House Bill 1279

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM HIRING AS A CONSULTANT ANY EDUCATION ADMINISTRATOR WHOSE LAST FULL-TIME EDUCATION JOB IN MISSISSIPPI, WITHIN THE PRECEDING TWO YEARS, WAS WITH A FAILING SCHOOL DISTRICT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. The school board of a local school district may contract with a person having professional experience in academic, finance or other managerial and operational functions of schools and school districts to serve as a consultant to the school board, superintendent, principals and licensed district and school level administrators in the district. However, any person having experience as a superintendent, principal or other licensed district or school level administrator whose last full-time employment in the field of education was with a school district in Mississippi determined by the State Board of Education to be a failing district is not eligible to serve as a consultant to any school district in the state, including the district at which the person was last employed, for a period of two (2) years following the last date of the person's employment with the failing school district. School districts seeking the services of a consultant shall verify the employment background of any person being considered to provide those services and may not contract with any person who does not meet the qualifications prescribed in this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2010.