House Bill 707

AN ACT TO CREATE THE SCHOOL START DATE ACT OF 2012; TO PROVIDE THAT NO PUBLIC ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL BEGIN A NEW ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR OF INSTRUCTION LATER THAN THE LAST MONDAY IN AUGUST; TO EXEMPT THE MISSISSIPPI SCHOOLS FOR THE BLIND AND DEAF FROM THE APPLICATION OF THIS REQUIREMENT; TO AMEND SECTION 43-5-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY THERETO; TO REPEAL SECTION 37-13-61, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH AUTHORIZES THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD TO FIX THE DATE FOR THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE SCHOOL TERM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the School Start Date Act of 2012.

(2) Beginning with the 2012—2013 school year, no public elementary or secondary school under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Education may begin a new academic year of instruction for students after the last Monday in August.

(3) The provisions of subsection (2) of this section shall not apply to the Mississippi School for the Blind and the Mississippi School for the Deaf.

SECTION 2. Section 43-5-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

43-5-5. The State Board of Education shall adopt all needful rules and regulations for the government of the schools. The State Board of Education shall have authority and control over the pupils and over the properties of each school except where otherwise prescribed by law. The State Board of Education shall provide and maintain libraries for each school, and shall provide for proper and needful recreational facilities for the pupils of the separate schools, and encourage their physical and hygenic and religious advancement, including facilities for church attendances on the Sabbath. The State Board of Education shall establish the date for the opening and closing of the school term for the schools and shall establish the minimum number of days which the schools must be in session during a scholastic year.

SECTION 3. Section 37-13-61, Mississippi Code of 1972, which authorizes the local school board to fix the date for the opening and closing of the school term, is repealed.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2012.