Senate Bill 2198

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE HATTIESBURG MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TO THE BOONEVILLE MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING FUNDS FOR THE SUPPORT OF DIGITAL INTERACTIVE LEARNING PILOT PROGRAMS AT CERTAIN SCHOOLS IN THESE DISTRICTS, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the Hattiesburg Municipal School District Board of Trustees for the purpose of providing funds to defray the cost of implementing a digital interactive learning pilot program at Burger Middle School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013, and ending June 30, 2014 ... $538,875.00

(2) The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the Booneville Municipal School District Board of Trustees for the purpose of providing funds to defray the cost of implementing digital interactive learning pilot programs at Anderson Elementary, Booneville Middle School and Booneville High School in Booneville, Mississippi, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013, and ending June 30, 2014 ............................. $1,093,675.00

SECTION 2. (1) It is the intention of the Legislature that the enhanced learning model pilot programs shall be designed to replace traditional hardbound textbooks, dictionaries, and other reference materials with interactive electronic content on digital devices. This model shall consist of three (3) main components: electronic content, digital readers and hosted campus-wide Wi-Fi networks. These networks shall be designed to allow students in every classroom to have simultaneous access to web-based interactive learning material, widespread online testing and mobile educational applications.

(2) The Joint Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) shall conduct a performance review and audit and develop a report to the 2014 Regular Session of the Legislature on or before January 1, 2014, on the educational effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and return on investment to the State of Mississippi of the digital pilot programs funded under this act, with recommendations as to the expansion of this pilot program into other school districts in the state.

SECTION 3. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of 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 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2013.