House Bill 1207  (Dead)

School District Accreditation: Authorizes State Board of Education to withdraw a school district’s accreditation for violation of accreditation standards, without a probationary period. Allows parent or guardian to transfer to an accredited district any student from a school district whose accreditation has been withdrawn, with per pupil funding following student to the accredited school district. Authorizes State Board of Education, for school districts that are declared to be in a state of emergency for a second time, to abolish the school district and administratively consolidate it with one or more existing school districts. Prohibits establishment of a conservatorship for such districts. 

• Referred to House Education Committee, 2/20/12

• Passed by House Education Committee, 3/5/12

• Passed by full House; 104 yeas, 14 nays, 2 present or not voting, 2 absent, 3/15/12

• Referred to Senate Education Committee, 3/20/12

Requires the appointment, rather than election, of all local school superintendents by their local school boards beginning January 1, 2016. At the expiration of the term of any county superintendent of education elected in the November 2011 general election, the superintendent of said county shall not be elected but shall thereafter be subject to appointment by the local school board.

• Referred to Senate Education Committee, 2/3/12 

• Amended by Senate Education Committee to authorize a referendum on the question of retaining the office of elected county superintendent of education pursuant to petition by registered voters prior to January 1, 2015; passed by Committee as amended, 3/1/12 

• Passed by full Senate; 43 yeas, 9 nays, 3/13/12  See Vote 

• Referred to House Education Committee, 3/19/12

• Amended (strike-all) by House Education Committee to create a task force to study the effectiveness of elected and appointed school superintendents; passed by Committee as amended, 4/3/12 

• Strike-all amendment passed by full House; 92 yeas, 27 nays, 2 present not voting, 1 absent,  4/10/12  See Vote 

• Returned to Senate for concurrence, 4/11/12

Original bill amended by Senate to require the appointment, rather than election, of all local school superintendents by their local school boards beginning January 1, 2016. At the expiration of the term of any county superintendent of education elected in the November 2011 general election, the superintendent of said county shall not be elected but shall thereafter be subject to appointment by the local school board. Pursuant to a petition by registered voters prior to January 1, 2015, a referendum may be held on the question of retaining the office of elected county superintendent of education. 

• Passed by full Senate as amended; 37 yeas, 15 nays, 4/10/12  See Vote

• Returned to House for concurrence, 4/12/12

Original bill amended by Senate to Mississippi Public Charter Schools Act of 2012: Allows conversion and start-up public charter schools to locate throughout the state. Prohibits virtual charter schools, but allows charter schools to contract for virtual classes according to current state statute. Star and High Performing school districts must give local school board approval for charters to locate within their districts. Successful school districts must give local board approval to charter applicants until July 1, 2015, after which time charter schools may locate in Successful districts without local board approval. Creates the seven-member Mississippi Public Charter School Accountability Board to serve as the sole authorizer of charter schools: three members appointed by the Governor, three appointed by the Lt. Governor, and one appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. Grants the authorizer power to exempt charter schools from some state statutes. Students may cross district lines to attend charter schools. Allows state and local per pupil funding to follow students. Charter schools are subject to the same accountability assessments and ratings as traditional public schools.
• Passed by full Senate as amended; 31 yeas, 19 nays, 1 present not voting, 1 absent, 4/11/12 See Vote

The Parents’ Campaign favors a “nay” vote on this bill. 

•  Referred to Senate Education Committee, 2/15/12

•  Amended by Senate Education Committee to prohibit virtual charter schools and to allow pre-k to be offered in charter schools if privately funded; passed by Committee as amended, 2/21/12

•  Debated by full Senate; Amendment 1 proposed to authorize charters only for Low Performing, At Risk of Failing, and Failing schools; amendment failed; 19 yeas, 32 nays, 1 absent; 2/22/12  See Vote 

The Parents’ Campaign favors a “yea” vote on this amendment. 

• Bill passed by full Senate without amendments; 34 yeas, 17 nays, 1 absent, 2/22/12  See Vote

• Held on a motion to reconsider, 2/22/12
• Motion to reconsider tabled, 2/23/12• Defeated by House Education Committee; 15 yeas, 16 nays,  4/3/12 

 

House Bill 888 (Dead)

• Referred to House Education Committee, 2/20/12 

• Amended by House Education Committee to allow conversion and start-up public charter schools only in districts rated Successful or below, to require that charter management organizations have a track record of success, to authorize virtual public schools (referred to in original bill as “virtual public charter schools”) to contract with a charter authorizer to offer educational services predominately through an online program; passed by Committee as amended; 14 yeas, 12 nays, 2/29/12

•Tabled subject to call, 3/13/12
• Died on calendar, 3/15/12 

House Bill 864 (Dead)

Mississippi Works Dual Enrollment – Dual Credit Option: Program for those who have dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out. Pilot program in five school districts in 2012-2013 school year; statewide implementation beginning in 2013-2014 school year. Allows simultaneous enrollment in high school and community college to receive dual credit for high school completion courses and a work skills certificate program. Community college courses provided at no cost to students.

• Referred to House Education and Universities and Colleges Committees, 2/20/12

• Passed by House Education Committee, 3/1/12

• Passed by full House; 117 yeas, 1 nay, 3 present but not voting,1 absent, 3/8/12

•Held on a motion to reconsider, 3/8/12

• Motion to reconsider tabled, 3/9/12  
• Referred to Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, 3/15/12  
• Amended by Senate Education Committee to initiate program statewide in the 2012-2013 school year and to include career, technical, and degree program community college courses  

• Passed by Senate Education and Appropriations Committees as amended, 3/29/12

• Passed by full Senate; 51 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent, 4/4/12

• House declined to concur with Senate version and invited conference on the bill, 4/9/12

• House conferees: Rep. Nolan Mettetal, Rep. Greg Holloway, Rep. John Moore; Senate conferees: (not yet available)  
• Died in conference, 4/30/12 

House Bill 1101 (Dead)

Mississippi UPSTART Project:  Creates home-based virtual learning program for preschoolers. Authorizes State Board of Education to contract with a not-for-profit organization to deliver services. Requires Mississippi Department of Education to provide computer equipment and free Internet service to qualifying families participating in the project. Provides no funding for MDE to meet that obligation. Aims to test the feasibility of scaling a home-based virtual learning program to prepare children for kindergarten, delivered by computers and the Internet to all preschool children in the State of Mississippi.

• Referred to House Education Committee, 2/20/12

• Passed by House Education Committee, 3/2/12 

• Passed by full House; 106 yeas, 11 nays, 3 present or not voting, 2 absent, 3/14/12

• Referred to Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, 3/20/12

• Died on calendar, 4/3/12

House Bill 838  (Dead)

Central School District Shared Services Office System: Requires each county to establish an implementation schedule for the establishment of a Central School District Shared Services Office System in each county in the state. All school districts located in the county will utilize one central office for procurement, purchasing, transportation, information technology services (exclusive of any technology used for student data and faculty/staff personal information), child nutrition, and other administrative services. Two counties per congressional district will participate in pilot implementation in 2013-2014 school year. After the pilot year, any school district may elect to participate in the system, by a majority vote of the county board of supervisors and the school board.

• Referred to House Education and Appropriations Committees, 2/20/12

• Passed by House Education Committee, 3/6/12

• Passed by full House; 92 yeas, 23 nays, 5 present or not voting, 2 absent, 3/15/12  See Vote

• Referred to Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, 3/28/12

• Died on calendar, 4/3/12