House Bill 1104

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-13-87, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICER SUPERVISORS EMPLOYED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FROM THREE TO TWO; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 37-13-87, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-13-87. (1) The Director of the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement shall create a northern region and southern region of the state for the purpose of employing two (2) school attendance officer supervisors, each to maintain an office within the region of the state served by that supervisor. These regions must be established so that as equal a number of school attendance officers as possible are under the supervision of the school attendance officer supervisor in each region. Each supervisor shall be responsible for the enforcement of the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance Law within his region and shall exercise direct supervision over the school attendance officers in that region. The supervisors, who shall report to the director of the office, shall assist the school attendance officers in the performance of their duties as established by law or otherwise.

(2) No person having less than eight (8) years combined actual experience as a school attendance officer, school teacher, school administrator, law enforcement officer possessing a college degree with a major in a behavioral science or a related field, and/or social worker in the state shall be employed as a school attendance officer supervisor. Further, a school attendance officer supervisor shall possess a college degree with a major in a behavioral science or a related field or shall have actual experience as a school teacher, school administrator, law enforcement officer possessing such degree or social worker; however, these requirements shall not apply to persons employed as school attendance officers before January 1, 1987. School attendance officers shall meet any additional qualifications established by the State Personnel Board for school attendance officers or school attendance officer supervisors. The school attendance officer supervisors shall receive an annual salary to be set by the State Superintendent of Public Education, subject to the approval of the State Personnel Board, with consideration given to the increased responsibilities attendant upon the school attendance officer supervisors when the number of such positions is decreased from three (3) to two (2) on July 1, 2002.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2002.