the best 910
interest and welfare of the pupils and teacher of such class as a 911
whole, and to delegate such authority to the appropriate officials 912
of the school district; 913
(f) To visit schools in the district, in their 914
discretion, in a body for the purpose of determining what can be 915
done for the improvement of the school in a general way; 916
(g) To support, within reasonable limits, the 917
superintendent, principal and teachers where necessary for the 918
proper discipline of the school; 919
(h) To exclude from the schools students with what 920
appears to be infectious or contagious diseases; provided, 921
however, such student may be allowed to return to school upon 922
presenting a certificate from a public health officer, duly 923
licensed physician or nurse practitioner that the student is free 924
from such disease; 925
(i) To require those vaccinations specified by the 926
State Health Officer as provided in Section 41-23-37; 927
(j) To see that all necessary utilities and services 928
are provided in the schools at all times when same are needed; 929
(k) To authorize the use of the school buildings and 930
grounds for the holding of public meetings and gatherings of the 931
people under such regulations as may be prescribed by said board; 932
(l) To prescribe and enforce rules and regulations not 933
inconsistent with law or with the regulations of the State Board 934
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of Education for their own government and for the government of 935
the schools, and to transact their business at regular and special 936
meetings called and held in the manner provided by law; 937
(m) To maintain and operate all of the schools under 938
their control for such length of time during the year as may be 939
required; 940
(n) To enforce in the schools the courses of study and 941
the use of the textbooks prescribed by the proper authorities; 942
(o) To make orders directed to the superintendent of 943
schools for the issuance of pay certificates for lawful purposes 944
on any available funds of the district and to have full control of 945
the receipt, distribution, allotment and disbursement of all funds 946
provided for the support and operation of the schools of such 947
school district whether such funds be derived from state 948
appropriations, local ad valorem tax collections, or otherwise. 949
The local school board shall be authorized and empowered to 950
promulgate rules and regulations that specify the types of claims 951
and set limits of the dollar amount for payment of claims by the 952
superintendent of schools to be ratified by the board at the next 953
regularly scheduled meeting after payment has been made; 954
(p) To select all school district personnel in the 955
manner provided by law, and to provide for such employee fringe 956
benefit programs, including accident reimbursement plans, as may 957
be deemed necessary and appropriate by the board; 958
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(q) To provide athletic programs and other school 959
activities and to regulate the establishment and operation of such 960
programs and activities; 961
(r) To join, in their discretion, any association of 962
school boards and other public school-related organizations, and 963
to pay from local funds other than total funding formula funds, 964
any membership dues; 965
(s) To expend local school activity funds, or other 966
available school district funds, other than total funding formula 967
funds, for the purposes prescribed under this paragraph. 968
"Activity funds" shall mean all funds received by school officials 969
in all school districts paid or collected to participate in any 970
school activity, such activity being part of the school program 971
and partially financed with public funds or supplemented by public 972
funds. The term "activity funds" shall not include any funds 973
raised and/or expended by any organization unless commingled in a 974
bank account with existing activity funds, regardless of whether 975
the funds were raised by school employees or received by school 976
employees during school hours or using school facilities, and 977
regardless of whether a school employee exercises influence over 978
the expenditure or disposition of such funds. Organizations shall 979
not be required to make any payment to any school for the use of 980
any school facility if, in the discretion of the local school 981
governing board, the organization's function shall be deemed to be 982
beneficial to the official or extracurricular programs of the 983
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school. For the purposes of this provision, the term 984
"organization" shall not include any organization subject to the 985
control of the local school governing board. Activity funds may 986
only be expended for any necessary expenses or travel costs, 987
including advances, incurred by students and their chaperons in 988
attending any in-state or out-of-state school-related programs, 989
conventions or seminars and/or any commodities, equipment, travel 990
expenses, purchased services or school supplies which the local 991
school governing board, in its discretion, shall deem beneficial 992
to the official or extracurricular programs of the district, 993
including items which may subsequently become the personal 994
property of individuals, including yearbooks, athletic apparel, 995
book covers and trophies. Activity funds may be used to pay 996
travel expenses of school district personnel. The local school 997
governing board shall be authorized and empowered to promulgate 998
rules and regulations specifically designating for what purposes 999
school activity funds may be expended. The local school governing 1000
board shall provide (i) that such school activity funds shall be 1001
maintained and expended by the principal of the school generating 1002
the funds in individual bank accounts, or (ii) that such school 1003
activity funds shall be maintained and expended by the 1004
superintendent of schools in a central depository approved by the 1005
board. The local school governing board shall provide that such 1006
school activity funds be audited as part of the annual audit 1007
required in Section 37-9-18. The State Department of Education 1008
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shall prescribe a uniform system of accounting and financial 1009
reporting for all school activity fund transactions; 1010
(t) To enter into an energy performance contract, 1011
energy services contract, on a shared-savings, lease or 1012
lease-purchase basis, for energy efficiency services and/or 1013
equipment as provided for in Section 31-7-14; 1014
(u) To maintain accounts and issue pay certificates on 1015
school food service bank accounts; 1016
(v) (i) To lease a school building from an individual, 1017
partnership, nonprofit corporation or a private for-profit 1018
corporation for the use of such school district, and to expend 1019
funds therefor as may be available from any sources other than 1020
total funding formula funds as set by Sections 37-151-200 through 1021
37-151-215. The school board of the school district desiring to 1022
lease a school building shall declare by resolution that a need 1023
exists for a school building and that the school district cannot 1024
provide the necessary funds to pay the cost or its proportionate 1025
share of the cost of a school building required to meet the 1026
present needs. The resolution so adopted by the school board 1027
shall be published once each week for three (3) consecutive weeks 1028
in a newspaper having a general circulation in the school district 1029
involved, with the first publication thereof to be made not less 1030
than thirty (30) days prior to the date upon which the school 1031
board is to act on the question of leasing a school building. If 1032
no petition requesting an election is filed prior to such meeting 1033
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as hereinafter provided, then the school board may, by resolution 1034
spread upon its minutes, proceed to lease a school building. If 1035
at any time prior to said meeting a petition signed by not less 1036
than twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1500), whichever is 1037
less, of the qualified electors of the school district involved 1038
shall be filed with the school board requesting that an election 1039
be called on the question, then the school board shall, not later 1040
than the next regular meeting, adopt a resolution calling an 1041
election to be held within such school district upon the question 1042
of authorizing the school board to lease a school building. Such 1043
election shall be called and held, and notice thereof shall be 1044
given, in the same manner for elections upon the questions of the 1045
issuance of the bonds of school districts, and the results thereof 1046
shall be certified to the school board. If at least three-fifths 1047
(3/5) of the qualified electors of the school district who voted 1048
in such election shall vote in favor of the leasing of a school 1049
building, then the school board shall proceed to lease a school 1050
building. The term of the lease contract shall not exceed twenty 1051
(20) years, and the total cost of such lease shall be either the 1052
amount of the lowest and best bid accepted by the school board 1053
after advertisement for bids or an amount not to exceed the 1054
current fair market value of the lease as determined by the 1055
averaging of at least two (2) appraisals by certified general 1056
appraisers licensed by the State of Mississippi. The term "school 1057
building" as used in this paragraph (v)(i) shall be construed to 1058
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mean any building or buildings used for classroom purposes in 1059
connection with the operation of schools and shall include the 1060
site therefor, necessary support facilities, and the equipment 1061
thereof and appurtenances thereto such as heating facilities, 1062
water supply, sewage disposal, landscaping, walks, drives and 1063
playgrounds. The term "lease" as used in this paragraph (v)(i) 1064
may include a lease-purchase contract; 1065
(ii) If two (2) or more school districts propose 1066
to enter into a lease contract jointly, then joint meetings of the 1067
school boards having control may be held but no action taken shall 1068
be binding on any such school district unless the question of 1069
leasing a school building is approved in each participating school 1070
district under the procedure hereinabove set forth in paragraph 1071
(v)(i). All of the provisions of paragraph (v)(i) regarding the 1072
term and amount of the lease contract shall apply to the school 1073
boards of school districts acting jointly. Any lease contract 1074
executed by two (2) or more school districts as joint lessees 1075
shall set out the amount of the aggregate lease rental to be paid 1076
by each, which may be agreed upon, but there shall be no right of 1077
occupancy by any lessee unless the aggregate rental is paid as 1078
stipulated in the lease contract. All rights of joint lessees 1079
under the lease contract shall be in proportion to the amount of 1080
lease rental paid by each; 1081
(w) To employ all noninstructional and noncertificated 1082
employees and fix the duties and compensation of such personnel 1083
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deemed necessary pursuant to the recommendation of the 1084
superintendent of schools; 1085
(x) To employ and fix the duties and compensation of 1086
such legal counsel as deemed necessary; 1087
(y) Subject to rules and regulations of the State Board 1088
of Education, to purchase, own and operate trucks, vans and other 1089
motor vehicles, which shall bear the proper identification 1090
required by law; 1091
(z) To expend funds for the payment of substitute 1092
teachers and to adopt reasonable regulations for the employment 1093
and compensation of such substitute teachers; 1094
(aa) To acquire in its own name by purchase all real 1095
property which shall be necessary and desirable in connection with 1096
the construction, renovation or improvement of any public school 1097
building or structure. Whenever the purchase price for such real 1098
property is greater than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), the 1099
school board shall not purchase the property for an amount 1100
exceeding the fair market value of such property as determined by 1101
the average of at least two (2) independent appraisals by 1102
certified general appraisers licensed by the State of Mississippi. 1103
If the board shall be unable to agree with the owner of any such 1104
real property in connection with any such project, the board shall 1105
have the power and authority to acquire any such real property by 1106
condemnation proceedings pursuant to Section 11-27-1 et seq., 1107
Mississippi Code of 1972, and for such purpose, the right of 1108
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eminent domain is hereby conferred upon and vested in said board. 1109
Provided further, that the local school board is authorized to 1110
grant an easement for ingress and egress over sixteenth section 1111
land or lieu land in exchange for a similar easement upon 1112
adjoining land where the exchange of easements affords substantial 1113
benefit to the sixteenth section land; provided, however, the 1114
exchange must be based upon values as determined by a competent 1115
appraiser, with any differential in value to be adjusted by cash 1116
payment. Any easement rights granted over sixteenth section land 1117
under such authority shall terminate when the easement ceases to 1118
be used for its stated purpose. No sixteenth section or lieu land 1119
which is subject to an existing lease shall be burdened by any 1120
such easement except by consent of the lessee or unless the school 1121
district shall acquire the unexpired leasehold interest affected 1122
by the easement; 1123
(bb) To charge reasonable fees related to the 1124
educational programs of the district, in the manner prescribed in 1125
Section 37-7-335; 1126
(cc) Subject to rules and regulations of the State 1127
Board of Education, to purchase relocatable classrooms for the use 1128
of such school district, in the manner prescribed in Section 1129
37-1-13; 1130
(dd) Enter into contracts or agreements with other 1131
school districts, political subdivisions or governmental entities 1132
to carry out one or more of the powers or duties of the school 1133
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board, or to allow more efficient utilization of limited resources 1134
for providing services to the public; 1135
(ee) To provide for in-service training for employees 1136
of the district; 1137
(ff) As part of their duties to prescribe the use of 1138
textbooks, to provide that parents and legal guardians shall be 1139
responsible for the textbooks and for the compensation to the 1140
school district for any books which are not returned to the proper 1141
schools upon the withdrawal of their dependent child. If a 1142
textbook is lost or not returned by any student who drops out of 1143
the public school district, the parent or legal guardian shall 1144
also compensate the school district for the fair market value of 1145
the textbooks; 1146
(gg) To conduct fund-raising activities on behalf of 1147
the school district that the local school board, in its 1148
discretion, deems appropriate or beneficial to the official or 1149
extracurricular programs of the district; provided that: 1150
(i) Any proceeds of the fund-raising activities 1151
shall be treated as "activity funds" and shall be accounted for as 1152
are other activity funds under this section; and 1153
(ii) Fund-raising activities conducted or 1154
authorized by the board for the sale of school pictures, the 1155
rental of caps and gowns or the sale of graduation invitations for 1156
which the school board receives a commission, rebate or fee shall 1157
contain a disclosure statement advising that a portion of the 1158
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proceeds of the sales or rentals shall be contributed to the 1159
student activity fund; 1160
(hh) To allow individual lessons for music, art and 1161
other curriculum-related activities for academic credit or 1162
nonacademic credit during school hours and using school equipment 1163
and facilities, subject to uniform rules and regulations adopted 1164
by the school board; 1165
(ii) To charge reasonable fees for participating in an 1166
extracurricular activity for academic or nonacademic credit for 1167
necessary and required equipment such as safety equipment, band 1168
instruments and uniforms; 1169
(jj) To conduct or participate in any fund-raising 1170
activities on behalf of or in connection with a tax-exempt 1171
charitable organization; 1172
(kk) To exercise such powers as may be reasonably 1173
necessary to carry out the provisions of this section; 1174
(ll) To expend funds for the services of nonprofit arts 1175
organizations or other such nonprofit organizations who provide 1176
performances or other services for the students of the school 1177
district; 1178
(mm) To expend federal No Child Left Behind Act funds, 1179
or any other available funds that are expressly designated and 1180
authorized for that use, to pay training, educational expenses, 1181
salary incentives and salary supplements to employees of local 1182
school districts; except that incentives shall not be considered 1183
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part of the local supplement, nor shall incentives be considered 1184
part of the local supplement paid to an individual teacher for the 1185
purposes of Section 37-19-7(1); 1186
(nn) To use any available funds, not appropriated or 1187
designated for any other purpose, for reimbursement to the 1188
state-licensed employees from both in state and out of state, who 1189
enter into a contract for employment in a school district, for the 1190
expense of moving when the employment necessitates the relocation 1191
of the licensed employee to a different geographical area than 1192
that in which the licensed employee resides before entering into 1193
the contract. The reimbursement shall not exceed One Thousand 1194
Dollars ($1,000.00) for the documented actual expenses incurred in 1195
the course of relocating, including the expense of any 1196
professional moving company or persons employed to assist with the 1197
move, rented moving vehicles or equipment, mileage in the amount 1198
authorized for county and municipal employees under Section 1199
25-3-41 if the licensed employee used his personal vehicle or 1200
vehicles for the move, meals and such other expenses associated 1201
with the relocation. No licensed employee may be reimbursed for 1202
moving expenses under this section on more than one (1) occasion 1203
by the same school district. Nothing in this section shall be 1204
construed to require the actual residence to which the licensed 1205
employee relocates to be within the boundaries of the school 1206
district that has executed a contract for employment in order for 1207
the licensed employee to be eligible for reimbursement for the 1208
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moving expenses. However, the licensed employee must relocate 1209
within the boundaries of the State of Mississippi. Any individual 1210
receiving relocation assistance through the Critical Teacher 1211
Shortage Act as provided in Section 37-159-5 shall not be eligible 1212
to receive additional relocation funds as authorized in this 1213
paragraph; 1214
(oo) To use any available funds, not appropriated or 1215
designated for any other purpose, to reimburse persons who 1216
interview for employment as a licensed employee with the district 1217
for the mileage and other actual expenses incurred in the course 1218
of travel to and from the interview at the rate authorized for 1219
county and municipal employees under Section 25-3-41; 1220
(pp) Consistent with the report of the Task Force to 1221
Conduct a Best Financial Management Practices Review, to improve 1222
school district management and use of resources and identify cost 1223
savings as established in Section 8 of Chapter 610, Laws of 2002, 1224
local school boards are encouraged to conduct independent reviews 1225
of the management and efficiency of schools and school districts. 1226
Such management and efficiency reviews shall provide state and 1227
local officials and the public with the following: 1228
(i) An assessment of a school district's 1229
governance and organizational structure; 1230
(ii) An assessment of the school district's 1231
financial and personnel management; 1232
(iii) An assessment of revenue levels and sources; 1233
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(iv) An assessment of facilities utilization, 1234
planning and maintenance; 1235
(v) An assessment of food services, transportation 1236
and safety/security systems; 1237
(vi) An assessment of instructional and 1238
administrative technology; 1239
(vii) A review of the instructional management and 1240
the efficiency and effectiveness of existing instructional 1241
programs; and 1242
(viii) Recommended methods for increasing 1243
efficiency and effectiveness in providing educational services to 1244
the public; 1245
(qq) To enter into agreements with other local school 1246
boards for the establishment of an educational service agency 1247
(ESA) to provide for the cooperative needs of the region in which 1248
the school district is located, as provided in Section 37-7-345; 1249
(rr) To implement a financial literacy program for 1250
students in Grades 10 and 11. The board may review the national 1251
programs and obtain free literature from various nationally 1252
recognized programs. After review of the different programs, the 1253
board may certify a program that is most appropriate for the 1254
school districts' needs. If a district implements a financial 1255
literacy program, then any student in Grade 10 or 11 may 1256
participate in the program. The financial literacy program shall 1257
include, but is not limited to, instruction in the same areas of 1258
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personal business and finance as required under Section 1259
37-1-3(2)(b). The school board may coordinate with volunteer 1260
teachers from local community organizations, including, but not 1261
limited to, the following: United States Department of 1262
Agriculture Rural Development, United States Department of Housing 1263
and Urban Development, Junior Achievement, bankers and other 1264
nonprofit organizations. Nothing in this paragraph shall be 1265
construed as to require school boards to implement a financial 1266
literacy program; 1267
(ss) To collaborate with the State Board of Education, 1268
Community Action Agencies or the Department of Human Services to 1269
develop and implement a voluntary program to provide services for 1270
a prekindergarten program that addresses the cognitive, social, 1271
and emotional needs of four-year-old and three-year-old children. 1272
The school board may utilize any source of available revenue to 1273
fund the voluntary program. Effective with the 2013-2014 school 1274
year, to implement voluntary prekindergarten programs under the 1275
Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013 pursuant to state funds 1276
awarded by the State Department of Education on a matching basis; 1277
(tt) With respect to any lawful, written obligation of 1278
a school district, including, but not limited to, leases 1279
(excluding leases of sixteenth section public school trust land), 1280
bonds, notes, or other agreement, to agree in writing with the 1281
obligee that the Department of Revenue or any state agency, 1282
department or commission created under state law may: 1283
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(i) Withhold all or any part (as agreed by the 1284
school board) of any monies which such local school board is 1285
entitled to receive from time to time under any law and which is 1286
in the possession of the Department of Revenue, or any state 1287
agency, department or commission created under state law; and 1288
(ii) Pay the same over to any financial 1289
institution, trustee or other obligee, as directed in writing by 1290
the school board, to satisfy all or part of such obligation of the 1291
school district. 1292
The school board may make such written agreement to withhold 1293
and transfer funds irrevocable for the term of the written 1294
obligation and may include in the written agreement any other 1295
terms and provisions acceptable to the school board. If the 1296
school board files a copy of such written agreement with the 1297
Department of Revenue, or any state agency, department or 1298
commission created under state law then the Department of Revenue 1299
or any state agency, department or commission created under state 1300
law shall immediately make the withholdings provided in such 1301
agreement from the amounts due the local school board and shall 1302
continue to pay the same over to such financial institution, 1303
trustee or obligee for the term of the agreement. 1304
This paragraph (tt) shall not grant any extra authority to a 1305
school board to issue debt in any amount exceeding statutory 1306
limitations on assessed value of taxable property within such 1307
school district or the statutory limitations on debt maturities, 1308
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and shall not grant any extra authority to impose, levy or collect 1309
a tax which is not otherwise expressly provided for, and shall not 1310
be construed to apply to sixteenth section public school trust 1311
land; 1312
(uu) With respect to any matter or transaction that is 1313
competitively bid by a school district, to accept from any bidder 1314
as a good-faith deposit or bid bond or bid surety, the same type 1315
of good-faith deposit or bid bond or bid surety that may be 1316
accepted by the state or any other political subdivision on 1317
similar competitively bid matters or transactions. This paragraph 1318
(uu) shall not be construed to apply to sixteenth section public 1319
school trust land. The school board may authorize the investment 1320
of any school district funds in the same kind and manner of 1321
investments, including pooled investments, as any other political 1322
subdivision, including community hospitals; 1323
(vv) To utilize the alternate method for the conveyance 1324
or exchange of unused school buildings and/or land, reserving a 1325
partial or other undivided interest in the property, as 1326
specifically authorized and provided in Section 37-7-485; 1327
(ww) To delegate, privatize or otherwise enter into a 1328
contract with private entities for the operation of any and all 1329
functions of nonacademic school process, procedures and operations 1330
including, but not limited to, cafeteria workers, janitorial 1331
services, transportation, professional development, achievement 1332
and instructional consulting services materials and products, 1333
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purchasing cooperatives, insurance, business manager services, 1334
auditing and accounting services, school safety/risk prevention, 1335
data processing and student records, and other staff services; 1336
however, the authority under this paragraph does not apply to the 1337
leasing, management or operation of sixteenth section lands. 1338
Local school districts, working through their regional education 1339
service agency, are encouraged to enter into buying consortia with 1340
other member districts for the purposes of more efficient use of 1341
state resources as described in Section 37-7-345; 1342
(xx) To partner with entities, organizations and 1343
corporations for the purpose of benefiting the school district; 1344
(yy) To borrow funds from the Rural Economic 1345
Development Authority for the maintenance of school buildings; 1346
(zz) To fund and operate voluntary early childhood 1347
education programs, defined as programs for children less than 1348
five (5) years of age on or before September 1, and to use any 1349
source of revenue for such early childhood education programs. 1350
Such programs shall not conflict with the Early Learning 1351
Collaborative Act of 2013; 1352
(aaa) To issue and provide for the use of procurement 1353
cards by school board members, superintendents and licensed school 1354
personnel consistent with the rules and regulations of the 1355
Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration under Section 1356
31-7-9; and 1357
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(bbb) To conduct an annual comprehensive evaluation of 1358
the superintendent of schools consistent with the assessment 1359
components of paragraph (pp) of this section and the assessment 1360
benchmarks established by the Mississippi School Board Association 1361
to evaluate the success the superintendent has attained in meeting 1362
district goals and objectives, the superintendent's leadership 1363
skill and whether or not the superintendent has established 1364
appropriate standards for performance, is monitoring success and 1365
is using data for improvement. 1366
[From and after July 1, 2027, this section shall read as 1367
follows:] 1368
37-7-301. The school boards of all school districts shall 1369
have the following powers, authority and duties in addition to all 1370
others imposed or granted by law, to wit: 1371
(a) To organize and operate the schools of the district 1372
and to make such division between the high school grades and 1373
elementary grades as, in their judgment, will serve the best 1374
interests of the school; 1375
(b) To introduce public school music, art, manual 1376
training and other special subjects into either the elementary or 1377
high school grades, as the board shall deem proper; 1378
(c) To be the custodians of real and personal school 1379
property and to manage, control and care for same, both during the 1380
school term and during vacation; 1381
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(d) To have responsibility for the erection, repairing 1382
and equipping of school facilities and the making of necessary 1383
school improvements; 1384
(e) To suspend or to expel a pupil or to change the 1385
placement of a pupil to the school district's alternative school 1386
or homebound program for misconduct in the school or on school 1387
property, as defined in Section 37-11-29, on the road to and from 1388
school, or at any school-related activity or event, or for conduct 1389
occurring on property other than school property or other than at 1390
a school-related activity or event when such conduct by a pupil, 1391
in the determination of the school superintendent or principal, 1392
renders that pupil's presence in the classroom a disruption to the 1393
educational environment of the school or a detriment to the best 1394
interest and welfare of the pupils and teacher of such class as a 1395
whole, and to delegate such authority to the appropriate officials 1396
of the school district; 1397
(f) To visit schools in the district, in their 1398
discretion, in a body for the purpose of determining what can be 1399
done for the improvement of the school in a general way; 1400
(g) To support, within reasonable limits, the 1401
superintendent, principal and teachers where necessary for the 1402
proper discipline of the school; 1403
(h) To exclude from the schools students with what 1404
appears to be infectious or contagious diseases; provided, 1405
however, such student may be allowed to return to school upon 1406
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presenting a certificate from a public health officer, duly 1407
licensed physician or nurse practitioner that the student is free 1408
from such disease; 1409
(i) To require those vaccinations specified by the 1410
State Health Officer as provided in Section 41-23-37; 1411
(j) To see that all necessary utilities and services 1412
are provided in the schools at all times when same are needed; 1413
(k) To authorize the use of the school buildings and 1414
grounds for the holding of public meetings and gatherings of the 1415
people under such regulations as may be prescribed by * * * the 1416
board; 1417
(l) To prescribe and enforce rules and regulations not 1418
inconsistent with law or with the regulations of the State Board 1419
of Education for their own government and for the government of 1420
the schools, and to transact their business at regular and special 1421
meetings called and held in the manner provided by law; 1422
(m) To maintain and operate all of the schools under 1423
their control for such length of time during the year as may be 1424
required; 1425
(n) To enforce in the schools the courses of study and 1426
the use of the textbooks prescribed by the proper authorities; 1427
(o) To make orders directed to the superintendent of 1428
schools for the issuance of pay certificates for lawful purposes 1429
on any available funds of the district and to have full control of 1430
the receipt, distribution, allotment and disbursement of all funds 1431
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provided for the support and operation of the schools of such 1432
school district whether such funds be derived from state 1433
appropriations, local ad valorem tax collections, or otherwise. 1434
The local school board shall be authorized and empowered to 1435
promulgate rules and regulations that specify the types of claims 1436
and set limits of the dollar amount for payment of claims by the 1437
superintendent of schools to be ratified by the board at the next 1438
regularly scheduled meeting after payment has been made; 1439
(p) To select all school district personnel in the 1440
manner provided by law, and to provide for such employee fringe 1441
benefit programs, including accident reimbursement plans, as may 1442
be deemed necessary and appropriate by the board; 1443
(q) To provide athletic programs and other school 1444
activities and to regulate the establishment and operation of such 1445
programs and activities; 1446
(r) To join, in their discretion, any association of 1447
school boards and other public school-related organizations, and 1448
to pay from local funds other than total funding formula funds, 1449
any membership dues; 1450
(s) To expend local school activity funds, or other 1451
available school district funds, other than total funding formula 1452
funds, for the purposes prescribed under this paragraph. 1453
"Activity funds" shall mean all funds received by school officials 1454
in all school districts paid or collected to participate in any 1455
school activity, such activity being part of the school program 1456
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and partially financed with public funds or supplemented by public 1457
funds. The term "activity funds" shall not include any funds 1458
raised and/or expended by any organization unless commingled in a 1459
bank account with existing activity funds, regardless of whether 1460
the funds were raised by school employees or received by school 1461
employees during school hours or using school facilities, and 1462
regardless of whether a school employee exercises influence over 1463
the expenditure or disposition of such funds. Organizations shall 1464
not be required to make any payment to any school for the use of 1465
any school facility if, in the discretion of the local school 1466
governing board, the organization's function shall be deemed to be 1467
beneficial to the official or extracurricular programs of the 1468
school. For the purposes of this provision, the term 1469
"organization" shall not include any organization subject to the 1470
control of the local school governing board. Activity funds may 1471
only be expended for any necessary expenses or travel costs, 1472
including advances, incurred by students and their chaperons in 1473
attending any in-state or out-of-state school-related programs, 1474
conventions or seminars and/or any commodities, equipment, travel 1475
expenses, purchased services or school supplies which the local 1476
school governing board, in its discretion, shall deem beneficial 1477
to the official or extracurricular programs of the district, 1478
including items which may subsequently become the personal 1479
property of individuals, including yearbooks, athletic apparel, 1480
book covers and trophies. Activity funds may be used to pay 1481
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travel expenses of school district personnel. The local school 1482
governing board shall be authorized and empowered to promulgate 1483
rules and regulations specifically designating for what purposes 1484
school activity funds may be expended. The local school governing 1485
board shall provide (i) that such school activity funds shall be 1486
maintained and expended by the principal of the school generating 1487
the funds in individual bank accounts * * *; or (ii) that such 1488
school activity funds shall be maintained and expended by the 1489
superintendent of schools in a central depository approved by the 1490
board. The local school governing board shall provide that such 1491
school activity funds be audited as part of the annual audit 1492
required in Section 37-9-18. The State Department of Education 1493
shall prescribe a uniform system of accounting and financial 1494
reporting for all school activity fund transactions; 1495
(t) To enter into an energy performance contract, 1496
energy services contract, on a shared-savings, lease or 1497
lease-purchase basis, for energy efficiency services and/or 1498
equipment as provided for in Section 31-7-14; 1499
(u) To maintain accounts and issue pay certificates on 1500
school food service bank accounts; 1501
(v) (i) To lease a school building from an individual, 1502
partnership, nonprofit corporation or a private for-profit 1503
corporation for the use of such school district, and to expend 1504
funds therefor as may be available from any sources other than 1505
total funding formula funds * * *. The school board of the school 1506
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district desiring to lease a school building shall declare by 1507
resolution that a need exists for a school building and that the 1508
school district cannot provide the necessary funds to pay the cost 1509
or its proportionate share of the cost of a school building 1510
required to meet the present needs. The resolution so adopted by 1511
the school board shall be published once each week for three (3) 1512
consecutive weeks in a newspaper having a general circulation in 1513
the school district involved, with the first publication thereof 1514
to be made not less than thirty (30) days prior to the date upon 1515
which the school board is to act on the question of leasing a 1516
school building. If no petition requesting an election is filed 1517
prior to such meeting as hereinafter provided, then the school 1518
board may, by resolution spread upon its minutes, proceed to lease 1519
a school building. If at any time * * * before the meeting a 1520
petition signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) or fifteen 1521
hundred (1500), whichever is less, of the qualified electors of 1522
the school district involved shall be filed with the school board 1523
requesting that an election be called on the question, then the 1524
school board shall, not later than the next regular meeting, adopt 1525
a resolution calling an election to be held within such school 1526
district upon the question of authorizing the school board to 1527
lease a school building. Such election shall be called and held, 1528
and notice thereof shall be given, in the same manner for 1529
elections upon the questions of the issuance of the bonds of 1530
school districts, and the results thereof shall be certified to 1531
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the school board. If at least three-fifths (3/5) of the qualified 1532
electors of the school district who voted in such election shall 1533
vote in favor of the leasing of a school building, then the school 1534
board shall proceed to lease a school building. The term of the 1535
lease contract shall not exceed twenty (20) years, and the total 1536
cost of such lease shall be either the amount of the lowest and 1537
best bid accepted by the school board after advertisement for bids 1538
or an amount not to exceed the current fair market value of the 1539
lease as determined by the averaging of at least two (2) 1540
appraisals by certified general appraisers licensed by the State 1541
of Mississippi. The term "school building" as used in this 1542
paragraph (v)(i) shall be construed to mean any building or 1543
buildings used for classroom purposes in connection with the 1544
operation of schools and shall include the site therefor, 1545
necessary support facilities, and the equipment thereof and 1546
appurtenances thereto such as heating facilities, water supply, 1547
sewage disposal, landscaping, walks, drives and playgrounds. The 1548
term "lease" as used in this paragraph (v)(i) may include a 1549
lease-purchase contract; 1550
(ii) If two (2) or more school districts propose 1551
to enter into a lease contract jointly, then joint meetings of the 1552
school boards having control may be held but no action taken shall 1553
be binding on any such school district unless the question of 1554
leasing a school building is approved in each participating school 1555
district under the procedure hereinabove set forth in paragraph 1556
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(v)(i). All of the provisions of paragraph (v)(i) regarding the 1557
term and amount of the lease contract shall apply to the school 1558
boards of school districts acting jointly. Any lease contract 1559
executed by two (2) or more school districts as joint lessees 1560
shall set out the amount of the aggregate lease rental to be paid 1561
by each, which may be agreed upon, but there shall be no right of 1562
occupancy by any lessee unless the aggregate rental is paid as 1563
stipulated in the lease contract. All rights of joint lessees 1564
under the lease contract shall be in proportion to the amount of 1565
lease rental paid by each; 1566
(w) To employ all noninstructional and * * * 1567
nonlicensed employees and fix the duties and compensation of such 1568
personnel deemed necessary pursuant to the recommendation of the 1569
superintendent of schools; 1570
(x) To employ and fix the duties and compensation of 1571
such legal counsel as deemed necessary; 1572
(y) Subject to rules and regulations of the State Board 1573
of Education, to purchase, own and operate trucks, vans and other 1574
motor vehicles, which shall bear the proper identification 1575
required by law; 1576
(z) To expend funds for the payment of substitute 1577
teachers and to adopt reasonable regulations for the employment 1578
and compensation of such substitute teachers; 1579
(aa) To acquire in its own name by purchase all real 1580
property which shall be necessary and desirable in connection with 1581
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the construction, renovation or improvement of any public school 1582
building or structure. Whenever the purchase price for such real 1583
property is greater than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), the 1584
school board shall not purchase the property for an amount 1585
exceeding the fair market value of such property as determined by 1586
the average of at least two (2) independent appraisals by 1587
certified general appraisers licensed by the State of Mississippi. 1588
If the board shall be unable to agree with the owner of any such 1589
real property in connection with any such project, the board shall 1590
have the power and authority to acquire any such real property by 1591
condemnation proceedings pursuant to Section 11-27-1 et 1592
seq., * * * and for such purpose, the right of eminent domain is 1593
hereby conferred upon and vested in * * * the board. * * * The 1594
local school board is authorized to grant an easement for ingress 1595
and egress over sixteenth section land or lieu land in exchange 1596
for a similar easement upon adjoining land where the exchange of 1597
easements affords substantial benefit to the sixteenth section 1598
land; * * * however, the exchange must be based upon values as 1599
determined by a competent appraiser, with any differential in 1600
value to be adjusted by cash payment. Any easement rights granted 1601
over sixteenth section land under such authority shall terminate 1602
when the easement ceases to be used for its stated purpose. No 1603
sixteenth section or lieu land which is subject to an existing 1604
lease shall be burdened by any such easement except by consent of 1605
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the lessee or unless the school district shall acquire the 1606
unexpired leasehold interest affected by the easement; 1607
(bb) To charge reasonable fees related to the 1608
educational programs of the district, in the manner prescribed in 1609
Section 37-7-335; 1610
(cc) Subject to rules and regulations of the State 1611
Board of Education, to purchase relocatable classrooms for the use 1612
of such school district, in the manner prescribed in Section 1613
37-1-13; 1614
(dd) Enter into contracts or agreements with other 1615
school districts, political subdivisions or governmental entities 1616
to carry out one or more of the powers or duties of the school 1617
board, or to allow more efficient utilization of limited resources 1618
for providing services to the public; 1619
(ee) To provide for in-service training for employees 1620
of the district; 1621
(ff) As part of their duties to prescribe the use of 1622
textbooks, to provide that parents and legal guardians shall be 1623
responsible for the textbooks and for the compensation to the 1624
school district for any books which are not returned to the proper 1625
schools upon the withdrawal of their dependent child. If a 1626
textbook is lost or not returned by any student who drops out of 1627
the public school district, the parent or legal guardian shall 1628
also compensate the school district for the fair market value of 1629
the textbooks; 1630
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(gg) To conduct fund-raising activities on behalf of 1631
the school district that the local school board, in its 1632
discretion, deems appropriate or beneficial to the official or 1633
extracurricular programs of the district * * *, subject to the 1634
following: 1635
(i) Any proceeds of the fund-raising activities 1636
shall be treated as "activity funds" and shall be accounted for as 1637
are other activity funds under this section; and 1638
(ii) Fund-raising activities conducted or 1639
authorized by the board for the sale of school pictures, the 1640
rental of caps and gowns or the sale of graduation invitations for 1641
which the school board receives a commission, rebate or fee shall 1642
contain a disclosure statement advising that a portion of the 1643
proceeds of the sales or rentals shall be contributed to the 1644
student activity fund; 1645
(hh) To allow individual lessons for music, art and 1646
other curriculum-related activities for academic credit or 1647
nonacademic credit during school hours and using school equipment 1648
and facilities, subject to uniform rules and regulations adopted 1649
by the school board; 1650
(ii) To charge reasonable fees for participating in an 1651
extracurricular activity for academic or nonacademic credit for 1652
necessary and required equipment such as safety equipment, band 1653
instruments and uniforms; 1654
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(jj) To conduct or participate in any fund-raising 1655
activities on behalf of or in connection with a tax-exempt 1656
charitable organization; 1657
(kk) To exercise such powers as may be reasonably 1658
necessary to carry out the provisions of this section; 1659
(ll) To expend funds for the services of nonprofit arts 1660
organizations or other such nonprofit organizations who provide 1661
performances or other services for the students of the school 1662
district; 1663
(mm) To expend federal No Child Left Behind Act funds, 1664
or any other available funds that are expressly designated and 1665
authorized for that use, to pay training, educational expenses, 1666
salary incentives and salary supplements to employees of local 1667
school districts; except that incentives shall not be considered 1668
part of the local supplement, nor shall incentives be considered 1669
part of the local supplement paid to an individual teacher for the 1670
purposes of Section 37-19-7(1); 1671
(nn) To use any available funds, not appropriated or 1672
designated for any other purpose, for reimbursement to the 1673
state-licensed employees from both in state and out of state, who 1674
enter into a contract for employment in a school district, for the 1675
expense of moving when the employment necessitates the relocation 1676
of the licensed employee to a different geographical area than 1677
that in which the licensed employee resides before entering into 1678
the contract. The reimbursement shall not exceed One Thousand 1679
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Dollars ($1,000.00) for the documented actual expenses incurred in 1680
the course of relocating, including the expense of any 1681
professional moving company or persons employed to assist with the 1682
move, rented moving vehicles or equipment, mileage in the amount 1683
authorized for county and municipal employees under Section 1684
25-3-41 if the licensed employee used his personal vehicle or 1685
vehicles for the move, meals and such other expenses associated 1686
with the relocation. No licensed employee may be reimbursed for 1687
moving expenses under this section on more than one (1) occasion 1688
by the same school district. Nothing in this section shall be 1689
construed to require the actual residence to which the licensed 1690
employee relocates to be within the boundaries of the school 1691
district that has executed a contract for employment in order for 1692
the licensed employee to be eligible for reimbursement for the 1693
moving expenses. However, the licensed employee must relocate 1694
within the boundaries of the State of Mississippi. Any individual 1695
receiving relocation assistance through the Critical Teacher 1696
Shortage Act as provided in Section 37-159-5 shall not be eligible 1697
to receive additional relocation funds as authorized in this 1698
paragraph; 1699
(oo) To use any available funds, not appropriated or 1700
designated for any other purpose, to reimburse persons who 1701
interview for employment as a licensed employee with the district 1702
for the mileage and other actual expenses incurred in the course 1703
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of travel to and from the interview at the rate authorized for 1704
county and municipal employees under Section 25-3-41; 1705
(pp) Consistent with the report of the Task Force to 1706
Conduct a Best Financial Management Practices Review, to improve 1707
school district management and use of resources and identify cost 1708
savings as established in Section 8 of Chapter 610, Laws of 2002, 1709
local school boards are encouraged to conduct independent reviews 1710
of the management and efficiency of schools and school districts. 1711
Such management and efficiency reviews shall provide state and 1712
local officials and the public with the following: 1713
(i) An assessment of a school district's 1714
governance and organizational structure; 1715
(ii) An assessment of the school district's 1716
financial and personnel management; 1717
(iii) An assessment of revenue levels and sources; 1718
(iv) An assessment of facilities utilization, 1719
planning and maintenance; 1720
(v) An assessment of food services, transportation 1721
and safety/security systems; 1722
(vi) An assessment of instructional and 1723
administrative technology; 1724
(vii) A review of the instructional management and 1725
the efficiency and effectiveness of existing instructional 1726
programs; and 1727
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(viii) Recommended methods for increasing 1728
efficiency and effectiveness in providing educational services to 1729
the public; 1730
(qq) To enter into agreements with other local school 1731
boards for the establishment of an educational service agency 1732
(ESA) to provide for the cooperative needs of the region in which 1733
the school district is located, as provided in Section 37-7-345; 1734
(rr) To * * * incorporate financial literacy * * * 1735
components within the curriculum offered to students in 1736
Grades * * * 6-8. Current curriculum for Grades 6-12 shall 1737
include content on financial literacy education. Each student, 1738
during Grade 9, 10, 11 or 12, shall take and pass a one-half (1/2) 1739
Carnegie Unit course in personal finance, or a full Carnegie Unit 1740
Course where at least one-half (1/2) of the course standards 1741
concern financial literacy, in order to earn a high school 1742
diploma. The financial literacy program shall include, but is not 1743
limited to, instruction in the same areas of personal business and 1744
finance as required under Section 37-1-3(2)(b). The school board 1745
may coordinate with volunteer teachers from local community 1746
organizations, including, but not limited to, the following: 1747
United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, United 1748
States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Junior 1749
Achievement, bankers and other nonprofit organizations. * * * In 1750
addition to any financial literacy standards administratively 1751
required by the State Department of Education's College- and 1752
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Career-Readiness course, the financial literacy program for Grades 1753
9, 10, 11 and 12 may include, without limitation: 1754
(i) Financial decision-making; 1755
(ii) Earning an income, tax obligations and 1756
withholdings; 1757
(iii) Personal budgeting, saving, spending and 1758
cash-flow management; 1759
(iv) Financial services, including types of 1760
credit, using credit, credit reports and interest calculations; 1761
(v) Postsecondary education financing, including 1762
loans, repayment and cost-benefit analysis for expected 1763
employment; and 1764
(vi) Consumer rights, identity protection and 1765
fraud avoidance. 1766
(ss) To collaborate with the State Board of Education, 1767
Community Action Agencies or the Department of Human Services to 1768
develop and implement a voluntary program to provide services for 1769
a prekindergarten program that addresses the cognitive, social, 1770
and emotional needs of four-year-old and three-year-old children. 1771
The school board may utilize any source of available revenue to 1772
fund the voluntary program. Effective with the 2013-2014 school 1773
year, to implement voluntary prekindergarten programs under the 1774
Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013 pursuant to state funds 1775
awarded by the State Department of Education on a matching basis; 1776
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(tt) With respect to any lawful, written obligation of 1777
a school district, including, but not limited to, leases 1778
(excluding leases of sixteenth section public school trust land), 1779
bonds, notes, or other agreement, to agree in writing with the 1780
obligee that the Department of Revenue or any state agency, 1781
department or commission created under state law may: 1782
(i) Withhold all or any part (as agreed by the 1783
school board) of any monies which such local school board is 1784
entitled to receive from time to time under any law and which is 1785
in the possession of the Department of Revenue, or any state 1786
agency, department or commission created under state law; and 1787
(ii) Pay the same over to any financial 1788
institution, trustee or other obligee, as directed in writing by 1789
the school board, to satisfy all or part of such obligation of the 1790
school district. 1791
The school board may make such written agreement to withhold 1792
and transfer funds irrevocable for the term of the written 1793
obligation and may include in the written agreement any other 1794
terms and provisions acceptable to the school board. If the 1795
school board files a copy of such written agreement with the 1796
Department of Revenue, or any state agency, department or 1797
commission created under state law then the Department of Revenue 1798
or any state agency, department or commission created under state 1799
law shall immediately make the withholdings provided in such 1800
agreement from the amounts due the local school board and shall 1801
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continue to pay the same over to such financial institution, 1802
trustee or obligee for the term of the agreement. 1803
This paragraph (tt) shall not grant any extra authority to a 1804
school board to issue debt in any amount exceeding statutory 1805
limitations on assessed value of taxable property within such 1806
school district or the statutory limitations on debt maturities, 1807
and shall not grant any extra authority to impose, levy or collect 1808
a tax which is not otherwise expressly provided for, and shall not 1809
be construed to apply to sixteenth section public school trust 1810
land; 1811
(uu) With respect to any matter or transaction that is 1812
competitively bid by a school district, to accept from any bidder 1813
as a good-faith deposit or bid bond or bid surety, the same type 1814
of good-faith deposit or bid bond or bid surety that may be 1815
accepted by the state or any other political subdivision on 1816
similar competitively bid matters or transactions. This paragraph 1817
(uu) shall not be construed to apply to sixteenth section public 1818
school trust land. The school board may authorize the investment 1819
of any school district funds in the same kind and manner of 1820
investments, including pooled investments, as any other political 1821
subdivision, including community hospitals; 1822
(vv) To utilize the alternate method for the conveyance 1823
or exchange of unused school buildings and/or land, reserving a 1824
partial or other undivided interest in the property, as 1825
specifically authorized and provided in Section 37-7-485; 1826
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(ww) To delegate, privatize or otherwise enter into a 1827
contract with private entities for the operation of any and all 1828
functions of nonacademic school process, procedures and operations 1829
including, but not limited to, cafeteria workers, janitorial 1830
services, transportation, professional development, achievement 1831
and instructional consulting services materials and products, 1832
purchasing cooperatives, insurance, business manager services, 1833
auditing and accounting services, school safety/risk prevention, 1834
data processing and student records, and other staff services; 1835
however, the authority under this paragraph does not apply to the 1836
leasing, management or operation of sixteenth section lands. 1837
Local school districts, working through their regional education 1838
service agency, are encouraged to enter into buying consortia with 1839
other member districts for the purposes of more efficient use of 1840
state resources as described in Section 37-7-345; 1841
(xx) To partner with entities, organizations and 1842
corporations for the purpose of benefiting the school district; 1843
(yy) To borrow funds from the Rural Economic 1844
Development Authority for the maintenance of school buildings; 1845
(zz) To fund and operate voluntary early childhood 1846
education programs, defined as programs for children less than 1847
five (5) years of age on or before September 1, and to use any 1848
source of revenue for such early childhood education programs. 1849
Such programs shall not conflict with the Early Learning 1850
Collaborative Act of 2013; 1851
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(aaa) To issue and provide for the use of procurement 1852
cards by school board members, superintendents and licensed school 1853
personnel consistent with the rules and regulations of the 1854
Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration under Section 1855
31-7-9; and 1856
( * * *aab) To conduct an annual comprehensive 1857
evaluation of the superintendent of schools consistent with the 1858
assessment components of paragraph (pp) of this section and the 1859
assessment benchmarks established by the Mississippi School Board 1860
Association to evaluate the success the superintendent has 1861
attained in meeting district goals and objectives, the 1862
superintendent's leadership skill and whether or not the 1863
superintendent has established appropriate standards for 1864
performance, is monitoring success and is using data for 1865
improvement. 1866
SECTION 28. Section 37-28-45, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 1867
amended as follows: 1868
37-28-45. (1) Charter schools are subject to the same civil 1869
rights, health and safety requirements applicable to noncharter 1870
public schools in the state, except as otherwise specifically 1871
provided in this chapter. 1872
(2) Charter schools are subject to the student assessment 1873
and accountability requirements applicable to noncharter public 1874
schools in the state; however, this requirement does not preclude 1875
a charter school from establishing additional student assessment 1876
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measures that go beyond state requirements if the authorizer 1877
approves those measures. 1878
(3) Although a charter school is geographically located 1879
within the boundaries of a particular school district and * * * 1880
may enroll students who reside within the school district, the 1881
charter school may not be considered a school within that district 1882
under the purview of the school district's school board. The 1883
rules, regulations, policies and procedures established by the 1884
school board for the noncharter public schools that are in the 1885
school district in which the charter school is geographically 1886
located do not apply to the charter school unless otherwise 1887
required under the charter contract or any contract entered into 1888
between the charter * * * school's governing board and the local 1889
school board. 1890
(4) Whenever the provisions of Title 37, Mississippi Code of 1891
1972, relating to the elementary and secondary education of public 1892
school students establish a requirement for or grant authority to 1893
local school districts, their school boards and the schools within 1894
the respective school districts, the language "school districts," 1895
"school boards," "boards of trustees," "the schools within a 1896
school district," or any other similar phraseology does not 1897
include a charter school and the governing board of a charter 1898
school unless the statute specifically is made applicable to 1899
charter schools as well as noncharter public schools. 1900
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(5) A charter school is not subject to any rule, regulation, 1901
policy or procedure adopted by the State Board of Education or the 1902
State Department of Education unless otherwise required by the 1903
authorizer or in the charter contract. 1904
(6) Charter schools and their governing boards, when 1905
conducting charter school business, are not exempt from the 1906
following statutes: 1907
(a) Chapter 41, Title 25, Mississippi Code of 1972, 1908
which relate to open meetings of public bodies. 1909
(b) Chapter 61, Title 25, Mississippi Code of 1972, 1910
which relate to public access to public records. 1911
(c) Section 37-3-51, which requires notice by the 1912
district attorney of licensed school employees who are convicted 1913
of certain sex offenses. 1914
(d) Section 37-3-53, which requires publication of the 1915
Mississippi Report Card by the State Board of Education. 1916
(e) Section 37-11-18, which requires the automatic 1917
expulsion of a student possessing a weapon or controlled substance 1918
on educational property. 1919
(f) Section 37-11-18.1, which requires expulsion of 1920
certain habitually disruptive students. 1921
(g) Section 37-11-19, which requires suspension or 1922
expulsion of a student who damages school property. 1923
(h) Section 37-11-20, which prohibits acts of 1924
intimidation intended to keep a student from attending school. 1925
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(i) Section 37-11-21, which prohibits parental abuse of 1926
school staff. 1927
(j) Section 37-11-23, which prohibits the willful 1928
disruption of school and school meetings. 1929
(k) Sections 37-11-29 and 37-11-31, which relate to 1930
reporting requirements regarding unlawful or violent acts on 1931
school property. 1932
(l) Section 37-11-67, which prohibits bullying or 1933
harassing behavior in public schools. 1934
(m) Section 37-13-3, which prohibits doctrinal, 1935
sectarian or denominational teaching in public schools. 1936
(n) Sections 37-13-5 and 37-13-6, which require the 1937
flags of the United States and the State of Mississippi to be 1938
displayed near the school building. 1939
(o) Section 37-13-63(1), which prescribes the minimum 1940
number of days which public schools must be kept in session during 1941
a scholastic year. 1942
(p) Section 37-13-91, which is the Mississippi 1943
Compulsory School Attendance Law. 1944
(q) Section 37-13-171(2) and (4), which requires any 1945
course containing sex-related education to include instruction in 1946
abstinence-only or abstinence-plus education. 1947
(r) Section 37-13-173, which requires notice to parents 1948
before instruction on human sexuality is provided in public 1949
classrooms. 1950
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(s) Section 37-13-193, which relates to civil rights 1951
and human rights education in the public schools. 1952
(t) Sections 37-15-1 and 37-15-3, which relate to the 1953
maintenance and transfer of permanent student records in public 1954
schools. 1955
(u) Section 37-15-6, which requires the State 1956
Department of Education to maintain a record of expulsions from 1957
the public schools. 1958
(v) Section 37-15-9, which establishes minimum age 1959
requirements for kindergarten and first grade enrollment in public 1960
schools. 1961
(w) Section 37-15-11, which requires a parent, legal 1962
guardian or custodian to accompany a child seeking enrollment in a 1963
public school. 1964
(x) Sections 37-16-1, 37-16-3, 37-16-4 and 37-16-9, 1965
which relate to the statewide assessment testing program. 1966
(y) Section 37-18-1, which establishes the 1967
Superior-Performing Schools Program and Exemplary Schools Program 1968
to recognize public schools that improve. 1969
(z) Section 37-7-301 and Section 25 of this act, which 1970
require, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, all high school 1971
students to take and pass a one-half (1/2) Carnegie Unit credit 1972
course in personal finance or a full Carnegie Unit course where 1973
half the course standards are financial literacy as a requirement 1974
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for earning a high school diploma beginning with the graduating 1975
class of 2032. 1976
SECTION 29. The following shall be codified as Section 1977
37-13-215, Mississippi Code of 1972: 1978
37-13-215. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited 1979
as the "Mississippi Future Innovators Act." 1980
(2) Beginning with the entering ninth-grade class of 1981
2029-2030, a public high school student shall, before graduation, 1982
be required to earn one (1) unit of credit in a high school 1983
computer science course, or one (1) unit of credit in an 1984
industry-aligned career and technical education (CTE) with 1985
embedded computer science course providing instruction in the 1986
foundations of computer science. Either credit unit must be 1987
approved by the State Board of Education. This computer science 1988
requirement shall not increase the number of state-required 1989
credits for graduation. 1990
(3) For a traditional diploma, each credit earned for State 1991
Board of Education approved computer science course or CTE with 1992
embedded computer science course shall meet state graduation 1993
requirements for computer science and requirements met for one (1) 1994
of the following Mississippi High School Graduation Requirements: 1995
(a) One (1) credit in mathematics (excluding Algebra I, 1996
Geometry and Algebra II requirements); or 1997
(b) One (1) credit in science (excluding biology and 1998
one (1) physical science requirement). 1999
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(4) The computer science course or courses fulfilling this 2000
graduation requirement must include instruction on the fundamental 2001
concepts of emerging computer science technologies, such as 2002
artificial intelligence (AI), including an understanding of what 2003
AI is, how it works, and its impact on society. 2004
SECTION 30. Section 37-13-205, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 2005
amended as follows: 2006
37-13-205. As used in Sections 37-13-201 through * * * 2007
37-13-215, the following terms shall have the meaning ascribed in 2008
this section: 2009
(a) "Career and technical education with embedded 2010
computer science course" means a high school career and technical 2011
education (CTE) course that, in addition to its primary content, 2012
provides instruction in the foundations of computer science and is 2013
approved by the State Board of Education as a "career and 2014
technical education with embedded computer science course." 2015
( * * *b) "Computer science" means the study of 2016
computers, algorithmic processes, coding, and logical thinking, 2017
including computer principles, their hardware and software 2018
designs, artificial intelligence (AI), other emerging 2019
technologies, their implementation and their impact on society. 2020
( * * *c) "Computer science courses" means high school 2021
and middle school courses that teach computer science as 2022
stand-alone implementations; and elementary curriculum that 2023
provides instruction in computer science as stand-alone 2024
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implementations or embedded in other subjects and focuses on how 2025
to create and understand technology, rather than simply using 2026
technology. 2027
( * * *d) "Offer" means providing instruction with 2028
appropriately endorsed teachers, for any computer science course 2029
which awards a Carnegie unit. At the elementary level, 2030
instruction may be offered by a licensed teacher or 2031
paraprofessional who is under the guidance or supervision of a 2032
licensed teacher, and who has received training for computer 2033
science instruction approved by the State Department of Education: 2034
(i) Who is onsite at the physical location of the 2035
school; or 2036
(ii) Who is not onsite at the physical location of 2037
the school but conducts the course through virtual means with a 2038
proctor onsite at the physical location of the school. 2039
( * * *e) "Paraprofessional" consists of school 2040
employees who support instructional delivery and are deemed to be 2041
qualified and have received the professional learning 2042
opportunities to perform the job functions associated with 2043
providing instruction. 2044
SECTION 31. The following shall be codified as Section 2045
37-13-56, Mississippi Code of 1972: 2046
37-13-56. (1) For purposes of this section, "civics" means 2047
a nonpartisan educational program that promotes: 2048
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(a) The acquisition of knowledge of the history, 2049
heritage, civic life and civic institutions of the United States 2050
of America and the State of Mississippi; 2051
(b) The acquisition of skills such as the ability to 2052
analyze texts and determine the reliability of sources; and 2053
(c) An understanding of the ways in which civic 2054
institutions operate and how individuals may be involved in civic 2055
life. 2056
(2) Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, every public and 2057
charter school within the state shall be required to incorporate 2058
civics into the course of study that is presently a part of the 2059
required curriculum for high school graduation. Training for the 2060
teaching of these civics courses shall be conducted during the 2061
summer of 2027. Each school shall require students to complete 2062
regular courses of instruction in the factually accurate history 2063
of the United States, in civics, in the Constitution of the United 2064
States and in the Constitution and the government of the State of 2065
Mississippi starting in the eighth grade and before students 2066
complete twelfth grade. The courses shall focus on increasing the 2067
knowledge of the organization of the government of the United 2068
States and of the State of Mississippi. The courses shall have an 2069
emphasis on the study of federalism, the separation of powers, the 2070
checks and balances throughout the government, the Bill of Rights, 2071
and appreciation for free speech and civil discourse, using 2072
historical references, congressional and public debates, including 2073
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ST: Education; institute initiatives to promote
literacy in math, reading, finance, computer
science, and civics.
current public policy issues. The courses shall also increase the 2074
critical thinking skills of the students in how and why the 2075
separate branches of government operate as they do. 2076
(3) The State Department of Education, using rigorous and 2077
relevant resources, shall prescribe the courses of study, 2078
including the basic course requirements and the academic standards 2079
for these courses, and shall update course standards to align with 2080
current civics scholarship grounded in a factual depiction of the 2081
history and tradition of the United States. The department shall 2082
rename its United States Government courses as "United States 2083
Government and Civics" to account for the additional civics 2084
component while maintaining the government component. 2085
SECTION 32. This act shall take effect and be in force from 2086
and after July 1, 2026. 2087