Commission on School Accreditation; task with governing professional conduct of school board members.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Boyd

SENATE BILL NO. 2306

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-17-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
DIRECT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, BY AND THROUGH THE COMMISSION 2
ON SCHOOL ACCREDITATION, TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS 3
REGARDING THE PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND GOVERNANCE OF SCHOOL BOARD 4
MEMBERS AND ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF SUCH RULES; TO 5
PROVIDE THAT, IF A MEMBER OF A SCHOOL BOARD IS CITED BY THE 6
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR VIOLATIONS, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL BE 7
AUTHORIZED TO DIRECT THE SCHOOL BOARD TO REDUCE OR REMOVE THE 8
COMPENSATION FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH 9
RULES AND REGULATIONS; TO PROVIDE THAT A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE 10
COMMISSION ON SCHOOL ACCREDITATION SHALL BE ESTABLISHED TO ASSIST 11
THE DEPARTMENT IN REVIEWING AND RESPONDING TO INFRACTIONS AND 12
VIOLATIONS REGARDING THE PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND GOVERNANCE OF 13
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 14
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 15
SECTION 1. Section 37-17-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 16
amended as follows: 17
37-17-5. (1) It shall be the purpose of the Commission on 18
School Accreditation to continually review the standards on 19
accreditation and the enforcement thereof and to make 20
recommendations thereon to the State Board of Education. All 21
controversies involving the accreditation of schools shall be 22
initially heard by a duly authorized representative of the 23
commission before whom a complete record shall be made. After the 24
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conclusion of the hearing, the duly authorized representative of 25
the commission shall make a recommendation to the commission as to 26
the resolution of the controversies, and the commission, after 27
considering the transcribed record and the recommendation of its 28
representative, shall make its decision which becomes final unless 29
the local school board of the school district involved shall 30
appeal to the State Board of Education, which appeal shall be on 31
the record previously made before the commission's representative 32
except as may be provided by rules and regulations adopted by the 33
State Board of Education. Such rules and regulations may provide 34
for the submission of new factual evidence. All appeals from the 35
State Board of Education shall be on the record and shall be filed 36
in the Circuit Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds 37
County, Mississippi. The commission shall select a competent and 38
qualified court reporter to record and transcribe all hearings 39
held before its duly authorized representative whose fees and 40
costs of transcription shall be paid by the school district 41
involved within forty-five (45) days after having been notified of 42
such costs and fees by the commission. An appropriate member of 43
the staff of the State Department of Education shall be designated 44
by the State Superintendent of Public Education to serve as 45
executive secretary of the commission. 46
(2) The State Board of Education by and through the 47
Commission on School Accreditation shall promulgate rules and 48
regulations regarding the professional conduct and governance of 49
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ST: Commission on School Accreditation; task
with governing professional conduct of school
board members.
school board members and establish penalties for violations of 50
such rules. If a member of a school board is cited by the 51
Department of Education for such violations, the State Department 52
of Education shall be authorized to direct the school board to 53
reduce or remove the compensation for the school board member in 54
accordance with the rules and regulations established by the State 55
Board of Education. 56
(3) A subcommittee of the Commission on School Accreditation 57
shall be established to assist the State Department of Education 58
in reviewing and responding to infractions and violations 59
regarding the professional conduct and governance of school board 60
members. 61
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 62
and after July 1, 2026. 63