Senate Bill 2159

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO CODIFY SECTION 37-27-80, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT FROM AND AFTER JULY 1, 2014, THE HINDS AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL SHALL BE DISCONTINUED WITH THE REAL PROPERTY TO BECOME THE PROPERTY OF THE HINDS COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT AND THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TO BE DISTRIBUTED AS DETERMINED BY THE APPROPRIATE BOARDS OF TRUSTEES; TO PROVIDE FOR STUDENT DIPLOMAS; 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 37-27-80, Mississippi Code of 1972.

37-27-80. (1) Effective July 1, 2014, the Hinds Agriculture High School shall be closed. Upon closure, all real property titled to or used by Hinds Agricultural High School will become the property of the Hinds Community College District.

(2) All personal property used by the Hinds Agricultural High School for secondary school purposes, including all nondisposab1e sports and/or extracurricular equipment (i.e., football helmets, shoulder pads, baseball bats and helmets, and band equipment) will become the property of the Hinds County School District. The division of such personal property will be determined by joint order of the Boards of Trustees of Hinds Community College District and Hinds County School District. Any cost of transferring title of such real or personal property will be paid by Hinds Community College District.

(3) Any such joint order directing the transfer of the personal property of the Hinds Agricultural High School shall be submitted and approved by the State Board of Education. The finding of the State Board of Education shall be final and conclusive for the purpose of the transfer of property required by such administrative consolidation.

(4) The students attending the said agricultural high school shall be deemed to be students of the school district where they reside. After closure of Hinds Agricultural High School, any student who is enrolled at the Hinds Agricultural High School when the closure is effected may receive two (2) diplomas upon successful completion of all graduation requirements of the school district they subsequently attend: one (1) diploma to be the official completion with the school district they subsequently attend and the second to be a courtesy diploma reflecting graduation from Hinds Agriculture High School.

(5) In the event that Hinds Agricultural High School is closed, there will be a two-year waiver of test scores of Hinds Agricultural High School students being included in accountability calculations for Raymond High School and the Hinds County School District, subject to approval by the State Department of Education. In addition, the students from Hinds Agricultural High School will not be included in the graduation cohort for accountability calculations for the Hinds County School District, subject to approval by the State Department of Education.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2014.