MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2020 Regular Session

To: Education; Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Jordan

Senate Bill 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-15-6, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A CENTRAL REPORTING SYSTEM TO BE USED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR THE MANDATORY REPORTING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ALL DATA REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW TO BE REPORTED TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS TO PUBLISH SAID INFORMATION ON THEIR RESPECTIVE WEBSITES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  Section 37-15-6, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     37-15-6.  For the purpose of providing notice to public and private school officials, both within and outside the boundaries of the state, of * * * the expulsion of any public school student information that is in the public interest, the State Department of Education * * * may shall develop a central reporting system for maintaining information concerning * * * each expulsion from a public school all data required by federal law to be reported to the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.  In establishing and maintaining the state reporting system, the * * * department may State Department of Education shall require each school district and charter school to report, * * * within a certain period of time after an expulsion, as established by the department, no later than July 1 of each year, all information * * * such as the following:

  (a)  The name of the student expelled;

  (b)  The date the student was expelled;

  (c)  The age of the student at the time of the expulsion;

  (d)  The school from which the student was expelled;

  (e)  The reason for the expulsion, including a detailed description of the student's act or acts;

  (f)  The duration of the period of expulsion, if not indefinite; and

  (g)  Any other information that the department deems necessary for school officials in a public or private school, where a student is seeking enrollment, to determine whether or not a student should be denied enrollment based upon a previous expulsion.

Any information maintained by the department under the authority of this section shall be strictly confidential.  The information shall be available to school officials at a public or private school only upon their request and only when a student seeks enrollment or admission to that school.  In no case shall the information be available to the general public. that is required to be reported to the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.  Both the State Department of Education and each school district or charter school shall publish this information, in a searchable and publicly accessible format, on its respective website.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2020.

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