Senate Bill 2669

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI SAVE OUR SCHOOLS PROGRAM TO HIRE TEACHERS TO WORK IN "D" RATED SCHOOLS AND "F" RATED SCHOOLS BEGINNING WITH THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR; TO REPEAL SECTION 37-19-10, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH IS THE SCHOOL RECOGNITION PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The Legislature finds that there is a critical need to hire high-performing teachers to work in "D" rated schools and "F" rated schools.

(2) Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, the Mississippi Save Our Schools Program is created to hire high-performing teachers to work in "D" rated schools and "F" rated schools. Program funds will be awarded as follows:

(a) Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00) per pupil in average daily attendance at a "D" rated school;

(b) One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per pupil in average daily attendance at an "F" rated school; or

(c) One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00) per pupil in average daily attendance at an "F" rated school that has had a school accountability rating of "F" for at least five (5) years.

(3) Save Our Schools funds must be used to hire high-performing teachers at "D" rated schools or "F" rated schools.

(4) Save Our Schools funds shall not be used for hiring administrators.

(5) There is hereby created in the State Treasury the Mississippi Save Our Schools Program Fund which shall be used by the State Department of Education to provide funds to schools under this section. It shall be the duty of the State Department of Education to file with the State Treasurer and the State Fiscal Officer such data and information as may be required to enable the State Treasurer and State Fiscal Officer to distribute the Mississippi Save Our Schools Program Funds by electronic funds transfer to the several school districts at the time required and provided under the provisions of this section. Such data and information so filed shall show in detail the amount of funds to which each school district is entitled from the Mississippi Save Our Schools Program Fund. Such data and information so filed may be revised from time to time as necessitated by law. At the time provided by law, the State Treasurer and the State Fiscal Officer shall distribute to the several school districts the amounts to which they are entitled from the Mississippi Save Our Schools Program Fund as provided by this section. Such distribution shall be made by electronic funds transfer to the depositories of the several school districts designated in writing to the State Treasurer based upon the data and information supplied by the State Department of Education for such distribution. In such instances, the State Treasurer shall submit a request for an electronic funds transfer to the State Fiscal Officer, which shall set forth the purpose, amount and payees, and shall be in such form as may be approved by the State Fiscal Officer so as to provide the necessary information as would be required for a requisition and issuance of a warrant. A copy of the record of said electronic funds transfers shall be transmitted by the school district depositories to the Treasurer, who shall file duplicates with the State Fiscal Officer. The Treasurer and State Fiscal Officer shall jointly promulgate regulations for the utilization of electronic funds transfers to school districts from the Mississippi Save Our Schools Program Fund.

(6) The Legislature shall use the monies that funded the former School Recognition Program to fund the Mississippi Save Our Schools Program Fund.

SECTION 2. Section 37-19-10, Mississippi Code of 1972, which is the School Recognition Program, is repealed.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2021.