MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Appropriations E; Appropriations A
By: Representatives Oliver, Read, Arnold, Boyd (19th), Hines, Mangold, Massengill, Roberson, Scoggin
AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING K-12 AND OTHER RELATED EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING CERTAIN AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS, IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. The following sums, or so much of those sums as may be necessary, are appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of funding K-12 and other related educational activities, including certain agencies and programs, in the State of Mississippi, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, as follows:
(a) To the State Board of Education for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the State Department of Education, and excluding the expenses of the Vocational and Technical Education Division............................................ $ 128,471,455.00.
(b) To the State Board of Education for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Vocational and Technical Education Division of the State Department of Education............................
........................................... $ 86,549,969.00.
(c) To the State Board of Education for the purpose of paying annual compensation to the Chickasaw Cession counties for sixteenth section lands which they lost through sale by the state, as provided in Sections 29-3-137 through 29-3-141, Mississippi Code of 1972.... $ 15,223,869.00.
(d) To the State Board of Education for defraying the expenses of the Mississippi Student Funding Formula......................
............................................ $ 2,690,627,163.00.
TOTAL AMOUNT OF STATE GENERAL FUNDS APPROPRIATED
BY THIS SECTION BEING....................$ 2,920,872,456.00.
SECTION 2. The following sums, or so much of those sums as may be necessary, are appropriated out of any money in any special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the proper fund or funds of the agencies or programs specified in the following paragraphs for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, as follows:
(a) To the State Board of Education for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the State Department of Education, excluding the expenses of the Vocational and Technical Education Division. $ 1,995,418,401.00.
(b) To the State Board of Education for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Vocational and Technical Education Division of the State Department of Education............................
........................................... $ 22,718,189.00.
(c) To the State Board of Education for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Mississippi Student Funding Formula
........................................... $ 268,025,562.00.
TOTAL AMOUNT OF SPECIAL FUNDS APPROPRIATED
BY THIS SECTION BEING.................. $ 2,286,162,152.00.
SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, One Hundred Twenty-six Thousand Four Hundred Seventy-two Dollars ($126,472.00), or so much of that sum as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Health Care Expendable Fund to the State Department of Education for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the department for the Mississippi Eye Screening Program for providing vision safety services.
SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, the following sums, or so much of those sums as may be necessary, are derived out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Education Enhancement Fund pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 1972, as follows:
(a) To the State Department of Education, excluding the expenses of the Vocational and Technical Education Division, for the following purposes:
Literacy Initiative and Assessment......... $ 6,805,774.00
Educable Child............................ $ 9,500,000.00
Grants to school districts for
capital facilities and buses.......... $ 16,000,000.00
Instructional materials................... $ 25,000,000.00
Students with Special Needs................ $ 1,800,000.00
Implementing Performance-Based Data
Collection and Accreditation
Model................................ $ 274,937.00
Testing................................... $ 6,125,670.00
Mississippi School for Math and
Science.............................. $ 1,131,000.00
Mississippi School for Fine Arts. ......... $ 927,632.00
Early Learning Collaboratives.............. $ 21,210,526.00
Other Early Learning Programs.............. $ 13,000,000.00
Early Learning Coaches.................... $ 3,251,533.00
Math Coaches.............................. $ 5,000,000.00
WorkKeys.................................. $ 1,000,000.00
Advanced Placement, Dual Credits,
International Baccalaureate,
Cambridge Diploma Endorsements........ $ 300,000.00
Vocational Technical Grants................ $ 1,000,000.00
Mississippi School for the Deaf
and Blind............................ $ 1,557,037.00
TOTAL..................................... $ 113,884,109.00
(b) To the State Department of Education to defray the expenses of the Vocational and Technical Education Division......
.............................................. $ 6,637,258.00.
(c) To the State Department of Education to provide funding for the Mississippi Student Funding Formula.....................
.............................................. $ 268,025,562.00.
SECTION 5. Of the funds appropriated in this act, the following positions are authorized for the State Department of Education, excluding the expenses of the Vocational and Technical Education Division:
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT:
Permanent: 329
Time-Limited: 124
Additionally, the State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the projected annualized payroll costs based on current employees. It shall be the responsibility of the agency head to ensure that actual personnel expenditures for Fiscal Year 2025 do not exceed the data provided by the Legislative Budget Office. If the agency’s Fiscal Year 2025 projected cost exceeds the annualized costs, no salary actions shall be processed by the State Personnel Board except for new hires determined to be essential for the agency.
Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State Personnel Board shall not escalate positions without written approval from the Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to escalate any funds for salaries and/or positions without proof of availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated level.
No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds used for salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.
None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in violation of the Internal Revenue Service’s Publication 15-A relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor.
SECTION 6. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of the Legislature that the funds provided in this act shall be utilized in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the intended mission of the State Department of Education, excluding the expenses of the Vocational and Technical Education Division. Based on the funding authorized, this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted performance measures provided below:
FY2025
Performance Measures Target
Special Education
Number of Special Education Teachers (FTE) 5,963
Number of Gifted Education Teachers 730
Percent Increase of Children with
Disabilities in General Education Early
Childhood Programs while Decreasing the
Percent in Self-Contained Special
Education Early Childhood Classrooms 76.00
General Administration
Total Dollars Spent on General
Administration 19,250,220.00
Percent of Total Budget Spent on General
Administration 15.70
Create a Public-Facing Data System for
All Stakeholders 100.00
Create a User-Friendly Website for the
Public and School Districts to Access
Data to Make Decisions 100.00
Create a Roadmap to Improve the
Mississippi Student Information System 100.00
Number of Research Results Published to
Support Improved Student Outcomes and
Teacher Effectiveness 9
Graduation & Career Readiness
Percent Increase of Students Graduating
from High School Ready for College or
Career in Each Subgroup 100.00
Early Childhood Education
Percent Increase of Kindergarten
Students Achieving End-Of-Year Target
Score on Kindergarten Readiness
Post-Test 69.74
Percent Increase of Early Learning
Collaborative Sites Meeting Required
Rate of Readiness 95.95
Number of Students Enrolled in Title I
or Locally Funded Pre-K Classes 8,778
Teacher Tng & Professional Dev
Reduce the Proportion of Inexperienced
and Non-Certified Teachers in Schools
That Are High Poverty 31.00
Reduce the Proportion of Inexperienced
and Non-Certified Teachers in Schools
That Are High Minority 35.00
Percent Increase of Districts Reporting
Professional Growth System (PGS) Ratings
for Teachers and Leaders 96.00
Percent Increase of Teacher Candidates
Passing Licensure Exams on the First
Attempt 45.00
Increase the Number of Licensed, Diverse
Teachers and Leaders 35.00
Elementary Education
Percent Increase of Students who Pass
the 3rd Grade Reading Assessment at the
First Administration in Each Subgroup 80.00
Secondary Education
Increase the Number of Students
Participating in and Passing Advanced
Placement (AP), International
Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge Exams
in Each Subgroup 37.00
Percent Increase of Students Ready for
College as Measured by Meeting ACT
Benchmarks in Each Content Area (Public
School Class Data, Grade 11) 11.00
Assessment & Development
Increase the Percent of Students
Proficient (Levels 4-5) on Statewide
Assessments (Grades 3-8 & High School
Composite) in Each Subgroup 53.00
Decrease the Percent of Students Scoring
Levels 1-3 on Statewide Assessments in
Each Subgroup 47.00
Increase Percent of Pre-Kindergarten
Students in Public Schools Attaining
Kindergarten Readiness on the Pre-K
End-Of-Year Assessment 72.00
School Performance
Percent of Schools Rated "C" or Higher 85.00
Percent of Districts Rated "C" or Higher 85.00
Percent of Students Demonstrating Growth
on Statewide ELA Assessments in Each
Subgroup 70.00
Percent of Students Demonstrating Growth
on Statewide Math Assessments in Each
Subgroup 75.00
Percent of Students Participating in
Dual Credit in Each Subgroup 60.00
Percent of Students Passing Dual Credit
in Each Subgroup 98.00
Increase the Growth of D and F Districts
Demonstrating Growth, by Improving the
Letter Grade and/or Increasing the
Number of Points within a Letter Grade 80.00
Increase the Growth of D and F Schools
by Improving the Letter Grade and/or
Increasing the Number of Points within a
Letter Grade 80.00
Increase the Growth of Districts of
Transformation by Improving the Letter
Grade and/or Increasing the Number of
Points within a Letter Grade 100.00
Increase the Growth of Schools Under
Districts of Transformation by Improving
the Letter Grade and/or Increasing the
Number of Points within a Letter Grade 100.00
Decrease the Number of High Schools
Rated D or F 40.00
A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for Fiscal Year 2026.
SECTION 7. No school district shall expend any funds, received under the School Ad Valorem Reduction Grant, unless such school district has specifically identified the amount of the grant within the published budget as required by Section 37-61-9, Mississippi Code of 1972. The published budget shall include the following statement: "Ad Valorem taxes will be $________ less as a result of the Ad Valorem Reduction Grants enacted by the Mississippi Legislature in 1992."
SECTION 8. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, funds in the amount of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) shall come from income derived from the principal of the Education Improvement Trust Fund created by Section 206A, Mississippi Constitution of 1890, and One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) shall be used for the School for Math and Science.
SECTION 9. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act, the following positions are authorized for the Vocational and Technical Education Division of the State Department of Education:
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT:
Permanent: 48
Time-Limited: 5
Additionally, the State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the projected annualized payroll costs based on current employees. It shall be the responsibility of the agency head to ensure that actual personnel expenditures for Fiscal Year 2025 do not exceed the data provided by the Legislative Budget Office. If the agency’s Fiscal Year 2025 projected cost exceeds the annualized costs, no salary actions shall be processed by the State Personnel Board except for new hires determined to be essential for the agency.
Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State Personnel Board shall not escalate positions without written approval from the Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to escalate any funds for salaries and/or positions without proof of availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated level.
No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds used for salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.
None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in violation of the Internal Revenue Service’s Publication 15-A relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor.
SECTION 10. Of the funds appropriated in this act, an amount not to exceed One Million Twenty-three Thousand Five Hundred Seventy-four Dollars ($1,023,574.00) is authorized for the support of vocational and technical education programs as authorized in Section 37-31-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, for a period in excess of ten (10) months in a calendar year.
SECTION 11. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Vocational and Technical Education Division of the State Department of Education shall, with the funds appropriated in Section 1, transfer no more than Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) to the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission for the purpose of providing matching funds to purchase soil conservation equipment.
SECTION 12. Of the funds appropriated in this act, no more than One Hundred Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($175,000.00) is provided for the purpose of supporting the Future Farmers of America Center.
SECTION 13. The State Department of Education shall transfer the designated amounts to the appropriate entities, which shall assume full responsibility for the expenditure of these funds in accordance with state laws and accept all responsibility for any improper expenditure, for the following:
Detention Centers............................... $ 3,000,000.00.
Dyslexia Program................................ $ 225,000.00.
Amplify Data Coaching........................... $ 800,000.00.
Magnolia Speech School.......................... $ 1,000,000.00.
Sight Savers.................................... $ 375,000.00.
Teach for America............................... $ 860,000.00.
Teacher Corp and Principal Corp................. $ 300,000.00.
Vision Screening Research....................... $ 225,000.00.
Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia................. $ 200,000,00.
Algebra Nation.................................. $ 1,100,000.00.
Mississippi Construction Education Program....... $ 212,500.00.
T. K. Martin Center............................. $ 100,000.00.
JumpStart Act................................... $ 250,000.00.
Mastery Prep.................................... $ 200,000.00.
Arts for All Mississippi........................ $ 40,000.00.
TOTAL.......................................... $ 8,887,500.00.
SECTION 14. It is the intention of the Legislature that of the funds provided for Other Early Learning Programs in Section 4(a), Thirteen Million Dollars ($13,000,000.00) is included for the Mississippi Department of Education to provide grant opportunities for Other Early Learning Programs through public schools including other public school preschool programs not participating in Early Learning Collaboratives.
SECTION 15. Of the funds appropriated in this act, an amount not to exceed One Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,500,000.00) shall be used for technological methods for agricultural programs, computer science, engineering or robotic engineering programs and equipment upgrades and Mississippi Elementary (ME) STEM and STEAM programs from the Career and Technical Education Division of the State Department of Education. All programs must meet Mississippi Science Standards and/or College and Career Standards.
Of the funds appropriated in this section, an amount not to exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) shall be distributed to the Mississippi State University Center for Cyber Education and used for computer science programs development and teacher training for elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools for the purpose of developing K-12 computer science curricula, including both academic and career and technical education programs, developing and delivering teacher training, and working with the State Board of Education and Institutions of Higher Learning in the state to develop teacher preparation programs for computer science endorsements. All programs must meet the 2018 Mississippi Computer Science Standards and/or Mississippi College and Career Standards.
SECTION 16. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2(a) of this act, Five Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($550,000.00), or so much thereof, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, as created in Section 27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office. Of these funds, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) is provided for program and equipment upgrades at the Mississippi Elementary (ME) STEM and STEAM programs from the Career and Technical Education Division of the State Department of Education. Additionally, Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) is provided for the Mississippi Future Farmers of America Center.
SECTION 17. It is the intention of the Legislature that computer science courses may be taught by certified teacher or for elementary level classes, computer science courses may be taught by teachers who are trained by the district in computer science instruction.
SECTION 18. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, the sum of Sixty-two Thousand One Hundred Ninety-one Dollars ($62,191.00), which is the aggregate sum that the school districts in the Chickasaw Cession receive annually from interest payments from the Chickasaw School Fund under Section 212, Mississippi Constitution of 1890, shall be deducted from the allocations to the school districts as provided in Section 29-3-137, Mississippi Code of 1972, and shall be distributed among the school districts in the Chickasaw Cession by the State Department of Education in the manner that those interest payments were distributed during Fiscal Year 1985.
SECTION 19. Of the funds provided in this act for the purpose of funding the Mississippi Student Funding Formula, the Student Base Amount in Fiscal Year 2025 shall be Six Thousand Six Hundred Ninety-five Dollars and Thirty-four Cents ($6,695.34).
SECTION 20. With the funds provided in this act, it is the intention of the Legislature that School Attendance Officers and academic teachers at the Mississippi School for the Deaf and the Mississippi School for the Blind shall receive their annual increment.
SECTION 21. It is the intention of the Legislature that the State Board of Education shall maintain complete accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated in this act and that those records shall be in the same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 2024. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the budget requests for Fiscal Year 2026 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format and level of detail comparable to the format and level of detail provided during the Fiscal Year 2025 budget request process for each agency and institution appropriated funds within the provisions of this act.
SECTION 22. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a) to the State Board of Education, not less than Twenty-three Million Eighty Thousand Dollars ($23,080,000.00) shall be used for National Board Certification. Of this amount, Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars ($700,000.00) shall be used for the World Class Teacher Program providing instruction and assistance to teachers seeking National Board Certification.
SECTION 23. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 and Section 4(a) not less than Seventeen Million Five Hundred Fifty-eight Thousand Dollars ($17,558,000.00) shall be used for the Educable Child Program. It is the intention of the Legislature that the State Board of Education shall allocate funding for the Educable Child Program based upon a recalculated formula in a manner to include only those billable days funded through appropriation of state funds and not District funds. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Educable Child funds shall be exempt from budget cuts made to the Department of Education by the Legislature and/or the Office of the Governor.
SECTION 24. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a) and Section 4(a), not less than Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) shall be used for the Education Scholarship Account (ESA) Program. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Education Scholarship Account (ESA) funds shall not be reduced by the State Department of Education and/or the Office of the Governor.
SECTION 25. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a), Twelve Million Five Hundred Thirteen Thousand Four Hundred Twenty Dollars ($12,513,420.00) is provided to fund the health insurance premium increase for all public school employees.
SECTION 26. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a) of this act, Eight Million Four Hundred Twenty-seven Thousand Six Hundred Fourteen Dollars ($8,427,614.00) is provided to fund a one-half (1/2) percent increase in the employer portion of the Public Employees' Retirement System for all eligible public school employees.
SECTION 27. The public school districts of the state are authorized at their discretion to pay with local funds one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of the health insurance premiums of the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan for all retired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System who are employed as school bus drivers by the school districts. It is the intention of the Legislature that no state funds shall be used for this purpose.
SECTION 28. It is the intention of the Legislature that whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things stated in those received bids are equal with respect to price, quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are made without competitive bids.
SECTION 29. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, not less than Six Million Four Hundred Fourteen Thousand Eight Hundred Ninety-eight Dollars ($6,414,898.00) shall be used for the Compulsory School Attendance Office and School Attendance Officers.
SECTION 30. Of the funds appropriated in this act, it is the intention of the Legislature that Three Million Sixty Thousand Dollars ($3,060,000.00) shall be used for the Mary Kirkpatrick-Mary Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program. The amount of Three Million Sixty Thousand Dollars ($3,060,000.00) is provided from the Department of Health.
SECTION 31. It is the intention of the Legislature that the State Board of Education shall charge a fee for room and board for students who enroll in the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science and the Mississippi School of Arts. Such fees will be waived for any student enrolled in the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The amount of such fees shall be Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each semester.
SECTION 32. It is the intent of the Legislature that each eligible employee who meets the National Board requirements under Section 37-19-7(2), Mississippi Code of 1972, shall be paid the full supplement and that such supplement shall be included on a prorated basis in the employee's monthly paycheck.
SECTION 33. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Department of Education may loan any general or special source fund amount, not to exceed Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00), to any school district for the purpose of providing funds to school districts through the Emergency Assistance Fund as outlined in Section 37-17-6, Mississippi Code of 1972, during the period beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025. The school districts receiving these loans shall repay the Mississippi Department of Education the amount of the loan on or before June 30, 2025.
SECTION 34. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a), Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars ($700,000.00) shall be transferred to the Board of Health no later than December 31, 2024.
SECTION 35. Any school district receiving funds through Save the Children may provide a ten percent (10%) match from local funds for implementation of the program.
SECTION 36. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a), Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) is provided for the Mississippi Community Oriented Policing Services in Schools (MCOPS) grant program. A portion of these funds not to exceed one percent (1%) may be used for training and administrative costs related to oversight and auditing of the program.
SECTION 37. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a) and Section 2(a), Twenty-nine Million Dollars ($29,000,000.00) is provided for an Early Childhood Education Initiative program. The funding shall be provided to early learning collaboratives in Fiscal Year 2025 as follows: no less than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) per student in a full-day program and no less than One Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($1,250.00) per student in a half-day program. Funds must be matched as provided by Section 37-21-51, Mississippi Code of 1972.
SECTION 38. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a) and Section 4(a), Fifteen Million Ninety-four Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($15,094,500.00) shall be used for the Literacy Initiative and Assessment and monitoring and evaluating the adoption and implementation of high-quality instructional materials that have been reviewed through the approved state process and distributed through regional textbook depository as outlined in Section 37-43-23, Mississippi Code of 1972.
SECTION 39. Of the funds appropriated herein, funding is provided for the ACT test, which is the college readiness portion of the state accountability model.
SECTION 40. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a), Two Million Seven Hundred Thirty-four Thousand Sixty-four Dollars ($2,734,064.00) shall be used for the Mississippi School of the Arts and Four Million Ten Thousand Two Hundred Ten Dollars ($4,010,210.00) shall be used for the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. It is the intention of the Legislature that of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a) for the Mississippi School of the Arts, One Million Three Hundred Sixty-seven Thousand Thirty-two Dollars ($1,367,032.00) shall be paid to the school no later than July 10, 2024, and One Million Three Hundred Sixty-seven Thousand Thirty-two Dollars ($1,367,032.00) shall be paid no later than January 10, 2025. All funds appropriated from Section 4(a) for the Mississippi School of the Arts shall be paid to the school each month within ten (10) working days after such amount was received by the Department of Education. It is the intention of the Legislature that the State Board of Education shall not reduce the appropriated amounts provided in this act for the Mississippi School of the Arts and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science.
SECTION 41. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(b) and Section 2(b), Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) is provided for career and technical grants to schools for qualified students as authorized by Section 37-153-15, Mississippi Code of 1972.
SECTION 42. Of the funds appropriated in this act, the following amounts shall be available to the Schools for the Blind and Deaf: Ten Million Four Hundred Eighty-four Thousand Three Hundred Twenty-three Dollars ($10,484,323.00) from Section 1(a), One Million Five Hundred Fifty-seven Thousand Thirty-seven Dollars ($1,557,037.00) from Section 4(a), and Two Million Four Hundred Fifty-nine Thousand Seven Hundred Twenty-five Dollars ($2,459,725.00) from Section 2(a).
SECTION 43. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(a) of this act, One Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,400,000.00) is provided for the continuation of a school mapping program.
SECTION 44. Of the funds appropriated in this act, an amount not to exceed Four Million One Hundred Seventy-one Thousand Three Hundred One Dollars ($4,171,301.00) is authorized to fully fund the contract between the Department of Education and the Research & Curriculum Unit at Mississippi State University to fund career and technical curricula, services to secondary schools and career and technical assessments.
SECTION 45. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(b) to the State Board of Education, Five Hundred Sixty-two Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety-nine Dollars ($562,999.00) is provided for secondary career and technical education instructors teaching at post-secondary institutions.
SECTION 46. In addition to all other funds appropriated herein, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Charter School Authorizer Board for operational expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025 $ 1,400,000.00.
SECTION 47. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1(b), One Million Four Hundred Thirty-two Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy-two Dollars ($1,432,872.00) shall be provided for new Career and Technical Education Programs as determined by the Division of Vocational and Technical Education at the Mississippi Department of Education. Of the funds appropriated to the department for these programs, no amount shall be expended by the department to defray administrative costs.
SECTION 48. The Mississippi Department of Education shall provide an annual report detailing the funding of industry certifications and the anticipated industry certifications that will be achieved in the upcoming fiscal year to the Legislative Budget Office and the Legislature no later than January 15, 2025.
SECTION 49. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2(a) of this act, One Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,500,000.00), or so much thereof, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, as created in Section 27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office. These funds are provided for repairs and renovations at the Mississippi School for Math and Science.
SECTION 50. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2(a) of this act, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00), or so much thereof, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, as created in Section 27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office. These funds are provided as initial operational funding for The Deer Creek Promise Community.
SECTION 51. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Education Enhancement Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the Mississippi Department of Education for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of Education Enhancement Funds as authorized in House Bill No. 1613, 2023 Regular Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025................................. $ 12,915,973.00.
This reappropriation is made for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of funds as allocated herein:
(a) Instructional Materials.............. $ 2,540,973.00.
(b) Early Learning Collaboratives........ $ 3,000,000.00.
(c) Other Early Learning Programs........ $ 7,375,000.00.
Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, the amount that may be expended under the authority of this section shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds remaining as of June 30, 2024, from the amount authorized for the previous fiscal year. In addition, this reappropriation shall not change the purpose for which the funds were originally authorized.
SECTION 52. It is the intent of the Legislature that each eligible professional school counselor employee who meets the year of teaching experience requirements under Section 37-151-5(m), Mississippi Code of 1972, shall be considered having a year of experience for purposes of the annual experience salary increment.
SECTION 53. The money appropriated in this act shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the proper person, officer or officers in the manner provided by law.
SECTION 54. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.