MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Education; Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Ferris

AN ACT TO CODIFY SECTION 37-19-20, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE AN ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS UNDER THE MINIMUM EDUCATION PROGRAM FORMULA FOR THE SALARIES OF LONG-TERM SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS EMPLOYED IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHERE THERE EXISTS A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. The following provision shall be codified as Section 37-19-20, Mississippi Code of 1972:

37-19-20. Each school district in a geographical area of the state where there exists a critical shortage of teachers, as determined by the State Board of Education, shall be allotted a sufficient amount of funds for the salaries and fringe benefits of substitute teachers employed by the district for more than a one-month period of time, to be referred to as "long-term substitute teachers." Funding for such long-term substitute teachers shall be limited to minimum program funds that would otherwise be available to a school district for allotted licensed teacher unit positions which cannot be utilized by the district due to the critical teacher shortage. Funding for such long-term substitute teachers shall be based on the beginning salary scale for a teacher with a type A certificate, and the documentation for the necessity of employing such long-term substitute teachers shall be prescribed and approved by the State Board of Education.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1999.